amphipods eating zoas?

[the reef kid]

Simple as that, there are amphipods eating my zoas...the polyps almost look hollow, every night I look with a red flashlight, and they were swarming this one colony...I have to go now, but will get a pic later. Any experience with this?

 

[yote]

Well,There are parasitic AND predatory amphipods.But are sure their not eating the detritus that tends to catch within the zoa colonies?
Usually the amphipods thats cause trouble are geared more toward feeding on fish.

 

[the reef kid]

They're eating the zoas. Most of them just eat the detritus, but there is this group that sits under the plug and every night just eats this one colony. I'll post a pic later, but the zoas are being completely destroyed.

 

[Bifferwine]

Have you tried dipping them?

 

[the reef kid]

I'm going to later tonight, I'll get a pic once I find the camera, but I'm pretty sure that the amphis are eating it. I don't see any nudis or the like, but I guess it could always be a possibility...

 

[yote]

I'd suggest taking that zoa plug out and giving them a rinse in fresh water.Maybe a 60 second soak or even a few seconds under the tap wont hurt the coral,but it'll get rid of the predators.

 

[the reef kid]

No use posting a pic now, dipped em, nothing fell off, when it went back into the tank, it was time for lights out, and now covered in amphis! It is dead, so how should I dispose of it? I would think that tossing some of the most poisonous things in the ocean in any ol' trashbag could lead to some sort of problem?

 

[yote]

Just throw in the trash.Just make sure the dog dont eat em

 

[the reef kid]

All right, now that i tossed that colony, all the amphis moved onto the next one...how do you kill amphis??? I know, they're supposed to be good guys, but I like my zoas!

 

[yote]

About the only thing I can suggest there,is maybe get a wrasse.

 

[the reef kid]

I have a six line in my 20, may put him in there, but I was talking to a guy at a LFS, and he is completely obsessed with zoas, and he suggested that maybe for some other reason, the zoas are dieing and then the amhpis are eating the dead bits, which makes sense, but I have no idea why they would be dieing. most of the other zoa colonies and all of the other corals are doing great.

 

[dcantucson]

I have had that happen before. One colony will die while all others are doing great. Sometimes it makes no sense. :frustrat:
Living creatures just die on us sometimes I guess.

 

[yote]

You may have nudis or spiders thats eating enough of the zoas to cause em to die,then the amphipods feeding on the leftovers.