What will eat Palys?

[H@rry]

I have a semi-infestation of common palys in my frag tank. They're growing under and on the eggcrate rack and I think they're annoying my frags.

What fish or invertibrate will eat them and not bother SPS frags? (if any)

 

[jda]

Almost none. A huge angelfish might, but they tend to only eat your prized softies. I have had good luck with large angelfish eating Z&P but they never seem to want to touch the "trash" type of palys. Larger puffer might eat them, but they are going to chew your sps frags into sand/gravel, so not a good option.

Kalk paste is going to be your friend. ...or just replace the egg crate, but the current one in the freezer for a few days and then wash it off. I swap out my egg crate and baskets in my frag tanks quite often... they get dried out and cleaned (mostly dishwasher with a bit of muriatic acid, but I just have algae to get off).

 

[RVA REEF]

can you post a pic of the palys?

 

[fishguy242]

@saf1 ..name that fish

 

[H@rry]

 

[RVA REEF]

my majestic angelfish will do work on larger zoas aka palys and the toxic palythoas but seems to leave the smaller zoas alone, they dont mess with my acros so this might be worth a shot, and they are beautiful fish.

 

[RVA REEF]

those look like the toxic palythoas, you could try a majestic.

 

[Jet915]

I kill those with F-Aptasia in my main display. I would try that or just get a new egg crate.

 

[BlennyTime]

Aptasia-x or kalk paste will melt the palys.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Heniocus or racoon butterfly

 

[lemonade]

Clown crabs will do work on zoas and palythoa. I'm not sure if there's specific species they won't eat.

 

[SeaDweller]

kalk paste or gaudy clown crabs. I have two, but I've only seen them twice. I still see many palys. then again, my tank is large.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

those look like the toxic palythoas, you could try a majestic.

what makes you say they are the toxic ones?

 

[RVA REEF]

have you handled these before one reefing boi?

 

[One Reefing Boi]

have you handled these before one reefing boi?

no -- I just have a few of the super bright ones (sunny Ds, rastas, illuminati, nightmare) and was curious why you thought they were the toxic ones. Is it because they are brown/boring colors? Bigger disks? smaller disks?

 

[fishguy242]

HI,read up on paly toxin!! treat all zoas and palys w CAUTION!!

 

[sixty_reefer]

New egg crate will sort your problem

 

[SeaDweller]

what makes you say they are the toxic ones?

Cuz they’re fuhgly

 

[RVA REEF]

the morphs you mentioned are zoas and larger zoas sometimes called palys which are not toxic, or if they are, very mild compared to protos/palythoas and grandis. The toxic ones look like the brown ones above,look for sand growing in the stalks, they kind of resemble venus fly traps. Some of the nicer toxic morphs are nuke greens, purple deaths, captain americas etc.

 

[H@rry]

Thanx, I'll just replace the egg crate. Leave the old one out in the driveway for a couple or weeks and save it for the next time this comes up.