ZOANTHID PROBLEM

[jojo22]

I think that bristle worms are eating my zoa's is this common??????

[graphixx]

bristle worms will not eat zoos but they will irritate them the same way spaghetti worms will. you may have a fire worm, they have been known to much on zoos

[jojo22]

well the tops of the zoas are smaller than the bottom when they are closed kind of like a baby bottle nipple.

[davejnz]

I am by no means a zoanthid expert but this doesn't sound like too much to worry about Joe.I have never had a bristle worm harm a coral.IME,the only time I've seen them eating corals is if there is dieng/decaying tissue present on the affected coral.

[graphixx]

I agree with David, bristle worms hunt on smell alone I dont think they are eating them also. but it is very possible that they are irritating the zoo's which is making them close up

[jojo22]

Thank you all for the advise. I appreciate the relief it has given me I really like these little guys.

[jojo22]

SAD UPDATE. They died. I may try again when I change some things around.

[graphixx]

aaahhh JO JO that is a bummer. did they look like they were getting a dark slime over them when they died??? i have had stock come in that looked pretty bad from time to time coated in a slime. I usually take a baster and blast them good to get it off and keep them in some good flow.

[jojo22]

no they shriveled up real bad and quite comeing out ( I haden't seen them in over a week)

[graphixx]

man that is too bad to hear. sorry about that buddy, better luck in the future. zoo's are usually pretty hardy little buggars.

[Dirt4dinner]

JoJo,
I have seen the zoas in my nano close for months on end before. If they aren't all slimy and gross leave them be, I have a feeling they are just really angry with you right now. They might come back out. Zoas are pretty tough to kill.

When I say months on end I mean it. I got a bunch of zoa rocks (little tiny ones, 3 or 4 polyps each). They closed up tight the second day in my tank, and then proceeded to get half buried by the pistol shrimp, I dug them up every week for almost 6 weeks and figured they had died since they had been half buried and closed. Low and behold, they started to open up again.

[ramoth41]

And if they don't come back and you want some let me know I got LOTS and am willing to send some your way!! lol!

[jojo22]

As soon as I have some money I'll let you know.

[ramoth41]

Not a problem.. just let me know!

[lReef lKeeper]

sounds like a good study topic to me ... i have some zoanthid frags in my frag tank that would NOT open in my sisters tank. but when i got them home and put them in the frag tank after 2 or 3 weeks ... BAM, b-e-a-utiful zoanthids. woder if this could be due to some kind of water condition??

[peregrinus]

when i have seen this happen it is caused by the water conditions. what are your parameters? most likely there is some think they do not like in there. have you tried water change?

[jojo22]

many water changes. I do not know what it could be? all my parameters are good

[lReef lKeeper]

many water changes. I do not know what it could be? all my parameters are good

there has to be something making them close up for so long. maybe it is something that we dont check for on a regular basis. in Tylers case it could have been a COPPER additive, lol.

do you dose the tank with anything ?? what are the exact water parameters ?? could this be from TO MANY water changes ?? not enough in the water to sustain them ??