Zoanathids being eaten by something????

[Brd.ginter]

So it's been bout three weeks and I've been noticing my Zoas have been depleting. It looks as if they are being eaten at the base then falling off the rock. The only thing that I've notice are little white bristle star looking starfish. I feel as if these guys are the problem. Has anyone else heard or have this problem before?

 

[Voshon247]

I don't know about the bristle stars but some of my zoas had been disappearing as well and yesterday I found this slug looking thing on my tank wall. Turns out it a a nudi branch which is specific to eating zoanthids. They take the color of the zoas they eat so they are quite hard to see. I recommend if it is them exterminate them immediately. You should tank the rock or ur zoa and look very care fully for them try looking in the night when your zoa close to see if you see it. The eggs are white and stringy and they don't stray for from your colony.

 

[Brd.ginter]

Is there anything that eats these guys? Or do you have to manually remove it.

 

[Voshon247]

The six line wrasse is it natural predator but those can be a hit and miss but I would buy it if possible other wise you can manually remove and do freshwater dips or dip the colony in special dips like flatworm exit. Keep in mind none these kills the eggs, the flatworms exit does do damage but not reported to kill the eggs but it does a number on the adults. They immediatly fall of the colony, They go under stress within 30 seconds then bumbs start to appear on the adult and they literally fall apart

 

[Gregcoyote]

I have a large colony of wrasse and that keeps the worms and other pests down, but the downside is they find these treats buried between the zoa polyps, which ticks the polyps off and they close. A little of this is okay, but there is a balance to be had.

 

[Voshon247]

Thought six lines get aggressive on each other and only 1 was recommended.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Melanurus wrasse is a excellent hunter of all pests they will eat hermits and snails when hungary but worth the risk. Will not eat corals lots of fish are labeled not reef safe cus of crabs or snails. In six months mine ate two snails maybe or died of unknown causes.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Thought six lines get aggressive on each other and only 1 was recommended.

Like clown fish, if you have enough of them introduced at once it settles out.

 

[Voshon247]

Like clown fish, if you have enough of them introduced at once it settles out.

So you put all in at once or little at a time."?

 

[Gregcoyote]

So you put all in at once or little at a time."?

All over a couple of days, then added a big 12 line wrasse that was acclimated for months before being added. I have a holding system for fish so they get use to the water before going into the reef tank. If fully acclimated, they do better even if they are challenged by other fish.