Be careful what you wish for.

rcpalmer1 · Jul 9, 2017

I have been planning on getting a dragonet. I was going to establish copepods in my tank first. I haven't gotten around to it since I was setting up a new tank right now. I had gotten about 30 frags at RAP May 6th for my new tank. I have had them on a rack in my old tank waiting until I was ready to move them. Nothing else has been added to the tank. A couple of weeks ago I noticed some pods running around my tank. I have been happy about this until a couple of days ago. Everything has been healthy and growing great. I had just taken a bunch of pics because everything was doing so good. Then my zoas started to disappear. It seams that the pods that hitchhiked into my tank like to eat zoas. I pulled the rack out and dipped all the frags. Had maybe 50 pods in the bowl after. I won't know until later just how many I have lost. Not sure what are going to happen to the ones glued to my rocks that can't be removed.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

rcpalmer1 said:
I have been planning on getting a dragonet. I was going to establish copepods in my tank first. I haven't gotten around to it since I was setting up a new tank right now. I had gotten about 30 frags at RAP May 6th for my new tank. I have had them on a rack in my old tank waiting until I was ready to move them. Nothing else has been added to the tank. A couple of weeks ago I noticed some pods running around my tank. I have been happy about this until a couple of days ago. Everything has been healthy and growing great. I had just taken a bunch of pics because everything was doing so good. Then my zoas started to disappear. It seams that the pods that hitchhiked into my tank like to eat zoas. I pulled the rack out and dipped all the frags. Had maybe 50 pods in the bowl after. I won't know until later just how many I have lost. Not sure what are going to happen to the ones glued to my rocks that can't be removed.

I have never heard of a pod that eats zoas.

Rufus’ goofs · Jul 9, 2017

Is it possible you have a zoa eating nudibranch?

Robink · Jul 9, 2017

Yes, you got something else on your frags. I always dip new frags before adding to the display. I did get some monti eating nudi's once. Had to come in as eggs. What a pain to get rid of them! You may have gotten them also as eggs. hard to see.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

Ergodyne said:
Is it possible you have a zoa eating nudibranch?

They would wither and "melt" but not disappear. Nudis are sap suckers.

Rufus’ goofs · Jul 9, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
They would wither and "melt" but not disappear. Nudis are sap suckers.

Gotcha.

rcpalmer1 · Jul 9, 2017

the frag on the right is the same one below. At lest I had 2.

this is some of the ones that came off.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

I see only amphipods

rcpalmer1 · Jul 9, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
I have never heard of a pod that eats zoas.

I had not either. But a quick google search and I found out there are.

3mm3 · Jul 9, 2017

rcpalmer1 said:
I have been planning on getting a dragonet. I was going to establish copepods in my tank first. I haven't gotten around to it since I was setting up a new tank right now. I had gotten about 30 frags at RAP May 6th for my new tank. I have had them on a rack in my old tank waiting until I was ready to move them. Nothing else has been added to the tank. A couple of weeks ago I noticed some pods running around my tank. I have been happy about this until a couple of days ago. Everything has been healthy and growing great. I had just taken a bunch of pics because everything was doing so good. Then my zoas started to disappear. It seams that the pods that hitchhiked into my tank like to eat zoas. I pulled the rack out and dipped all the frags. Had maybe 50 pods in the bowl after. I won't know until later just how many I have lost. Not sure what are going to happen to the ones glued to my rocks that can't be removed.

I'll get flamed for saying this but I have witnessed multiple times bigger amphipods eating healthy zoanthids. Its one of the many reasons I have always kept a wrasse in systems I grew corals.

rcpalmer1 · Jul 9, 2017

Ergodyne said:
Is it possible you have a zoa eating nudibranch?

That is what I found when I search for pest that eat zoas. I got some Salifert Flatworm Exit and dosed them at 4x. It did nothing to them.

rcpalmer1 · Jul 9, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
I see only amphipods

Not sure what they are except for zoa eaters.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

rcpalmer1 said:
That is what I found when I search for pest that eat zoas. I got some Salifert Flatworm Exit and dosed them at 4x. It did nothing to them.

Fwe is for slugs and worms. Interceptor and bayer is for bugs

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

rcpalmer1 said:
Not sure what they are except for zoa eaters.

I'm 99% sure I have those.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

3mm3 said:
I'll get flamed for saying this but I have witnessed multiple times bigger amphipods eating healthy zoanthids. Its one of the many reasons I have always kept a wrasse in systems I grew corals.

No a flame just question on what kind and why do we see this so rearely on the boards.
I have a lot of coral dealer friends and zoa eating pods are never point of discussion

3mm3 · Jul 9, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
No a flame just question on what kind and why do we see this so rearely on the boards.
I have a lot of coral dealer friends and zoa eating pods are never point of discussion

I've only seen the larger amphipods do it and only seen them eating zoanthids.
I also firmly believe we don't hear about it much because it's always disregarded as false observation. Plus I think they are easily over looked as a cause to zoanthid troubles.
i have never seen smaller guys do it. Just big ones.
this type
http://www.melevsreef.com/critters/amphipod

Reef Pets · Jul 9, 2017

3mm3 said:
I'll get flamed for saying this but I have witnessed multiple times bigger amphipods eating healthy zoanthids. Its one of the many reasons I have always kept a wrasse in systems I grew corals.

I've seen this too, many more times than once.

saltyfilmfolks · Jul 9, 2017

3mm3 said:
I've only seen the larger amphipods do it and only seen them eating zoanthids.
I also firmly believe we don't hear about it much because it's always disregarded as false observation. Plus I think they are easily over looked as a cause to zoanthid troubles.
i have never seen smaller guys do it. Just big ones.
this type
http://www.melevsreef.com/critters/amphipod

Eh, I dunno. I think it's disregarded because I have those in my tank.
I would think that if they were a problem sombody would have pulled one out and done an Id with body shape and colors. There may be some that are flesh eaters.

We have had the same debate on asterinas. Finally several folks put up pictures of the ones that do eat coral and they were not ones of the common types.

Thus the question on correct species ID
I saw none in the pics here that should eat coral.