Zoanthids disappearing?!?

[tubs]

Kris,

How's it. Look for heliacus snails in between the polyps. They are surprisingly hard to notice and didn't notice a couple in my colonies for close to a year. You might also look a little close for any parasitic nudibranchs that camouflage really well. I have pics of both on this page:
http://reef.esmartweb.com/polyps.htm

 

[SPC]

John, thanks for the excellent information on your web site.
Steve

 

[Mike02]

berlin, where do you get those button polyps from? i'd like to get some too. thanks

 

[Goldmoon]

They are sold at the Flying Fish Express.. Collector's corner
http://www.ffexpress.com/cc.htm


Bottom of the page
Fiji Orange Zoanthid Polyp 3to 4 inches $33

Just ordered some yesterday, will recieve them wednesday.

Forget the link.. they are not on the page anymore..

[ August 09, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]

 

[Anonymous]

I agree that a heliacus snail could be the culprit. The snails only suck out the zooxanthellae,they do not eat the polyp. Many times the polyps come back after the snail moves to another group of polyps. After a while the polys are soo large that only one or two will close at a time.

Using a silver side,touch all of your polys until they are closed. Then inspect it for the snails.

Hopefully the snails are not the problem.

GL

Dan

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

This colony was about twice this size 2-3 months ago. See in the middle how a few of the polyps are very shrivelled looking? What is causing this?

I suspect something is eating them. I had another set of similar green with orange zoanthids much closer to the light and they completely disappeared over 1-2 months.

All other SPS, LPS, softies, corallimorphs, and a bubble-tip anenome are growing very well. There are also several other Zoanthid colonies that are all doing well - but they are not green with orange centers?!?

Thanks,
Kris www.berlinmethod.com

 

[davelin315]

To me, they look like they've just been touched, or, like they've just eaten something. When they "shrivel up" I think they tend to get covered in algae and turn black (I got some zooanthids from a friend who took his tank down and had an incredibly thick growth of hair algae in it, completely obscuring the zooanthids and also yellow polyps). After proper lighting they came back and are starting to encrust everything in sight. Back to your question, though, they look like they've been touched to me, as they don't have that unhealthy look to me, and they don't seem to be swollen from food, so they probably are being eaten. Do you have any urchins? Or maybe somebody is picking at them?

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

No urchins, but I do have 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 fire shrimp, and a peppermint shrimp.

It is conceivable that the peppermint is responsible but it isn't bothering any others (outside of the other greens that disappeared altogether) and also I have had him for 9 months and the Zoanthids for 6 or so and they only recently started disappearing.

I am just hoping that someone that has had this experience can put forth some ideas. I hate to lose 'em.

Regards,
Kris

 

[Reeffreak]

I have had the same situation occur to me. One of the possible reasons could be older light bulbs that need to be changed out. I have a colony that where under 14 month-old PC and started to show these traits. I have since changed them to another tank and it looks like they are making a comeback.

Steve

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

John - what's up, you still have to come over... I will check tonight for snails/nudibranchs. Good info on your site.

Mike02 - I got these ones from Garf. But Blane over at thesea.org has some similar ones that are very nice.

Thanks to all who responded.

Regards,
Kris

 

[Emmitt]

Fwiw, I had a peppermint shrimp that would, from time to time, pick on zooanthids. Months would go by without incident, then, for a period of weeks, I'd catch him on them and notice polyps disappearing. Never caused too much damage as the zooanthids were growing out of control anyway.

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

Ok, took a very close look last night and find this whitish worm thing moving around.

Any ideas on what this is?

Regards,
Kris

[ August 09, 2001: Message edited by: BerlinMethod.com ]

 

[Mike02]

Goldmoon, how did your polyps from FFE turn out? do they look like the ones in the photos on this thread?

 

[Goldmoon]

Berlin: I had one heliacus snail in mine...

Mike: Well I have two kinds on same rock.. Or maybe they will change later to the same color..
One is orange in the middle with yellow (or more like olive color) around and the other ones are yellow inside with orange around.
They do not look like the ones in the picture. I think they are much smaller..Mine are tiny little things. Maybe if they grow bigger. But they are nice. It was on a big rock about 5 inches long by 4 inches large by 4 inches tall. Filled with hitchhikers. (that part I liked less). Arrived along with a torch coral that does not look good at all.. never opened yet. Showed some tentacles yesterday but today the branches look filled with stuff (slimy) and no tentacles are even seen. Sorry no relation with the polyps but I had to tell someone about the torch.

By the way I can not see them on the FFE webpage anymore.. not sure if they are sold out because they usually put the sold out sign when they are...