zoa spider?

[bcjm]

I got a zoa and 2 SPS tonight. The owner told me that the zoa might have zoa spider. I went home dipped them in Revive and a "spider" fell off. This is the first time I have seen one and it really looks like a spider.

 

I did a search in the forum and nothing helpful came up. Is this safe to put it in the tank now or do I need to worry about the eggs?

[Jan]

we had a member not too long ago find one on his zoas. I posted a pic of what they look like and a link to wetwebmedia about these pests here -

http://www.wamas.org/forums/topic/34513-zoas-disappearing/page__p__297262__fromsearch__1entry297262

 

 

I got a zoa and 2 SPS tonight. The owner told me that the zoa might have zoa spider. I went home dipped them in Revive and a "spider" fell off. This is the first time I have seen one and it really looks like a spider.

 

I did a search in the forum and nothing helpful came up. Is this safe to put it in the tank now or do I need to worry about the eggs?

[Coral Hind]

I would not place it in the display yet. I would keep it in QT for months. Read the Coral Rx link below for some good information on the life cycle.

 

http://www.coralrx.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=21

[Der ABT]

white 5 gal bucket makes a great and cheap QT tank, just get a small heater and reuse water from water changes, if you need to place some egg crate in there it can help with cleaning and flow(small powerhead)

 

Great posts Jan and David, nice to ask a question and get the direct anwsers right away, what did we do without the net?? i mean if this was dialup you would be downloading the picture while loosing all your zoa's.

 

good luck hopefully you caught them before they spread, i may have to use this as an urban tale to keep my soon to be daughter in line, if you dont be good dady's tank will get zoa spiders.

[bcjm]

I decide to dump the zoa to be safe.

[Coral Hind]

I probably would have dumped them too.

[zygote2k]

I've had the spiders before, but they only seemed to eat one type of zoanthid, so I let them. The spiders themselves were more interesting to watch than the zoas they were eating. They disappeared a while ago and haven't been back. Probably traded to someone...

[Coral Hind]

They disappeared a while ago and haven't been back. Probably traded to someone...

 

I hope they knew what they were getting.

[bcjm]

I left the zoa in a small container after the dipping last night. A spider was parked on top of a polyp this morning, live and healthy. Apparently they can sustain Revive dip much better than other creatures.

[Coral Hind]

I left the zoa in a small container after the dipping last night. A spider was parked on top of a polyp this morning, live and healthy. Apparently they can sustain Revive dip much better than other creatures.

 

 

Well that is some useful information. What was the strength of the dip?

[bcjm]

I used 1 cap full of Revive with about 750ml of tank water. First spider, mini star fish, pods and worms fell off after 5-10 minutes dip. I siphoned them out to a small container with tank water trying to see what they were. The spider looked stressful but still moving, the rest looked dead. The corals were dipped for another 5-10 minutes I think. I put the zoa in a small contain with tank water until this morning.

Edited March 2, 2010 by bcjm

[El Camaron]

those things are scary, i have had to deal with zoa eating nudys but the spiders look freaky.

[Jan]

That's a shame and also a little disconcerting. Were other zoas and corals sold to other members?

 

I decide to dump the zoa to be safe.

 

LOL, nice. Pass it on.

I've had the spiders before, but they only seemed to eat one type of zoanthid, so I let them. The spiders themselves were more interesting to watch than the zoas they were eating. They disappeared a while ago and haven't been back. Probably traded to someone...

[Jan]

I wonder how long they would have survived a fresh water dip? Zoanthids can withstand FW dips very well.

 

When I get zoas I dip in revive then I dip in FW and then I squirt vigorously with FW to blast whatever maybe in between them.

 

I used 1 cap full of Revive with about 750ml of tank water. First spider, mini star fish, pods and worms fell off after 5-10 minutes dip. I siphoned them out to a small container with tank water trying to see what they were. The spider looked stressful but still moving, the rest looked dead. The corals were dipped for another 5-10 minutes I think. I put the zoa in a small contain with tank water until this morning.

[Ryan S]

the spiders were all dead after 10 minutes of freshwater dip from my experience -- but not the eggs... the eggs are the hard part...