Lily's first reef! - updated

Lynn! :)
We need to eradicate whatever pest is on your zoas.
Here's what it looks like close up, in the water flow, in my tweezers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxz-NdF0bA8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here's a shot i took of it for you all. See it's long clear legs sticking out on the left side on the pink zoa frag plug?
e8e3393e.jpg


Here's a macro photo i took of one of the spiders i took out. It looks huge but it's only 1/4" in diameter.
zoaspider.jpg
 
Thanks for this thread, great pics and videos. Some of my zoas are curling up on the edges, I'll start looking closely for pests. Great info. Thanks again.
 
Comparing zoa eating nudibranch devestation vs. zoa eating spider devastation

Zoa Eating Spider
In my experience the below photos are how a zoa or paly will look if there is a zoa spider involved.
You know how some chefs at some restaurants make their sauces in little pinwheel designs like the photos below?
That is how a zoa or paly face will look when a zoa eating spider is involved. All the rest will look great. Except for one. Usually the color of the paly or zoa will change so that there is a black swirl of color in the face instead of the usual color it looked like previous.
Also, the zoa spiders will go inside the zoa and eat it from the inside out, and the entire zoa will disappear from a nub down to nothing left. You can see the zoa skirts but they are almost turned inside out.

sauceswirl1.jpg



sauceswirl2.jpg


b36a451b.jpg


zoaspiderbitten.jpg


palyspiderbitten.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Zoa eating nudibranch
Whereas the nudibranch affected zoa colony will all look like they are shrinking or puckering up. They will all lose their skirts. They are not eaten down to nothing like with spiders but will still have their stalks, just thin and dried up stalks.
nudicolony.jpg


nudizoas2.jpg
 
great information Lily - thanks for posting

I've lost some zoas over the years and knew of the spiders but never found any. With the data you posted on how they eat and damage the zoa I now know more about what to look for.
 
wonder if a freshwater dip for the zoa's before adding them to the tank would help with removing the pests. I've dipped them before and they seem to handle it pretty well (don't recommend this with most other corals though).
 
ravenmore said:
wonder if a freshwater dip for the zoa's before adding them to the tank would help with removing the pests. I've dipped them before and they seem to handle it pretty well (don't recommend this with most other corals though).
Click to expand...
I wonder. I've never thought of that. I'm thinking it could work if done very carefully. Thanks for the tip :)

psteeleb said:
great information Lily - thanks for posting

I've lost some zoas over the years and knew of the spiders but never found any. With the data you posted on how they eat and damage the zoa I now know more about what to look for.
Click to expand...
Thanks much, i appreciate it, i'm glad it helps to I.D. these things.
I've caught a grand total of 23 since i started seeing them ten days ago.
My zoas and palys are looking noticeably better. All the ones that have been messed with, They're all starting to open their skirts.
I think i may have gotten on top of the problem of sheer numbers, and am perhaps even decreasing their life cycle. *crosses fingers*
I'll keep you all updated on this issue though.
By the way, i found one on my acan colony yesterday. That's the first time i've seen these on another coral beside zoas/palys.

Thanks for the support folks.
 
looking good! glad you got the spiders under control!! are you dosing anything? you are getting great growth on your corals!!
 
Lynnmw1208 said:
looking good! glad you got the spiders under control!! are you dosing anything? you are getting great growth on your corals!!
Click to expand...
Thanks Lynn! :)
I'm gonna change my name to "The Spider Lady".
lol.

I'm developing a theory about feeding too much, however....
While the zoas were ailing/recuperating, i fed them 'coral frenzy' and 'reef roids', everyday, for five days. Then i stopped feeding after five days, so they could metabolize everything. I feel strongly that this temporary feeding everyday helped the zoas get over the hump of all the spider predation.
During that time i fed (only) the lps once, some minced raw clam and
I haven't fed anything in the tank since.
It's been about five days since i've fed anything, so they can get back to using the par from the lights,for their food.
The zoas and palythoa are popping out babies left and right. And the lps are
too.
 
Here's a pic of two kinds of zoas and palys which were looking poorly but are fine now.
We've been trying to get a good pic of how things look under the moonlights but its always too blue for the camera. Tried something new and it came outclose to how we see them with our eyes, which the camera can't pick up.
02ca4d12.jpg
 
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