amphipod eating zoa's

some have near all but disapeared so done an iodine dip today to see if
that helps.tons of pods came out and I have seen loads of these all
over my tank so maybe they are the problem........so when I get the next
tank set up Ill get a sixline wrasse, or what else can control the pod population.

I think you are way of the mark regarding your zoa problems mate. everyones system has them and they are an excellent food source, not a zoa eater. Maybe I'm wrong here but I think your problem is diff not these but microscopic zoa eating spiders. Perhaps get a magnifying glass and inspect the zoas closer?

yeah but I seen them ripping one apart at night.
have to upload the vid
few web serches

I started noticing a few nights ago that I have Amphipods eating a colony of Zoas in my tank . They work in little teams of 2 and 3 gnawing away at the bases of the polyps untill they get up inside them and eat them inside out. Its only happening to one perticular colony, and luckily they are cheapys but Im affarid their next menu selection might be a little more painfull ... I have read this isnt totally uncommon , but I thought these were good guys . Im allreay at my fish limit with 4 in my 24 gal, so I dont know if adding a wrase to hunt them down is a good idea... I read about a product to nuke them with but it kills all the inverts in the tank . Help

I just wanted to share something going on in my tank to back up all the talk and threads on pods eating zoa's. I lost my golden wrasse two weeks ago. Three days ago I notice two polyps on my monster lips looked ragged. For the last two nights I have watched large amphipods eating away at the skirts. I've lost about five polyps in three days now. My manderin doesn't eat these big guys so I'm in search of another wrasse to knock the big guys numbers back down.

I have watched while gangs of very large Amphipods attacks and consume the skirts of seemingly otherwise healthy Zoas. I know the debate about perhaps they are only eating those Zoas that are dying - but I see no signs of distress (prior to being eaten of course.)

I understand that eventually the Amphipod population will decrease on it's own - but I'm worried it won't be until after all the Zoas are gone. My challenge is, I need a way to control the Amphipod population without negatively impacting the Copepods (I have a happy and healthy Mandarin.)

It seems my only option would be a something to predate on the Amphipods, I know a wrasse would help, but wouldn't it also out-compete the Mandarin for Copepods?

Has anyone else found a solution to this problem? and if so, is there a specific species of Wrasse (or anything else) that would be best suited?

I initially posted this in the discussion area, but thought maybe one of you "Zoa Gurus" may have a solution - Thanks for your input!

These are all people suggesting its pods and none of them cartain really mate. upload a pic of the culprits you are concerned about and we'll ID them .

they have posted pics too
the ones I have are posted in the id section.
but its the same as copeods, they are reef safe but there is a parasite version that will kill fish.
I was losing about 3 zoa polyps a night only on the blue and orange ones,
if it was spiders they couldnt eat that fast and it says they eat all zoas not just
certain ones.mine were there open one day and totally missing(no trace on the rock) the next morning.

so large Amphipods out last night again from the zoa forum they say different to
what old books said there is actually a zoa eating Amphipod out there.And it seems
that orange and blue zoas are there main target.they say that Amphipods eat dead
zoas but at some stage there is a strain that are eating healthy ones.they say the
problem is becoming very common now and what people thought were zoa's natuarly
dying out in there tanks is actualy Amphipods eating them.they say most people that
dont have problems usually have fish in ther tanks that keep the pod population from
getting too big....fish recomended by the zoa forum are
scooter blennys, most gobys, fourline/sixline and yellow wrasse, mandarin's and cardinals.

so this is the damage today,until now the dragon eyes had never been touched...it was my fire and ice, and blue steels that had gone.





and these are a brand new frag that are growing new heads everyday so there very healthy
but as you can see one is fully open minus the lashes

this is a video of my fire and ice zoas being eatin,
the other zoa's all un-touched



this is what they looked like a few weeks earlier

so I hear one of my zoa eaters got into your tank
fire up some pics of the damage.
get the zoas all into the frag tank so we can get some
pod eating fish in there.mine are in the sump with T5's
until I can sort my tank out......trust me to manage to get the bad ones lol

Trust you to give me them grrrrrrrr

was no where near ya....must have been them ladies of the night

keep them till urselfs lads.

nasty fuckers mate, I didn't beleive it till I seen them doing it for myself. I'll bring you down a couple tomorrow lol

can have some of mine cause with my zoa's in the sump there getting hungry in the main tank lol

the wee sods are back
wham bam watermelons are loosing a head a night.
moved them into the center of the tank and there must
have been some pods on it as two of the wrasse went nuts
eating round the zoa's.pity the wrasse go to sleep at night
when the pods come out to feed. heard a CB shrimp will
eat them too.....dont know if its true but really wanted a
blue leg one anyway, just need to find someone here that
can get them in.