Zoanthid eating nudibranchs? Help!

[nickenayat]

Hey all. I'm not sure if I have nudi branchs or spiders or starfish or what. I'm posting some picks of the presumed damages to my zoanthid. I noticed a small area that wasn't opening maybe 7-10 days ago and thought nothing of it really. Recently I noticed some heads completely gone and what looks like bite marks or damage to other heads. Please any advice as to what it is and how to take care of it. Thanks in advance!!

 

[dbl]

I'm not a zoa expert but it looks like zoa pox to me. Would like to bring some help in for either confirmation or correction. #reefsquad.

If it is zoa pox, I went through a treatment with mine using Furan 2. I'll see if I can find the info and post here just in case. It worked great in my case.

 

[Sabellafella]

Hey all. I'm not sure if I have nudi branchs or spiders or starfish or what. I'm posting some picks of the presumed damages to my zoanthid. I noticed a small area that wasn't opening maybe 7-10 days ago and thought nothing of it really. Recently I noticed some heads completely gone and what looks like bite marks or damage to other heads. Please any advice as to what it is and how to take care of it. Thanks in advance!!

Does look like pox but also looks just like grains of sand. Try blasting them with a turkey baster to see if it comes off

 

[ahiggins]

It doesnt look like pox to me.
Palys will naturally have some sand embedded in their skin if it gets on them.
You could try to blow it off.
Have you moved them recently? Have you added any crabs/snails lately to your tank?
Mine get mad sometimes and just close for a day or so.

 

[nickenayat]

Thanks for all the help.

I should've been more discriptive. I'm aware of the sand sitting on the zoanthids and that's not what I'm referring to. If you look carefully at the last photo in the bottom right area of the colony one zoanthid head looks tattered and bitten while there is an empty space right above the damaged head. Every polyp opens today except the physically damaged one and the empty void. I'll post another picture tonight.

I was observing them late last night with the lights off and there seemed to be a clear spider/starfish of sorts on one polyp. I plan to dip each zoa colony in coral revive and maybe a RODI freshwater dip to rid of any pests.

Thanks again and let me know if these ideas sound good or differing opinions.

 

[Sabellafella]

Thanks for all the help.

I should've been more discriptive. I'm aware of the sand sitting on the zoanthids and that's not what I'm referring to. If you look carefully at the last photo in the bottom right area of the colony one zoanthid head looks tattered and bitten while there is an empty space right above the damaged head. Every polyp opens today except the physically damaged one and the empty void. I'll post another picture tonight.

I was observing them late last night with the lights off and there seemed to be a clear spider/starfish of sorts on one polyp. I plan to dip each zoa colony in coral revive and maybe a RODI freshwater dip to rid of any pests.

Thanks again and let me know if these ideas sound good or differing opinions.

Follow the protocol for Furan 2. Almost always a fungal infection, everytime i come across a thread like this and with my own personal experience

 

[mookinpie]

Can you dip them to get rid of them?

 

[RookieReef]

I found out I had Zoa eating spiders once because I put my phone next to the tank and put it on time lapse to watch my zoas and I saw them crawling all over. Maybe try that and see if there's anything crawling on them.

 

[ahiggins]

I found out I had Zoa eating spiders once because I put my phone next to the tank and put it on time lapse to watch my zoas and I saw them crawling all over. Maybe try that and see if there's anything crawling on them.

Eww!! Good idea though!!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I think you may have the spiders. :-(

 

[Tgrove]

I was able to pick mine off. Had only three of them. As soon as i did that my zoas never looked better

 

[ahiggins]

Oh man...I would cry. I can't even think of how bad that would be.
Now every time I have a closed polyp I'm going to think back to this...thanks!!!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

What is the polyp doing today, that had the orange center.

 

[Tgrove]

Oh man...I would cry. I can't even think of how bad that would be.
Now every time I have a closed polyp I'm going to think back to this...thanks!!!

Ya I caught it early, otherwise it could have been much worse

 

[RookieReef]

Oh man...I would cry. I can't even think of how bad that would be.
Now every time I have a closed polyp I'm going to think back to this...thanks!!!

lol I do that every time. I end up starring at them for like 5 minutes trying to find a pest to exterminate

 

[Tgrove]

lol I do that every time. I end up starring at them for like 5 minutes trying to find a pest to exterminate

I literally just did this. I had some closed on my frag rack. It was a snail. But i did panic for a minute

 

[nickenayat]

I removed the zoa and dipped in coral revive. I found 3 spiders I think and since then the zoa has been opening up fully and no signs (yet) of any more spiders