Damn Pods Destroying Zoas

[04V10]

Hey guys,

For the last 2 weeks I have noticed an increase in the number of pods cruising the rocks, however laset week I noticed some really big buggers cruising around. Low and behold, they have started chomping on my radio active dragon eyes.. :cry:. They haven't touched the other 2 colones, but just the one.

I have cut back on feeding a bit to try and kill them off, but they are relentless...lol.

I've only got 2 clowns and 2 chromies in the tank for fish, and I also have a cleaner shrimp. Also the usual CUC.

Any ideas to help with the pest issue??

[Nano]

doesnt sound like pods, more like nudibranches or another pest bug of some type to me

[NU-2reef]

Can you post a pic of the victim zoas?

[paddyob]

Yea I doubt it's pods.

[Bblinks]

Pods are generally good in a reef tank, I have never seen pods feeding on zoa myself but just like all living things some might just become rogue predator. Make sure you examine thorougly for zoa eating nudibranch or spiders and if you are certain that the pods are the culprit then either use interceptor (vet prescribed dog de-worm pill) to nuke them or get some wrasses or mandarin fish as a biological control, I would perfer the latter but its up to you. I like my pod population to be high since they eat all the left over crap sorta like an army of miniture cuc.

Good luck

[04V10]

Yep, definitely amphipods. Here's a video that I found on the net of exactly what I see..

http://wn.com/Amphipod_eating_yellow_zoanthid

I went to feed the fish yesterday, and the size of the one bugger that came out was huge!! Might have to go fish shopping next time im in the city...lol

[Nano]

YIKES!

[reefgirl189]

I can lend you my Copperband for a few weeks to get rid of them if you think it would help. I'm pretty sure I don't have a single amphipod left in my tank after introducing him.

[04V10]

Hey reefgirl,

I think it might be a little big for a 20gal. However, thanks for the offer!!

[beefORchicken]

although the video shows a guy chomping on a polyp, i'd like to believe that pods will only eat something if its dying/rotting etc. I have never had any problem in my tank, i have had them clean up any sort of mess, from food to rotting stuff. Say they are eating your zoas, then maybe deter them with some alternate food source, like sinking pellets - shrimp and algae pellets are loved by those guys, just drop a few in over night and see if that helps

[reefgirl189]

Hey reefgirl,

I think it might be a little big for a 20gal. However, thanks for the offer!!

Oh I thought you had a 55 gal. Yeah 20 might be stretching it.

[reefwars]

large amphipods do damage to zoas and palys def get something to control your population or it will just get worse:)

[Kevany]

I also have a few large amphipods in my tank, looked the same as the amphipods in the attached video. I added a Scooter Blenny and a Mandarin to my tank, have not seen any since.:lol:

[burgerchow]

I've got large pods too. Actually look pretty scary in the dark via flashlight. They zoom around pretty fast, but just added a mandarin today, so problem should be solved.

[04V10]

Hey everybody,

Just figured I'd give an update on the issue I was having in my tank with these pods. Ever since I picked up the 6 Line Wrasse, I haven't seen a pod come out when feeding the fish since. I do see the odd one in the rock when I shine a flash light in there. I did notice that they have now moved into my HOB filter, and they seem to be thriving in there..lol. So it's kind of a win win situation, uneaten food that gets sucked up by the filter, heads to these pods to chomp on. Some do get out, and my 6 line takes care of them.

As for my zoas, my sunburst look like they are finally coming around, the bases and stalks of them looked like they got chomped on pretty good, but they are looking better. My radioactive dragon eyes were eaten until there was only one left, however it has been in good condition, and I just noticed yesterday that there is a new baby growing beside it!! On the road to recovery...lol

[Bugsy]

I to have a pod issue, my only big issue is that my tank is 3 gal pico. I have 1 porcelain crab, 1 pom pom crab, 1 ring cowrie.

These guys are vultures when it comes to food. I only feed my porcelain crab and pom pom every other day and drop in a couple pellets for him. If he does not see them those pods grab them and off they go with them...:twised:

I don't have any fish due to the size of my tank, I have noticed them out and about on my new rock with the yellow polyps. These polyps are not as extended as they were when I first brought them home. I think these guys are real pests, I don't see any of those missing I think they really irriate them though.

Since my feeding is very low and I still have so many of them how would you rid them of a tank this size?

[reefgirl189]

I to have a pod issue, my only big issue is that my tank is 3 gal pico. I have 1 porcelain crab, 1 pom pom crab, 1 ring cowrie.

These guys are vultures when it comes to food. I only feed my porcelain crab and pom pom every other day and drop in a couple pellets for him. If he does not see them those pods grab them and off they go with them...:twised:

I don't have any fish due to the size of my tank, I have noticed them out and about on my new rock with the yellow polyps. These polyps are not as extended as they were when I first brought them home. I think these guys are real pests, I don't see any of those missing I think they really irriate them though.

Since my feeding is very low and I still have so many of them how would you rid them of a tank this size?

Because your tank is so small may I suggest manual extraction?? Take the rock out and shake it off vigorously in a bucket of seawater. It might not get all of them but it will get a few.

[scherzo]

I have a tonne of Large pods too. I've seen them do the same thing but I'm never sure if they are the cause of the zoa death.

My tank observations. I have a 90 gallon with a 75 gallon sump. I have a very large fuge with tonnes of pods to feed my six line, mandarin, and scooter blenny. All have been fine for just under 2 years together.

Something died behind the rock work about 8 months ago (a five year old lawnmower blenny) while I was away. I had a bad hair algae outbreak. I left it for awhile and en finally decided to get rid of the hair algae.

I started to feed very sparingly and clean the tank weekly of detritus. Cleaned the sump and tidied up the fuge. I did some massive and frequent water changes and I'm sure the nutrients in the water were quite low. I think this caused the pods to want to eat stuff. This is when I noticed that some zoas started melting and the pods started attacking the zoas. I don't know if it was the lack of nutrients in the water that cause the zoas to die or if it was the pods who ate them.

So in short, in my tank. When I fed sparingly.. The pods may have been desperate for food. Not sure though.

Good luck.

BTW, I love my six line. He cleans up the tank very well.

[acepumping]

i had the exact same things.. what i did is i did a fresh water dip for all my zoas, man it worked great, my zoas were not opening so i was like wtf.
i asked a guy at the local fish store what to do and he said if possible do a fresh water.. i did that and it worked great.

when it happend i saw tons of these pain in the a$$ nudis.. ( the bad ones).. i thought they were the good ones.. but anyways it worked miracles

[acepumping]

FRESH WATER DIP!!! WORKED!!!!!!

[mohammadali]

my tank is packed with pods mostly adult pods and all coral is healthy