Club-Zoa is bringing back an old feature, the Spotlight series! Because of the time off we decided to come back with a CZ Care Spotlight focusing on Zoanthid eating spiders. For those of you who are new to Club-Zoa Spotlights they are threads that focus on a particular topic with information provided by our members. If you want more information on previous Spotlights, or want to suggest a topic for a new Spotlight see the links at the bottom of this post.
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Zoanthid predators come in various shapes and sizes, but Zoa eating Spiders are one of the most recognizable pests. These predators are often found sitting on top of a Zoa feeding off a polyp like a vampire.
Zoanthid Eating Spiders
Identification
Characterized by their eight legs, these spiders are a rust/tan color with long legs. Sizes range around one-quarter inch across but look much longer when their legs are stretched. This picture is from Melevs Reef, thanks Marc :wave:
This picture is a from a frag I got last year.
Treatment
- Livestock
1. Radiant Wrasses may be a Spider hunter.
(photo courtesy of fishbase.org)
- Chemical/Mechanical Treatments
1. Physical removal can be an effective method of prevention, but should only be used as a first step.
2. A continuous cycle of freshwater dips with the correct temperature and pH.
3. A Magnesium Chloride Dip (MgCl2) using RO/DI water at a 1.024spg for half a minute. This method was suggested by Bob Fenner @ http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthidhlthfaqs.htm under the title: "Zoanthid spiders, Pycnogonids, MgCl2 dipping... 4/18/07"
Prevention
1. Quarantine your corals!
2. Dip your zoas with either the Lugols Method or freshwater set to the correct temp and pH. How long you should dip differs for every user (suggestions range from 3-15 minutes), but if you use the dip method along with a quarantine tank you are taking the most safeguards.
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Feel free to comment on past Club-Zoa Spotlights:
Club-Zoa Zoanthid/Paly spotlights:
Variable Star
Pyro’s Envy
PPRPE
Pink Elephants
Ruby Red
Red People Eater
Mean Green
Eagle Eyes
Purple People Eaters
Armageddon
Purple Death
Armor of Gods
Nuclear Green
Club-Zoa LPS Spotlight:
Acanthastrea lordhowensis
Club-Zoa Care Spotlights:
Shipping Methods Revisited
Shipping Methods
Zoa Dip
Zoanthid Anatomy
Suggest a Spotlight:
CZ Spotlight, what do you want to see?
*****************************************************
Zoanthid predators come in various shapes and sizes, but Zoa eating Spiders are one of the most recognizable pests. These predators are often found sitting on top of a Zoa feeding off a polyp like a vampire.
Zoanthid Eating Spiders
Identification
Characterized by their eight legs, these spiders are a rust/tan color with long legs. Sizes range around one-quarter inch across but look much longer when their legs are stretched. This picture is from Melevs Reef, thanks Marc :wave:
This picture is a from a frag I got last year.
Treatment
- Livestock
1. Radiant Wrasses may be a Spider hunter.
- Chemical/Mechanical Treatments
1. Physical removal can be an effective method of prevention, but should only be used as a first step.
2. A continuous cycle of freshwater dips with the correct temperature and pH.
Rackyrane said:6. I dipped every zoo frag weekly until I saw no spiders for 1 month. Some
people put the zoos back in the DT after 2 weeks without spiders. I am
more cautious because:
a. The male spiders seem to carry the eggs from what I have read.
Some sources said that the eggs are deposited in the zoos, but
I found more sources saying that the males carry the eggs. No
one seems to know much about the gestational period of these
things, so no one knows how long the eggs may need to hatch
out. I do know that I continued to find small spiders for a while
after the time I found no large ones, so perhaps the eggs are
laid in the zoo somewhere and are protected from dipping.
b. I found baby spiders three weeks after the zoos had been cleared
during the first 2 months.
7. After the month of no spiders, I put the frags back in the tank and have
had no problems now for many months. Final spider count after the four
months--87 spiders.
3. A Magnesium Chloride Dip (MgCl2) using RO/DI water at a 1.024spg for half a minute. This method was suggested by Bob Fenner @ http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthidhlthfaqs.htm under the title: "Zoanthid spiders, Pycnogonids, MgCl2 dipping... 4/18/07"
Prevention
1. Quarantine your corals!
2. Dip your zoas with either the Lugols Method or freshwater set to the correct temp and pH. How long you should dip differs for every user (suggestions range from 3-15 minutes), but if you use the dip method along with a quarantine tank you are taking the most safeguards.
*****************************************************
Feel free to comment on past Club-Zoa Spotlights:
Club-Zoa Zoanthid/Paly spotlights:
Variable Star
Pyro’s Envy
PPRPE
Pink Elephants
Ruby Red
Red People Eater
Mean Green
Eagle Eyes
Purple People Eaters
Armageddon
Purple Death
Armor of Gods
Nuclear Green
Club-Zoa LPS Spotlight:
Acanthastrea lordhowensis
Club-Zoa Care Spotlights:
Shipping Methods Revisited
Shipping Methods
Zoa Dip
Zoanthid Anatomy
Suggest a Spotlight:
CZ Spotlight, what do you want to see?
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