Reef critter compatibility: PLEASE HELP

[JeremyAN7]

Ok, I'm relatively new on this forum, but not new to reefkeeping. but I've had mixed luck as some of you know with certain animals staying alive (or being food for each other..) I now know what I want, and would like help / advice on getting there... I have been slowly converting my 72gBOW FOWLR into a reef which of course has had a fair share of un-intended meals for higher-ups on the food chain.
What I have GOOD luck with:
-LR with great coraline growth
-Hard corals (torch, candycane, hammerhead, open brain, yellow cup)
-Fish (Damsils, rabbitfish, tangs, clowns, cardinals)
-Anemones (Condilactus, carpet, aiptasia (don't laugh)

What I've had BAD luck with:
-Zoos in general
-Small shrimp
-Soft corals in general

My tank is WELL lit (PC's and MH) with lots of flow on various timers so many creatures find good places given the divers conditions and rocks...

Here is what I have:

-90 pounds LR with great coraline growth + 80lbs crushed coral base
-Hard corals (torch, candycane, hammerhead, open brain, yellow cup)
-Fish (4 Damsils, 1 fox rabbitfish,1 purple tangs, 1 clarkki and 1 percula clowns, 2 pajama cardinals)
-Anemones (medium Condilactus, a few aiptasia (don't laugh))
-A cucumber and a sea apple (both healthy)
-a blue clam
-a large blood shrimp and a small pepermint shrimp (there were 5 others but got eaten, anyone know by who? brittle star??)
-about 20 blue leg hermits, 20 red leg hermits, 6 larger hermiet (2 inches)
-assorted snails (maybe 40, astrea, nazarius, etc)
-3 pencil urchins
-and 2 brittle stars, one rather large (about 18inches tip to tip)

Here is what I WANT:
in addition to the general collection I have, I would like to keep a large variety of zoos and other polyps. But As I have learned, a nice rock with about 20 polyps lasts 3 days in this tank before they all are eaten..

My question.. What changes to the list of "what i have" do i need to make? ie what is not entirely reef-safe?

many thanks for your help

 

[RichConley]

Theres a lot of things that "may" eat zoos....


As far as losing peppermints, I have the same problem. I think its just that theyre really small, and tend to act like feeder shrimp.

 

[naturebatslast]

Wasn't there a thread regarding a Foxface eating zoanthids a few days ago?NBL

 

[JeremyAN7]

Well, other than the fox.. If I'm going to make the move to keep Zoos, I wanna do it once. (more). I'll do a one time swap of what I have. i KNOW the foxface is on that list..... what else is my question...

 

[~Flighty~]

I have heard that the pepermints will be canabalistic if you have more than two, but that may just be a rumor. I have never been able to keep more than two for more than a couple of months though. Any chance you have a mantis hitchhiker in there?

 

[JeremyAN7]

Theres a lot of things that "may" eat zoos....


\QUOTE]


Can we focus on this?

 

[RichConley]

Jeremy, I think you're gonna have to watch and wait. Not many things will eat them, but it seems like when something goes bad, it starts either eating zoos, or open brains.


Depending on what species of hermits you have (the large ones..we talking large, or we talking the size of a softball?), I'd say 50/50 its the rabbitfish/purple tang.

 

[JeremyAN7]

Well my largest hermit is red legged ,and under 2 inches.
As for the rabbit and tang,. yeah.. the rabbit i KNOW the tang, not sure..

 

[agent6473]

it's probably the rabbit