Please help me ID these crawlers!

[33AP]

Whatever they are have an appetite for Zoa Flesh..

How i got them?
About five weeks ago, I received a Coral shipment from a well known seller in the hobby. Unfortunately it came with those pest. I always dip prior to adding any Coral into my tank, but they were resilient to any dips.

In the span of five weeks, they reproduce like crazy a lot of of my zoas started to decline and melt. I lost all of my high end due to this :(

I found that the only thing that really kills them off the frags is an iodine dip.. but they come right back since they are in the sand bed aswell.

I’m currently doing an interceptor dose. I started yesterday around 5PM only amphipods & copepods died. These crawlers are unfazed.. any recommendations as to what I should do? Thank you!

 

[TX_REEF]

it may be a zoanthid eating spider:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-r2r-care-spotlight-zoanthid-eating-spiders.7861/

 

[33AP]

it may be a zoanthid eating spider:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-r2r-care-spotlight-zoanthid-eating-spiders.7861/

Thank you for the reply! Zoa spiders are much bigger & brown and soft bodied, these guys are hard shelled crab like but very tiny. Copepods size. I did the Interceptor, which is supposed to wipe out every invert I even 3x the dose.. they survived that! I’m not sure what else to do

 

[TX_REEF]

@vetteguy53081 usually has good advice on effective chemical additives... as far as natural pest control goes, a wrasse may help as well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Whatever they are have an appetite for Zoa Flesh..

How i got them?
About five weeks ago, I received a Coral shipment from a well known seller in the hobby. Unfortunately it came with those pest. I always dip prior to adding any Coral into my tank, but they were resilient to any dips.

In the span of five weeks, they reproduce like crazy a lot of of my zoas started to decline and melt. I lost all of my high end due to this :(

I found that the only thing that really kills them off the frags is an iodine dip.. but they come right back since they are in the sand bed aswell.

I’m currently doing an interceptor dose. I started yesterday around 5PM only amphipods & copepods died. These crawlers are unfazed.. any recommendations as to what I should do? Thank you!

Looks to be what is known as ostracods often called grass shrimp and feed on tank debris and detritus

 

[33AP]

@vetteguy53081 usually has good advice on effective chemical additives... as far as natural pest control goes, a wrasse may help as well.

Isn’t interceptor the strongest? That’s what I dosed, I have a mandarin & a possum wrasse