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Zoa eating pods


impur

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So i was fearing the worst, that i had re-aqcuired the infection that took down half my zoa collection previously. I noticed a few polyps here and there on 1 colony that just looked like a white tip where the polyp should have been. I removed that colony to QT, did a series of 3 dips in 3 days, and it has flourished since in the QT. Then a week or so later, i noticed it on another colony, repeated the proceedure and its doing great in QT as well.

 

Then yesterday i notice the same white tip where a polyp was on a healthy, growing, over 3yr old colony. I inspected further with my magnifying glass and i could see 2 remaining tentacles of the skirt, both about half way gone. All around this polyp, the skirts on those polyps looked odd. They had all been munched on, and around the side i found more white tipped polyps minus their skirt. As i sat there examining, i noticed several larger pods, some small brittle stars, and some odd red colored pods. THE PODS WERE EATING THE ZOA SKIRTS!!!!!! I couldn't believe it.

 

So either i need to feed more so the pods get more food, or get a predator. I'm worried they have developed a taste for zoas, so i'm opting for the latter. I plan to get a leopard wrasse if i can find one locally. In i can't find one by next week i'll have to order one. I hope it will go to town on my pod population limiting the pods that cause this destruction.

 

I know flyguy has had a similar experience with these. Anyone else???

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I'd go predator too.

 

That really sucks. Pods are going to be hard to get rid of cuz they reproduce so fast. I know it's a drive but Waves gets in some insane leopards kinda often.

 

IME with the Potter's Leopard I haven't noticed her going after many pods, she prefers mysis and krill from my observation. She will go after the mysids in the tank.

 

JME

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Good to know Kevin, i'll keep researching to make sure they are a pod muncher. From what i read yesterday they are, but of course they are opportunistic so if easier to get food is around they'll go for that first. I love the Potter's leopard, any pics??

 

andy - my camera won't take clear pics that small. There are lots of threads on this subject already over at his forum anyhow.

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Here is a good pic of the damage i found over at N-R.com. Here you can see the white tip i was talking about

 

index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=6735

 

 

Ed i think there are only a couple options. Either add a predator. Remove all your zoas to QT and dip to kill off the pods, you will still run into the problem when you reintroduce them to the display. Or use interceptor in the display and kill them all.

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Yea, those zoa pics are exactly what mine look like, even the same kind of zoa!

I have a bunch of zoas, so QTing would be hard, especially since most are attached to my live rock. Plus, it would only solve a short problem.

Let me know what you come up with in your predator research, I have room for more fish anyway.

I'm going to look into this interceptor you speak of too...

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Just got back from the LFS with a beautiful flasher wrasse. We'll see if he does the trick. I'll try to get pics later tonight.

 

Interceptor is a dog worm medicine. I don't recall its active ingredients, but it kills inverts (not snails). Its being used in the hobby to kill off redbugs mostly.

 

I'll let you know how the wrasse does.

 

Incidently i was looking at my colony that is being ravished by the pods last night with a flashlight. Made me so made, a pod about 3/4" (YES 3 freaking 4ths of an inch!!!) long scurried off the colony and onto the glass, then sat there and munched down a tenticle of the skirt right in front of me. GRRRRRRR

 

 

Miles

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Just got back from the LFS with a beautiful flasher wrasse. We'll see if he does the trick. I'll try to get pics later tonight.

 

Interceptor is a dog worm medicine. I don't recall its active ingredients, but it kills inverts (not snails). Its being used in the hobby to kill off redbugs mostly.

 

I'll let you know how the wrasse does.

 

Incidently i was looking at my colony that is being ravished by the pods last night with a flashlight. Made me so mad, a pod about 3/4" (YES 3 freaking 4ths of an inch!!!) long scurried off the colony and onto the glass, then sat there and munched down a tenticle of the skirt right in front of me. GRRRRRRR (flame)(flame)(flame)

 

 

Miles

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I love flashers. I like the fish too.

 

WOW that is a brave freaking pod.

 

Do you have a link where I can read more about the Interceptor being used in aquariums? I went to there site expecting the active ingrediant to be fenbendazole or prazipro but it's milbemycin oxime. I'd like to do some more reading on it. Fenbendazole and prazipro have been used to rid tanks of certain pods, hydroids, and some worms for some time but there is a long lasting effect on herbivourous snails (few years later they still die in days) so perhaps the Interceptor would be a better choice.

 

Just kinda curious.

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Well, since i had that pest before too, i have PLENTY of sites for you.

 

The company that makes it is here

http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/cab/interceptor.shtml

 

Melev always has good info

http://www.melevsreef.com/redbugs.html

 

Thread on treatment

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45859&highlight=redbugs

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2003/feature.htm

 

Another thread with some info from Borneman

http://www.michiganreefers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=120799#post120799

 

More info from Borneman

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic52127-9-1.aspx?Highlight=red+bugs

 

 

Hope that helps ;)

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too bad they look exactly like the amphipods that dont hurt anything. I really think they are different. Otherwise how could we explain them being harmless ofr years and then all of a sudden going rogue on us?? not likely. I know they love PE polyps of any kind. bunch of good wrasses and lots of flow to keep your polyps clean is the only solution.

 

 

zoaspider.jpg

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yellow coris is the most diligent and thorough pod predator I have ever had and ive had lots of different wrasses. I keep one in both tanks

 

6 lines are great too, but adding a 6-line will potentially influence and limit your choices for all future new fish additions

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Pretty much all (laugh) there are obviously exceptions for every fish. In my research i've read that the yellow coris wrasse is probably the best pod hunter out there.

 

I just got back from lunch and checking on my new wrasse. He's still in the back hiding, but I did see him picking at the tank wall which i would assume means there was a tasty pod right there for the taking.

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Pretty much all (laugh) g.

 

yep.

 

 

Its not an absolute as fish temperment can vary rom fish to fish and I have actually had 6 line for years that was a perfect gentleman and never a problem with nything through several tanks and many different kinds of fish. But if you take bulk experiecne from many different 6-line owners he was an exception, not the general rule.

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What kind of fish are 6 liners abusive to?

 

Any other wrasse that enters the tank. And they will try to bully anything else IME.

 

I have a Christmas (Ornate) Wrasse. He likes to think he's tough by flexing for all newcomers, but he's a sweetheart really. And anytime something gets added to the tank, be it a frag plug or bit of rubble, he's the first one over to give it a quick check out for pods, grabbing any and all bugs on there.

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Ok' date=' I got a "clown wrasse" (I'm a sucker for cheap) but now I can't find any info about them online. Are they known by another name? Does anyone have any info on them? Did I get rookered?[/quote']

 

Hopefully not this Clown Wrasse!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coris_aygula

 

Well - google shows a lot of different fish called a clown wrasse.... check out the options only on page 1!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=dhi&q=clown+Wrasse&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

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