Royal Gramma attacking zoas?

[bdturtle21]

I think my royal gramma might be attacking my zoas - has anyone ever witnessed/experienced this?

I have a 55gal corner tank that has been up and running for about 6 months.
Fish: royal gramma, ocellaris clown, two firefish, yellowtail damsel, and a scotter blenny/dragonet.
Inverts: longspine urchin, sandsifter seastar, several colonies of zoa, button polyp, hammer coral, and a duncan
Typical CUC

Parameters:
pH - 8.5
Alk - 8dkh (2.9Meg/L)
Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, phosphate - 0
Calcium - 400ppm
Salanity - 1.024
Temp - 74-79

Recently I had a bit of a spike in nitrate/phosphate so added a GFO filter. Everything seemed to be happy, until about a week ago - - then the zoas all tucked in and haven't come back out. I thought at first this was b/c I dropped the phosphate/nitrate too fast, but several days ago I watched my gramma (King Charles the Royal Gramma) rub/bite a colony of zoas. I've seen him doing this multiple times now, to all the zoas in the tank. He is a bit of a jerk - and attacks even hermits or snails that get near/down in "his hidey hole".

Has anyone ever seen a gramma do this, and if so is there anything to be done? I really do love this fish and don't want to take him back to the LFS (which is super awesome!!), but I want my zoas to come back out and be happy....

The zoas otherwise look healthy - they just stay tucked up all the time.

Thanks!!!

 

[ericarenee]

Are you sure you do not have some kind of parasite on them . Maybe the Gramma is after what ever is causing the zoas to close..

My Gramma is very timid and shy.. I could never imagine him being a Zoa Murderer....

 

[bdturtle21]

I've wondered if I had a parasite issue but haven't seen any evidence and haven't added anything to the tank in over 2 months. I also dip all corals/zoas that come in, and QT any fish. The inverts are the only ones I don't QT....

I actually see the gramma go after the zoas - at first I thought maybe he was rubbing on them, but I've seen him go after them open-mouthed and take a bite. We consider him the "thug" of the tank - he's def the boss and lets everyone else know it.... not at all timid!

I'm just curious if others have ever seen a gramma do something like this ... I'll keep looking for parasites or other issues with the zoas, but they really do look good (other than being tucked in most of the time....).

Thank you!

 

[ericarenee]

You never know.. I Guess any fish at any time can Decide to be a Coral Eater.. I have read other people say there gramma is mean... But mine is the most timid fish in that tank.

We have
1 Big yellow tang
1 scopes tang
1 kinda small power brown tang
1 lawnmower blenny. about 4 inches or so
1 blue line common wrasse
2 perc clown fish mated
its 84x30x22 inch tank with mostly softies and a few lps...

 

[Sk8r]

The gramma may be eating something that's bothering your zoas.

 

[bdturtle21]

I do keep looking for any signs of a pest bothering my zoas - but I don't see anything. And they all closed up at exactly the same time.... when they do open, they do look really good (no evidence of sick/unhealthy tissue).

I did make a mistake and dose iodine, once, a few days before they started closing - could that make them all close up?

My hammer coral is also closed most of the time - but the Duncan is as happy as can be....

I've done several partial water changes, but doesn't seem to help. The only thing that has changed in this tank in the past month to 6 weeks is the one time I dosed iodine and strontium/molybdenum. I haven't done that again. I only dose Calcium (Kent Marine) every 3-4 days.

Is there anything I can do, or just have patience? Is it worth pulling the zoas out and dipping them?

Thank you!

 

[thestreetzking]

hoping they dont eat them, im supposed to pick one up tomorrow!!

 

[Sk8r]

Don't dose iodine unless you have a sump, and a test that says you need it. It comes in your salt mix. And yes, the addition could make your zoas close up.
The most likely thing to get the gramma's interest is nudis, eggs, or slime produced by the zoas in irritation (I kinda doubt that) or copepods or amphipods (which aren't part of the zoas, but are harmless)---ie, something crawling on them. Zoas aren't apparently very tasty. I've never had a fish touch one.

 

[s2nhle]

my royal gramma have not border my zoas yet.

 

[ericarenee]

I do keep looking for any signs of a pest bothering my zoas - but I don't see anything. And they all closed up at exactly the same time.... when they do open, they do look really good (no evidence of sick/unhealthy tissue).

I did make a mistake and dose iodine, once, a few days before they started closing - could that make them all close up?

My hammer coral is also closed most of the time - but the Duncan is as happy as can be....

I've done several partial water changes, but doesn't seem to help. The only thing that has changed in this tank in the past month to 6 weeks is the one time I dosed iodine and strontium/molybdenum. I haven't done that again. I only dose Calcium (Kent Marine) every 3-4 days.

Is there anything I can do, or just have patience? Is it worth pulling the zoas out and dipping them?

Thank you!

Do you have a Iodine test kit.... As a general rule do NOT!! Dose something you cant check for...
I would do a few water changes back to back a day apart and see if it makes a difference... Are you feeding corals?