Amphipods eating zoas - Confirmed

[John Stuckey]

It's funny. I started researching this topic when I noticed certain colonies of zoas in my Biocube 29 shrinking away. I was infuriated because they were a few of my favorite colonies. So I watched and watched with my magnifier and started catching these big amphipods chewing at the skirts of the very healthy zoas.

I come online and see many people making this claim and just as many ridiculing them and say amphipods are only eating zoas if they are already dying. Not so my friend. They ate through the healthiest happiest colony I had and I'm sure I know why.

This has happened on two occasions. First was over the holiday when I was away for a week. The second is now - during a 72 day fallow period after ich. In both cases the amphipods found themselves with less food in the tank as usual and went rogue. They clearly chew from the skirts in. I'm trying to feed the tank more and waiting desperately for February 22 to get here so my orchid Dottyback can come out of QT and into the DT to eat up those amphipods.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No thank goodness. If my pods went rogue I have enough to eat the couch.

In both cases the amphipods found themselves with less food in the tank as usual and went rogue.

I applaud you for figuring that out. Most miss it and blame all pods. Like bristleworms.
The thick seaweed kelp snacks for soup(not nori) holds up pretty well and will add less nutrients to the tank. Yea Im weird and did an experiment in the sump. Bristleworms like it to.

 

[madlos123]

This literally happened to me. Zoas are all healthy then 2 nights ago when lights are out i saw an amphipod eating the skirt of a healthy zoa. Tried to sho it out but came back. Then the night after the zoa polyp beside got the skirt eaten. what the heck? I need to get my royal gramma and yellow coris wrasse in

 

[CryptoNautical]

Time for a wrasse, or if your tank is big enough (and has a safe spot for pods) a dragonet;)

 

[madlos123]

Yeah i have 2 yellow coris wrasse in quarantine now for about 2 weeks. My tank is 90 gallon with a fuge sump area :)

 

[madlos123]

Time for a wrasse, or if your tank is big enough (and has a safe spot for pods) a dragonet;)

What kind of dragonet thou ;)

 

[CryptoNautical]

What kind of dragonet thou ;)

I've found good success with the brown scooter dragonet. She's been pretty healthy in my system, and I was able to get her on mysis

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

It's funny. I started researching this topic when I noticed certain colonies of zoas in my Biocube 29 shrinking away. I was infuriated because they were a few of my favorite colonies. So I watched and watched with my magnifier and started catching these big amphipods chewing at the skirts of the very healthy zoas.

I come online and see many people making this claim and just as many ridiculing them and say amphipods are only eating zoas if they are already dying. Not so my friend. They ate through the healthiest happiest colony I had and I'm sure I know why.

This has happened on two occasions. First was over the holiday when I was away for a week. The second is now - during a 72 day fallow period after ich. In both cases the amphipods found themselves with less food in the tank as usual and went rogue. They clearly chew from the skirts in. I'm trying to feed the tank more and waiting desperately for February 22 to get here so my orchid Dottyback can come out of QT and into the DT to eat up those amphipods.

Anyone else experienced this?

Scooter blenny. It’ll knock them down