Small critters on my Zoa's-- not the pox

[FlyingFish65]

My zoas closed up over the holidays after my Ca and dKH dropped while I was away. I noticed small white, parasitic-like critters on the closed polyps. I've seen photos of 'zoa pox' (nasty ulcerative pustules) and this is not it. These aren't bumps.

The best description is small (1-3mm) 'aiptasia-like' organisms. A solidary base (white-brown) with tenticle polyps. Once again, these things are small...too small for me to accurately photograph.

I bathed my four small frags a hefty dose of hyposalinic Lugols and blasted the sucka's away with a turkey-baister. It worked, but now they're back.

My next step will be to remove all the frags for a re-dip, and scrape off and discard any zoa-straglers stuck on my larger rocks.

Any thoughts on I.D.???
RB

 

[FlyingFish65]

Upon further thought, might these little critters be a type of hydroid???
They sure look like them.... but I've never heard of hydroids infesting zoanthids!

Last night I redipped the frags in a hypsaline, iodine bath and turkey baisted the heck out of them.

This morning most polyps were open. We'll see how long it lasts.

RB

 

[650-IS350]

pics would be helpfull for better solid identification.

 

[FlyingFish65]

Too small to focus on with my camera. Think small hydra peppering polyps stalks.....

 

[650-IS350]

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/

click around there to see anything that closely resembles it

 

[ktar]

if they are white and crawl around the zoas they are probably pods.

 

[altezza]

if you can take a pic we can identify it easier

 

[geoxman]

nudis when hatched are very very small and will cause a polyp to close. and look what you described. Did you FW dip also? good luck

 

[dragonladylea]

Is it these hydroids by any chance?

 

[Kirk_M]

Just out of curiousity, and off topic, how do you get rid of hydroids?

 

[dragonladylea]

Kirk_M Just out of curiousity, and off topic, how do you get rid of hydroids?

Either pull them out by hand with tweezers or find something that will eat them if you are lucky.

 

[jessp]

yes those are hydroids and they have stinging cells

 

[Reef Junkie]

Kirk,
There are Hydroid eating Nudibranchs, but I don't think you can get them easily.
Best way to get rid of them is to seal them in where they sit.

If I can get the rock out of the tank, then I take the rock out and super glue them shut. Or you can use underwater epoxy if the rock is to big/difficult to get out.

Works everytime.

 

[FlyingFish65]

Pretty sure they are hydroids...possibly Nudi egss... and now they are gone. I dipped the zoa frags in low SG (1.012) Lugol's solution (heavy dose, one tablespoon in 1 gal H2O) for 15 minutes while blasting with a turkey baister. Then did a RO/DI flash dip for 20 seconds. All polyps opened the next morning. Life is good again... that is until the next calamity.

 

[Reef Junkie]

If they were hydroids, mark my words, they'll be back!:eek1:
Keep your eyes on them.