Critter help on zoas

[Ksturg]

ok so my zoas were looking a little weird so I decided to dip them. I got a lot of bugs off of them( this is the second time I've dipped them since I've had them) they are clear and super fast. I know they aren't nudis for sure and a couple made it past the dip. Could they be amphipods? Are they the reason why I'm loosing some polyps? I can't get a pic they are way to small and fast.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Look through the pictures in the link below and see if you recognize anything.

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

 

[Tahoe61]

They could be amphipods. It's pretty common to see pods jumping ship when frag pieces are dipped, the presence of pods is not indicative of pods eating or bothering the coral.
Post an image of your zoanthids if able.

 

[Ksturg]

Well my zoas are all closed up cause I just dipped them about 45 mins ago. To me they look like super tiny shrimp that are clear with a hint of brown stripe.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Yes, that sounds like amphipods.

 

[Ksturg]

So since this dip now I have all kinds of tiny white things swimming at the top of my tank.

 

[Ksturg]

 

[Ksturg]

I think I have both copepods and amphiopods

 

[Lionfish Lair]

That's probably what those small white dots are.

 

[Ksturg]

Ok so what wrasse should I get to eat them? I want to stay away from the 6line

 

[ahiggins]

you want them in your tank
(not sure about amphipods vs isopods, one is a baddie)

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You don't want to get rid of any of them.

 

[Ksturg]

Why not? I know they can be a good little clean up crew but when I look in the tank there has to be thousands of them. It's crazy how many there are. What would be the benifits of them.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

They are a part of your tank's ecosystem. They feed fish and corals. They eat detritus and film algae, bacteria and diatoms. Things naturally wax and wane in this hobby and you don't want to be intervening in the natural process of things, especially when it's natural and not harmful.

Is your tank a little on the newish side?

 

[Ksturg]

Yeah it's a little over 6 months old...well I have been reading on them and some people say they will eat my zoas some people say they won't eat them. Idk really what to think I am loosing polyps on just one colony and that was the colony that they were really really thick on. I would like to get a mandarin dragonet and I know that's what they eat. Should I just leave them for a dragonet I know he will max out on them and I'll prob have to stock the tank with them.

 

[Tahoe61]

The population will decline as the tank ages. Many fish will eat pods, damsel, clowns, there is no need for intervention. Amphipods are attracted to decaying and dead tissue, there is probably another issue going on with your zoanthids and the pods are merely cleaning up. I know there are reports of amphipods eating zoanthids I have been reading this for years, and have only seen one video which was still questionable.
Look at night after the lights have been off for a while for the usual suspects that eat zoanthids. If the zoanthids continue to decline put up an image.

 

[Ksturg]

I can post the one I'm talking about...I've searched for nudis spiders worms and haven't seen anything as of yet I've had them for about a month.

 

[Ksturg]

This is what they looked like before the decline

 

[Tahoe61]

You'll find a ton of threads about failing zoanthids, they are quirky corals. Start with the basics like lighting? What type, how long is the photo-period?
Have you rules out water chemistry? My zoanthids do not like the growth of algae or the collection of detritus around the stalks. What did are you using?

 

[Ksturg]

Ok so I have them at the middle to bottom of tank which I may need to move them up. My lights aren't the best led but they were rated for corals. I have the the lights on for 8hrs then switch to blue for the rest of the night. Maybe I need to turn the blues off when I go to bed. Water was just tested 3 days ago and it's right where it should be on all parameters. When I dipped today with coral rx I cleaned them of all the algae and anything else I could find that might be irritating them.