something eating my zoas

[gorillanipples]

i noticed the other night that some of my zoas were gone, the day before they were fine the next morning they were gone i have lost 6 diff zoas the only ones they havent totally ate were my orange eagle eyes, i dipped them all a couple of nights ago in freshwater but didn't help what could it be?

 

[tate1]

Could be several different suspects. What kind of fish do you have? Are the polyps completely gone overnight?

 

[gorillanipples]

yellow tangs, maroon clown, clown trigger, anthias, orange shoulder tang, hawaiin cleaner wrasse completely gone over night

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Sorry to hear about you loss. As tate1 said, there could be a host of culprits. For future reference, anytime polyp disappear completely overnight, I mean down to the rock clean, they were either snatched off the reef and hidden behind the reef, ( If on smaller rocks and not secured to the reef), or eaten/consumed by a known fish or invert.

If someone told you to dip, it was very bad advise, no offense to anyone. There is far far too much dipping going on. Dipping is not a cure all for zoa/paly sickness or them disappearing.

Do you have large emerald crabs or even a sally lightfoot? The are known and proven voracious consumers of polyps. If you look closely at them, all they do is roam and eat 24/7. You need to lay the SMACK DOWN on both of them if you have some. If you do a quick search of this thread, you will find countless stories as we have discussed this many times in the past here.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1230094&highlight=mucho+emerald+crabs

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1454537&highlight=emerald+crab+zoanthids

Sundial snails will eat them as well, but not as fast as the above. Nudis will kill polyps, but they won't mow them down like you're stating above.

You said you lost 6 zoanthids. Is that 6 frags, polyps, colonies ?? If you're talking large frags or colonies, it's a fish or invert with a serious case of the munchies.


BTW, could be an E. worm possibly, but I doubt it.


The clown trigger is not reef safe. It's a bully and will eat polyps and most likely the culprit.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Triggerfish/clown.php

The yellow tang is considered reef safe and I have own a few, but in my opinion, every tang, ( surgeon fish ) can/will and has the potential to eat polyps. I know I know, MUCHO, you're crazy, but keep reading. I don't know what it is, I have seen them kept in a tank full of thousands of zoas and palys for many years and they have never touched a single polyp. Then I have seen them in equally large tanks with an ample supply of algae to grave on and an ample supply of a secondary food source, and they have chowed down on polyps. There are reefers overseas, but I lost the article months ago and can't find it, who collectively believe that NO SURGEON FISH is reef safe especially with zoanthid and I agree 100 %. Tangs have to be watched and provided ample food. Please read this entire link below as it is loaded with great info and links to read.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852064&highlight=reef+safe+tangs


Hope something here helps, good luck.

Mucho Reef

 

[gorillanipples]

no sally light foots or emerald crabs i do have blue legs and some zebra hermit crabs, the clown trigger i have had for 3 years and he has never bothered another fish or corals

 

[gorillanipples]

and it was 6 colonies that i lost some the size of a half dollar some the size of a baseball

 

[MUCHO REEF]

no sally light foots or emerald crabs i do have blue legs and some zebra hermit crabs, the clown trigger i have had for 3 years and he has never bothered another fish or corals

Did you read the 3rd paragraph in this link above?

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Triggerfish/clown.php

The same holds true for a lot of things in reefing. Emerald crabs are the same way. Fish which aren't safe with zoas have done the same thing. Even if it wasn't the clown, which I'm sure it was, you need to remove him. You've had a string of good luck, I wouldn't push it.

6 ?????? and they were that big, Oh it was the Clown. Here, you can check and see. Were there any remnants left on the rock where they zoas were? If the answer is no, it as the clown. Have you ever seen the mouth of a clown trigger? They have very sharp teeth, please read the link.

Mucho Reef

 

[gorillanipples]

if i had just put the trigger in i would say say your right but i had him in my 90 gal reef for 3 years and never had a prob, i just moved him to my 150 reef i am wondering if maybe its the zebra hermits i have read that if there is not enough food the can eat zoas, i put 20 of them in a 150 i would think there is enough food

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Again, it doesn't matter. I and many others have had things in our tanks for years and then, BOOOM, issues, it happens.

I have never ever, heard, read or seen them to be unsafe. I just checked all of my books and found the same. Please click on the links below.


http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/crabcarehermits/p/przebrahermitcr.htm

http://www.copyright violation.com/...a-good-and-diverse-Clean-Up-Crew-(CUC)/view/3


My friend, if anything has a diminished or reduced food source, it has the potential to turn on a dime and eat anything I would assume. If you feel it was the 20 zebras you put in 150 gallon tank and they all went directly to those 6 colonies and ate them all over night, then you're correct, I was wrong, my apologies. Good luck with them and the new tank. I bet it looks great.

Mucho Reef

 

[gorillanipples]

everybody has their own opinion yes everything you read say they arent reef safe sure they will eat your hermits and shrimp, funny i have always had shrimp in the same tank with him never had a proble, so like the saying goes don't believe everything you read!

 

[MikeandNicole]

Fish can pick up a taste for zoas overnight. They can coexist peacefully for a long time and then one day decide to nip and then they realize they like it and boom down goes your zoas. As fish mature so do their taste buds and they can decide they want to eat something different. I would guess it is your clown trigger as well.

 

[Reef Bass]

+1 for the tastes and behaviors of previously wonderful fish changing overnight. I had a most awesome and splendid purple tang that was a model citizen for a year and then one day just started pounding acan polyps. It was off to the LFS for him, which was very sad for me.

 

[mfinn]

if i had just put the trigger in i would say say your right but i had him in my 90 gal reef for 3 years and never had a prob, i just moved him to my 150 reef i am wondering if maybe its the zebra hermits i have read that if there is not enough food the can eat zoas, i put 20 of them in a 150 i would think there is enough food

I have had several fish that for years never bothered my zoanthids, when all of a sudden entire colonies were gone over night. And at first I found it hard to believe, I eventually caught the offending fish in the act.
Fish are very opprotunistic feeders. Once the taste something and it doesn't hurt them, they will view that coral as a food source for ever.
There can be a ton of food being fed to the tank, but fish will graze and go back to the coral and continue eating it.

 

[mfinn]

so like the saying goes don't believe everything you read!

maybe you should start believing some of the stuff that's being said here.

 

[gorillanipples]

actually mucho was right, i got home the other night and watched my trigger eating on of my acans, just sucks had him for almost three years and never had a problem, now since i took him out all my corals are fine

 

[MUCHO REEF]

There was no doubt in my mind that he was the culprit. Glad you caught him.


Mucho Reef