Brown paly predator

[McMullen]

I'm looking for something to eliminate or at least control my overgrowth of the common green/brown palythoas. Will the sundial snail eat these? Does anyone know of a fish that may devour them?

 

[tupes]

Maybe a file fish. They've been hit or miss with my palys and zoanthids

 

[McMullen]

Have one. He ate my aiptasia, Xenia, and picks at zoos, but won't touch the brown palys. Good suggestion!

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have tried all aiptasia remedies to no luck at all. Hate those things. If you find something, let us know. I would be too scared to try a sundial.

 

[McMullen]

I don't have any zoos, just don't want to try one for it to starve

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Yes, a sundial snail will eat common palys.

 

[McMullen]

Good to know, time to find a sundial! Thanks!

 

[McMullen]

Well reef cleaners can't get sundial snails. Does anyone know where I might find one for sale?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You're not going to find them anywhere for sale. You'll have to find a fellow hobbyist who was unlucky enough to have them hitch into their tanks. I kept a tank of them for a year and I found them at the LFS in one of their shipments. They were very happy to let me sit there and pick them all out to take home. I fed them palys quite often. I removed a couple dozen from their tanks.

 

[cnseekatz]

Just be careful trying to nuke those guys. The palytoxin is strong with them...

 

[McMullen]

Bummer this may be a long wait!

I don't fear palytoxin. These things have been in my tank for years. I rip em with my bare hands. I don't wash my hands afterwards, but I have occasionally felt a little tingling in my hands. I know there are cases of serious reactions but taking special precautions is over blown.

 

[650-IS350]

Chip them off the rocks, get the layer of rock under them so as not to damage them.

 

[McMullen]

I'm trying to leave the rock in place. Coral growth.
Keep in mind, they are everywhere in my tank and the only way to rid them manually is completely removing everything and starting over.

 

[McMullen]

Will zoa spiders eat brown palythoas?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I would think so, but you know what.... I have zero idea. I have to look into that.

 

[McMullen]

Lol, yeah most post on spiders are discovery when dipping or zoanthid colonies being destroyed.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I would feel safe in saying I'm 99.9% sure they would eat palys.

 

[McMullen]

Gotta find spider then! They really creap me out though. Do they have predator? Wrasse?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Try doing a google image search, I have goosebumps for miles. Their diets are whatever it can pop its proboscis into, to suck all the fluid out.

 

[McMullen]

Well that's disturbing!!