zoanthid / zoo / zoa eating nudibranch?

[theLIQUIDzoo]

is this one of them zoo eating nudibranches?

found him today.
he's tiny, maybe 1/4 inch long. i left the edge of the convalescent home (about 1/8 inch think) he's in for scale.

 

[stevenp]

Yep, that's the one! Mikestod is looking for some of these and would be happy to take them off your hands!

Steve

 

[mikestod]

If i had time before I go on vacation I would be running out to boston to pick them off your zoos myself. But alas...I'm leaving for a week tomorrow. If you're still infested when I get back the 14th let me know. Believe it or not I want some of these little buggers!!!!!

 

[theLIQUIDzoo]

i may keep him. i think nudibranches are cool.
msg me when you get back.

 

[jovreef]

YIKES! those are the zoanthid munchers alright. I hope you dont like your zoanthid colonies if your gonna keep him...he will eat them all and so will his deamon spawn!

 

[MelodyDurham]

Does that thing have a psuedopodium and legs? It's very creapy..

 

[Mr. Slippery]

I hate those little bastards. It took me weeks of freshwater dips and daily close checks of all my zoas to get rid of them. They multiply like crazy. Don't waste any time if you like your zoanthids. I think I finally got rid of them all and my zoas are all growing nicely again in my new system.

 

[theLIQUIDzoo]

i was going to put him in a 2.5 gallon with some extra zoos for nibbling.
i liken it to keeping a harlequin shrimp, but find feeding zoos easier to do than feeding starfish.

however, he hasn't touched the polyp sacrafice i offered him today.

 

[theLIQUIDzoo]

as far as spotting them (i found two more) how does one 'see' them?
just look for aggitated zoos?

i just started poking around the orange zoos (two of the nudis are orange, so i figured they were attacking those) and found the white one and the other orange one.

i think i found rings of eggs as well, attached to the zoo polyps, seemed to be bugging them so the polyp stayed closed....i scraped those off in a separate containter. i DON'T want them in the tank they are in, but i don't mind having them in an isolated tank.

 

[Mr. Slippery]

The little rings ARE their eggs. You can use a magnifying glass to check the zoas, or just look reeeaaaally close. Once you know what they look like, you'll be able to spot them a mile away. I did well with 10 minute FW dips, a few days a week, and shaking them well in the FW after soaking.

 

[david3d]

Do you still have these and do you want to part with them? I read that they also eat aiptasia and I have an aiptasia infested mantis tank with no zoa's. Controling them with Joes Juice is hazardous with an agressive and dangerous animal in a small tank so I'm looking for alternative ways to control the aiptasia.

I also have some pocillapora, digitata, and some mushrooms in the tank. Will these nudi's go after any of these once it's finished eating my aiptasia?

-David

 

[mikestod]

I'm glad this thread resurfaced. I am still interested in them if you have them as well.

David, I haven't heard that they eat aptasia. This would be suprising because their natural camoflage closely matches the zoanthids they typically reside on. However I have hear of another type of nudibranch that eats aptasia. I can't remeber the name of it offhand, but I believe it was a much larger sized critter.

 

[Moe_K]

Okay, if you really hate them, you might find this link funny:
http://www.fullauto.org/nudi.htm
Otherwise, it's just okay, a bit long.

Give it a few minutes to download.
It's definitely rated G, and safe for work - although there's good audio which may tip off your cube mates that you're wasting time.

 

[theLIQUIDzoo]

nudibrannnc (sort of phonetic now that i learned how to say it) update...
two left i think.
they are pale white...they can't seem to find the zoos unless they do so when i'm not looking...the two were hanging out together on the glass...hopefully getting naked (or should i say nudi?) and making babies.

seems like it's only two now...so i'm sure it's worth it...
mikestod, if you want to try them you are more than welcome since you chimed in first. i'd be happy to take some of your zoos if you can free them.

and the aiptasia eating nudi is [Berghia verrucicornis]
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=bergverraq

but it may also be the zoanthid eating one, since it may just feed on anemones (zoas being small anemones to my knowledge). sure looks like mine.

however, i do feel mine resemble:
http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=ercosp3

a funny aside...in Coral magazine...volume 1, number 2 [april/may 2004], page 16: "Cluster anemones (zoanthid polyps) are still a common sight in German reef aquaria, in spite of the efforts of many reefkeepers to permanently rid their tanks of these prolific pests."

i really enjoy zoanthids, but it's all perspective i guess.


\\\ fullauto.com video...G? so much death!
i actually thought he was going to shoot them!
i'm glad i don't have THAT many!

 

[mikestod]

yeah, that raises a good question as to what your nudis are then.
I guess since you only have a couple I'll pass for now unless you actually see some snacking on your zoos. If you find a bunch more hidden on your zoanthids, please PM me.