bit worry, noobie's first zoa...

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 11:25 AM

i bought my first zoa yesterday and i carefully put it on my tank 20h. as soon as i put it my peppermint shrimp jump on it. the first day it didnt open . today as the ligth turn on my zoa started to open and when it was almost completely open the shimp jump on it. its been like 4 hours today and the same thing keep happening.
is this normal?
are my shimp hungry?
will the zoa survive?
any takes?

stingythingy45 · 03/11/2010, 11:43 AM

Peppermint shrimps have been known to pick apart zoas,although I've never had that happen.
Is it possible that an aptasia pest anemone could be hiding under the zoas?pep's eat them.
What are you feeding the pep?

guinness0514 · 03/11/2010, 11:44 AM

nah the zoa should be just fine. it is new and the pep is just checking it out for things to eat off of it. I have not heard of peps eating zoas, unless the zoa is sick and dying. the doesn't sound like the problem here. I would just not worry about it. The shrimp will find something else to do and leave the zoas alone..

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 11:48 AM

i hope so guinness.

stingythingy, i am not currently feeding my pepp, since my tanks is 1month old. i added a cuc about a week ago and have no fish, so i havent feedthem with any thing. i have chaeto in the fuge and my lr is stating to look migthy clean. what should i do after waiting and keed an eye on it?

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 11:49 AM

i feel the coral is healthy since is trying to open every time...

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 03:20 PM

can the opening and closing action cause stress to the zoa?

guinness0514 · 03/11/2010, 03:28 PM

Unless the zoas are stressed due to other issues, the open and closing shouldn't have any ill effect on them. Just to give you a point of reference. I have a 28g mixed reef tank with 8 different frags of palys and zoas. I have 3 pepermints/ 1 cleaner/ fire shrimp...they have not once tried to harm the zoas/palys. Now, there are those one off situations, but I don't think it is common place. Good Luck!

guinness0514 · 03/11/2010, 03:31 PM

What are you feeding the tank? The peps need some food. If you have aptasia then they will eat that, but make sure he is getting fed.

lordofthereef · 03/11/2010, 06:03 PM

I would have to respectfully disagree with guinness on this one. I don't keep peps anymore because they are too much of a bother to my corals. Whether my experience was the pep eating the corals or not, I can say that this agitated the corals to the point of recession every time. Have not even considered peps for the past 2-3 years as a result.

75gsalt · 03/11/2010, 06:28 PM

I just put in corals last night and my 2 peppermints haven't bothered them at all

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 07:42 PM

Thanks guys, ill try to work this out. Ian going to pick up some food tomorow to keep pepp feed and give you an update.

jc-reef · 03/11/2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

I would have to respectfully disagree with guinness on this one. I don't keep peps anymore because they are too much of a bother to my corals. Whether my experience was the pep eating the corals or not, I can say that this agitated the corals to the point of recession every time. Have not even considered peps for the past 2-3 years as a result.

+1

I have a new tank and when I introduced a nice size hammer coral and small zoa frag, my pepp's pounced on it. It has now been about 2 weeks and 5 large polups of the hammer have been devoured. They have since left the zoo's alone. I even been feeding the pepps. it is frustrating to say the least in my experience....I'm sure you can find people on both sides.

I have since reduced the population in half and will be starting to stock some fish soon...hopefully that will keep the remaining at bay.

good luck!

javimarino · 03/11/2010, 10:45 PM

thanks, exacly what i was thinking... tomorow morning pick some fish and food to keep the pepp "at bay"

JLAURIA751 · 03/11/2010, 10:57 PM

This is the first Iv heard of pepermint shrimp bothering coral. But although Iv never seen it I have had a few zoa frags fail when everything else in my tank was doing awesome. It could have been the shrimp but that is pure speculation. But Ill let you know how this new zoa frag I got does without my peppermint shrimp he died a month ago.

javimarino · 03/12/2010, 09:57 AM

hi, today all seems fine, my zoas are wide open and happy. you where right guinness!

funny, the shimp left his "molding" beside the coral... he still there even when his gone.

guinness0514 · 03/12/2010, 10:19 AM

Well I don't claim to be right...these guys prob have waaay more experience than me. The fact is that pep shrimp don't "usually" consider zoas as a food source or we would have seen dozens of issues posted by now. I don't consider them any more of a pest than hermits/cleaner shrimp/snails etc. They walk...and sometimes that means they will walk on your frags. They don't know it ticks you off or not. From time to time they are gonna walk on your frags. I have seen where they will start to associate you face looking through the tank at a dinner bell to they will move closer to where you are at to get fed...usually that means stepping across your most prized corals. I am sure in a natural reef that corals get crawled on all the time.. It's just bogus when you want to look at them and he steps on them and they close.

03/11/2010, 11:25 AM	#1
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	bit worry, noobie's first zoa... i bought my first zoa yesterday and i carefully put it on my tank 20h. as soon as i put it my peppermint shrimp jump on it. the first day it didnt open . today as the ligth turn on my zoa started to open and when it was almost completely open the shimp jump on it. its been like 4 hours today and the same thing keep happening. is this normal? are my shimp hungry? will the zoa survive? any takes?

03/11/2010, 11:43 AM	#2
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	Peppermint shrimps have been known to pick apart zoas,although I've never had that happen. Is it possible that an aptasia pest anemone could be hiding under the zoas?pep's eat them. What are you feeding the pep? __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

03/11/2010, 06:03 PM	#9
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	I would have to respectfully disagree with guinness on this one. I don't keep peps anymore because they are too much of a bother to my corals. Whether my experience was the pep eating the corals or not, I can say that this agitated the corals to the point of recession every time. Have not even considered peps for the past 2-3 years as a result. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

03/11/2010, 06:28 PM	#10
75gsalt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 286	I just put in corals last night and my 2 peppermints haven't bothered them at all __________________ 75 ga. reef 20 gal. sump corals GSP assorted Polyps Zoos PomPom Xenia Waving Hand Xenia Blue Mushroom Toadstool Leather Current Tank Info: 75g. reef 125 lbs. live rock 90lbs. live sand 1 Clown small Regal Tang 20 Nass. Snails Turbos hermit

03/11/2010, 11:44 AM	#3
guinness0514 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 404	nah the zoa should be just fine. it is new and the pep is just checking it out for things to eat off of it. I have not heard of peps eating zoas, unless the zoa is sick and dying. the doesn't sound like the problem here. I would just not worry about it. The shrimp will find something else to do and leave the zoas alone..

03/11/2010, 11:48 AM	#4
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	i hope so guinness. stingythingy, i am not currently feeding my pepp, since my tanks is 1month old. i added a cuc about a week ago and have no fish, so i havent feedthem with any thing. i have chaeto in the fuge and my lr is stating to look migthy clean. what should i do after waiting and keed an eye on it?

03/11/2010, 11:49 AM	#5
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	i feel the coral is healthy since is trying to open every time...

03/11/2010, 03:20 PM	#6
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	can the opening and closing action cause stress to the zoa?

03/11/2010, 03:28 PM	#7
guinness0514 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 404	Unless the zoas are stressed due to other issues, the open and closing shouldn't have any ill effect on them. Just to give you a point of reference. I have a 28g mixed reef tank with 8 different frags of palys and zoas. I have 3 pepermints/ 1 cleaner/ fire shrimp...they have not once tried to harm the zoas/palys. Now, there are those one off situations, but I don't think it is common place. Good Luck!

03/11/2010, 03:31 PM	#8
guinness0514 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 404	What are you feeding the tank? The peps need some food. If you have aptasia then they will eat that, but make sure he is getting fed.

03/11/2010, 07:42 PM	#11
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	Thanks guys, ill try to work this out. Ian going to pick up some food tomorow to keep pepp feed and give you an update.

03/11/2010, 10:45 PM	#13
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	thanks, exacly what i was thinking... tomorow morning pick some fish and food to keep the pepp "at bay"

03/11/2010, 10:57 PM	#14
JLAURIA751 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 517	This is the first Iv heard of pepermint shrimp bothering coral. But although Iv never seen it I have had a few zoa frags fail when everything else in my tank was doing awesome. It could have been the shrimp but that is pure speculation. But Ill let you know how this new zoa frag I got does without my peppermint shrimp he died a month ago.

03/12/2010, 09:57 AM	#15
javimarino Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Juan, PR Posts: 262	hi, today all seems fine, my zoas are wide open and happy. you where right guinness! funny, the shimp left his "molding" beside the coral... he still there even when his gone.

03/12/2010, 10:19 AM	#16
guinness0514 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 404	Well I don't claim to be right...these guys prob have waaay more experience than me. The fact is that pep shrimp don't "usually" consider zoas as a food source or we would have seen dozens of issues posted by now. I don't consider them any more of a pest than hermits/cleaner shrimp/snails etc. They walk...and sometimes that means they will walk on your frags. They don't know it ticks you off or not. From time to time they are gonna walk on your frags. I have seen where they will start to associate you face looking through the tank at a dinner bell to they will move closer to where you are at to get fed...usually that means stepping across your most prized corals. I am sure in a natural reef that corals get crawled on all the time.. It's just bogus when you want to look at them and he steps on them and they close.