Blood (fire) Shrimp eating Zoa's?

[naterd1976]

Recently I've had 2 Zoanthid frags totally stripped to the super glue gel of the zoanthids. After some research I found that the recently added blood shrimp probably is the culprit. Has anyone ever had problems with these shrimp eating polyps? Unfortunately I haven't caught him in the act since he is almost 100% nocturnal and I can't seem to stay awake all night watching him, but I can verify that these zoa's are only disappearing during the night hours. No other zoa predators are in my tank (nudi's, spiders), even if they were I doubt they would pick the frags totally clean of all zoas.

Another question, anyone recommend a sound method of catching a nocturnal shrimp that hides in the rocks during the day?

Nate

[naterd1976]

Shameless bump, anyone have any experience with this situation?

[Red Serpent]

Do you feed the shrimp at feeding time? I have never had mine eat any thing other than what I feed him. This is a cleaner shrimp they eats off of fish they clean. They scaving very little by nature so you should direct feed them. My shrimp loves krill and mysis shrimp. Upping its feeding should stop it from crusing the tank and eating stuff it should not be eating. To catch it try a little food in a glass jar leaned at a little angle near his hid out. good luck

[CrystalAZ]

I have never seen one eat any corals.

I would suspect it is something else, but you never know.

Crystal

[AquaReeferMan]

I had 2 with many zoos before with no problem. I also target feed them Krill like twice a week. They come running out and hop on my hand and take the food. Well they did until a power outage took their lives. R.I.P.

[naterd1976]

I have it narrowed down to the Blood shrimp or lonely emerald crab. The shrimp gets food every night, he quickly comes out of hiding to grab mysis and enriched brine that falls to the sandbed whenever I feed. I don't remember the name of the book, but its the pocket guide for inverts, it says that a few people have reported that some these blood shrimp will eat zoanthids and other soft corals.

Red Serpent,

Are you sure the glass jar method will catch a shrimp? They can swim can't they?

Nate

[CrystalAZ]

I did once watch an emerald rip a zo off a rock. I would almost suspect him over the shrimp.

Crystal

[Red Serpent]

Yes they can swim. I would lean more on the emeral crab. Catching the eameral would be easier. Isolate the emeraled for a while and see if the zoos keep getting eaten. Crabs are for more likely to eat out of bound iteams than shrimp. Sounds like the shrimp knows his food is always coming. But is the crab getting a constant and plentiful supply of algea.

[Wryknow]

I would be inclined to blame the emerald crab as well. Some of them have been known to eat zoas when they do not have enough other food to eat. You could always catch him and send him to TIM if he displeases you.

[naterd1976]

You guys/gals may be right. The only thing that throws me off about the emerald is the fact that he has been in the tank for about 1 year without touching any corals. Maybe he has turned to the dark side.