Do Bristleworms Eat Zoas/Palys?

[The Saltwater Kid]

Do bristleworms eat zoas/palys? I noticed 2 bristlewormswrapped around a frag plug which HAD 2 polyps of Purple Hornets on it lastnight but this morning they are gone L. I don’t have any fishin my tank currently…just hermits and snails. I don't have any zoa eating nudi's or spiders...I've looked. It may be just a coincidence but like I said, last night before bed the polyps were still there and looked healthy (but closed) and today after scaring the bristleworms in they are gone.

 

[Mike J.]

Maybe the Zoa polyps weren't attached securely and have floated off somewhere. I do not think the bristle worms ate them.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I don't think that's the case either...these polyps were not a new frag and had been there for a while.

 

[Mr. E Wrasse]

I think it may have been coincidence that they were crawling on it that night. I have bristles crawl all over the place at night and never once have I lost a coral because of them. They could have melted away which happens, also do you have any asterina stars? They can sometimes get a taste for zoas

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I do have asterina stars...I always thought they were harmless algae eaters though?

 

[joshporksandwich]

bristle worms and asterina stars eat hurt corals in my tank . They eat rotting flesh, if they were hurt or dying that's a possibility. Floating around from the worms dislodging them is also a possibility.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

They weren't dying as far as I know...they hadn't opened up in a couple days but the polyps looked healthy (didn't look like they were melting or anything) last night.

 

[Mr. E Wrasse]

They weren't dying as far as I know...they hadn't opened up in a couple days but the polyps looked healthy (didn't look like they were melting or anything) last night.

That happened to me before with some rastas and some other zoas. All it took was a few days closed and one day they literally disappeared

 

[buddythelion]

Bristleworms will eat dying zoas. I've seen it happen to myself. I don't see it as a bad thing since they're just cleaning up zoas and preventing any infection from occuring to the main colony.

 

[Eienna]

From what I've been learning, some asterinas are safe and some are not.
Mine, unfortunately, turned out to be the bad kind T-T

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

How do you tell the good kind from the bad kind of asterina's?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I wouldn't mind if the worms had culled a couple of sickly polyps from a mother colony but these 2 polyps were my only Purple Hornets and now they're gone .

 

[Eienna]

How do you tell the good kind from the bad kind of asterina's?

Differing appearances. However, not much research has been done on it. So far, it seems the completely white ones are okay but any with any color seem problematic. This is only what I''ve been seeing so far, not conclusive.