Who is eating my Zoas?!

triplehippos · 09/13/2015, 01:50 PM

Up until a couple weeks ago, my tank (300 gal DD) was happily plugging along. Sure, it has had it's fair share of issues, but with consistent (every 2 weeks) water changes, it seemed I could keep everyone happy. I have primarily a softie tank, mushrooms, zoas, bubble coral, frog spawn... Maybe my zoas have never flourished quite the way I want, but it has never been a huge concern until they started melting. I can't even tell you what caused the melting, levels were fine, however I did go into the previous water change knowing about half the water I had mixed up had had a TDS reading or 1 or 2. I am usually religious about changing the filter media, but I was quite confident that it wouldn't do that much damage. Anyways. I did two water changes of 70 gallons about a week apart and things started to look a lot better.
Then my Zoas started disappearing.
Not melting, just gone. I thought at first it was some mysterious critter of the night getting them, and I did night checks on the tank trying to find some obvious critter to rip out with a vengeance and pay for his sins. I didn't see anyone (although I did find a bristle worm and my dotyback took care of that). One day, I pulled a couple of plugs out that had begun to look sparse for a dip in an attempt to get 'mystery critter' off. At this point I was desperate. My husband keeps threatening to do a 'fish only' tank- mind you this is the guy who brought home a poisonous toad fish to put in our refug, only to have it ink our entire tank whenever he tried to feed it. In the toad fishes defense, I don't like having frozen fish shoved in my face either, but it was quite a mess. One of us researches stuff, and one of us doesn't. Not to point fingers or anything...
Anyways, so I was dipping a plug, decided to glue it somewhere else. This plug only had one remaining zoa on it, but the zoa was looking pretty solid. I glued the plug down, and went about finishing the rest of the plugs I had. When I went and looked at the Solid Zoa, the zoa was gone and the plug was empty. WHAT THE

I have begun over feeding the tank (seaweed clips always full, feeding several small meals thru the day, etc.). I know this is the best option for the tank, and if I didn't have dogs, horses, a life, etc. I would continue doing this. And on top of that, this morning, my ONE day in weeks to sleep in, when I got up at 9:30AM (our lights turn on at 8) I saw that someone was not happy about the idea of brunch on Sunday's. I even saw a couple zoas sinking to the bottom of the tank, having recently fallen out of some ones mouth, no doubt.

I have ordered additional seaweed 'slow feeders' by Innovative Marine (have one, works great, the blue thing) but I would really like just to get the problem out of the tank, or at least identify it.

The Suspects:
3 Hippotangs (Believe it or not, they coexist almost happily!)
2 Yellow Tangs
1 Orange Shoulder Tang
1 Tomini Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Majestic Foxface (TERRIFIED of everything, I don't think he is the problem)
1 Algae Blenny
1 Blue Spotted Jawfish
1 Flame Hawk
1 Dwarf Flame Angel (Who has never caused any trouble but...??)
1 Melanurus Wrasse
1 Yellow Coris Wrasse
1 Purple Dottyback
3 Blue Damsels
4-5 Blue/Green Chromies
2 Clowns
2 Banggai Cardinals
1 Pajama Cardinal
1 Marine Betta

I think that is everyone...

Any one have experience with dwarf angels suddenly adding zoas to their diet? We have had ours in our tank for about 2 years with no problems.

lbj · 09/17/2015, 10:50 AM

Iam having the same problem. ..but I all so have a flame angle & a file fish I have tried to keep a eye on them but never see any one pecking at them..?

650-IS350 · 09/17/2015, 11:14 AM

a lot of your angels, TANGS and fox face can and will eat Z's and P's once they get the taste for it.
Not my vids but had the same fish in various tangs and literally saw them mowing down Z's and P's colonies.
Better seeing it than reading about it. Which is why I never keep those types of fish in my tanks with Z's and P's anymore.

Just because you don't catch your fish in the act doesn't mean they're not doing it. Your not there 24/7 watching them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFX5V5B4oPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nxLwTiCd_k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsiwRq_z96Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8j41xqM-p0

bevans116 · 09/17/2015, 11:55 AM

My guess would be foxface

miranda1960 · 09/25/2015, 04:05 PM

do you have sexy shrimps???

09/13/2015, 01:50 PM	#1
triplehippos Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Walnut Creek Posts: 4	Who is eating my Zoas?! Up until a couple weeks ago, my tank (300 gal DD) was happily plugging along. Sure, it has had it's fair share of issues, but with consistent (every 2 weeks) water changes, it seemed I could keep everyone happy. I have primarily a softie tank, mushrooms, zoas, bubble coral, frog spawn... Maybe my zoas have never flourished quite the way I want, but it has never been a huge concern until they started melting. I can't even tell you what caused the melting, levels were fine, however I did go into the previous water change knowing about half the water I had mixed up had had a TDS reading or 1 or 2. I am usually religious about changing the filter media, but I was quite confident that it wouldn't do that much damage. Anyways. I did two water changes of 70 gallons about a week apart and things started to look a lot better. Then my Zoas started disappearing. Not melting, just gone. I thought at first it was some mysterious critter of the night getting them, and I did night checks on the tank trying to find some obvious critter to rip out with a vengeance and pay for his sins. I didn't see anyone (although I did find a bristle worm and my dotyback took care of that). One day, I pulled a couple of plugs out that had begun to look sparse for a dip in an attempt to get 'mystery critter' off. At this point I was desperate. My husband keeps threatening to do a 'fish only' tank- mind you this is the guy who brought home a poisonous toad fish to put in our refug, only to have it ink our entire tank whenever he tried to feed it. In the toad fishes defense, I don't like having frozen fish shoved in my face either, but it was quite a mess. One of us researches stuff, and one of us doesn't. Not to point fingers or anything... Anyways, so I was dipping a plug, decided to glue it somewhere else. This plug only had one remaining zoa on it, but the zoa was looking pretty solid. I glued the plug down, and went about finishing the rest of the plugs I had. When I went and looked at the Solid Zoa, the zoa was gone and the plug was empty. WHAT THE I have begun over feeding the tank (seaweed clips always full, feeding several small meals thru the day, etc.). I know this is the best option for the tank, and if I didn't have dogs, horses, a life, etc. I would continue doing this. And on top of that, this morning, my ONE day in weeks to sleep in, when I got up at 9:30AM (our lights turn on at 8) I saw that someone was not happy about the idea of brunch on Sunday's. I even saw a couple zoas sinking to the bottom of the tank, having recently fallen out of some ones mouth, no doubt. I have ordered additional seaweed 'slow feeders' by Innovative Marine (have one, works great, the blue thing) but I would really like just to get the problem out of the tank, or at least identify it. The Suspects: 3 Hippotangs (Believe it or not, they coexist almost happily!) 2 Yellow Tangs 1 Orange Shoulder Tang 1 Tomini Tang 1 Sailfin Tang 1 Majestic Foxface (TERRIFIED of everything, I don't think he is the problem) 1 Algae Blenny 1 Blue Spotted Jawfish 1 Flame Hawk 1 Dwarf Flame Angel (Who has never caused any trouble but...??) 1 Melanurus Wrasse 1 Yellow Coris Wrasse 1 Purple Dottyback 3 Blue Damsels 4-5 Blue/Green Chromies 2 Clowns 2 Banggai Cardinals 1 Pajama Cardinal 1 Marine Betta I think that is everyone... Any one have experience with dwarf angels suddenly adding zoas to their diet? We have had ours in our tank for about 2 years with no problems.

09/17/2015, 11:14 AM	#3
650-IS350 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 14,555	a lot of your angels, TANGS and fox face can and will eat Z's and P's once they get the taste for it. Not my vids but had the same fish in various tangs and literally saw them mowing down Z's and P's colonies. Better seeing it than reading about it. Which is why I never keep those types of fish in my tanks with Z's and P's anymore. Just because you don't catch your fish in the act doesn't mean they're not doing it. Your not there 24/7 watching them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFX5V5B4oPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nxLwTiCd_k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsiwRq_z96Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8j41xqM-p0 __________________ * RETIRED FROM REEFING * Just enjoying the box of water from afar

09/17/2015, 10:50 AM	#2
lbj Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Heath, Ohio Posts: 89	Iam having the same problem. ..but I all so have a flame angle & a file fish I have tried to keep a eye on them but never see any one pecking at them..?

09/17/2015, 11:55 AM	#4
bevans116 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 13	My guess would be foxface

09/25/2015, 04:05 PM	#5
miranda1960 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 128	do you have sexy shrimps???