Zoa Eating Nudibranch

[bump3rb33tl3]

Even though I dip everything before it goes into my dt, I think a zoa eating nudibranch made it through, that or I had eggs that the dip didn't kill. In either case, I need to get rid of them. I can remove some larger colonies and re-dip, but not all. So, what is nature's best defense against these things? Do they have a natural predator? I do have a Lubbocks Wrasse, but it apparently is slacking on the job.

 

[TheEngineer]

Wrasses are your friend when it comes to these nudis. The issue with dips is that they only kill the adults so you need to manually remove the eggs. I don't know about lubbocks specifically, but I do know that six-lines, corris, melanurus wrasses all eat them.

Do you have any pictures? Maybe this isn't a nudi problem.

 

[wattson]

Halichoeres genus of wrasses are the best bug hunters in your situation..Ive had yellow and green coris wrasses and they were NON STOP bug hunting machines,,not the fanciest/colorful but did their job very well..
If your going to be involved in Zoas/palys,,dipping and QT the polyps are your best route of action together in a separate tank when you get new arrivals..

 

[bump3rb33tl3]

I had a yellow coris in this tank, but was very small and some how managed to take a trip down my drainline and into my filter sock..sadly was a goner before I realized it. Was thinking of looking into a green coris wrasse.

I had a pic of a very small nudi I found taking a stroll on my glass a few weeks back but can't find the pic now. Wasnt anything fancy, was a dull kind of muave color however, about the same color as some zoa's I have.

I will get some pics up as soon as I can of the zoas, but just for info sake, the main colony that seems affected is about grapefruit sized. They are wild zoas, blue/green under blues. Has always been fully open but now only about 25% of the zoas are opening. I've dipped a few more times in coral rx (normally I use bayer), but all that ever comes out are dead pods and a small worm or two.

 

[bump3rb33tl3]

Can't seem to find a before pic, but here are a few pics of what its looking like right now..

Wkly 10 gl water changes (75gl total water volume. Using Tropic Marin)
Ca 420
Ammonia 0
Ph 8.2
Alk 9
Mg 1340
Temp 78
Sg 1.026
Nitrite 0
Nitrate .05

2 small clown
3 firefish
1 lubbucks
1 small (1.25") tang
1 algae blenny
1 fire shrimp
1 emerald crab
1 7" clam

Primarily shrooms, gsp, and zoas however, I do have some favia, christmas tree colonies, small sps frags all of which are doing fine (except for the zoa colony pictured below)

 

[wattson]

more flow,,direct more flow to that colony and just see if it starts to open..i have a funny feeling its needs more flow,,it will react fairly fast if this is what it needs.

 

[bump3rb33tl3]

I will give it a shot! Fingers crossed.