Zoas are a shadow of their former glory :-(

[jerseyguy1996]

So a couple of days ago I reported that my Zoas were getting eaten by something. It was my first coral colony ever and it had spawned a few other colonys (through polyps breaking off and floating onto other rocks). They were all nice and full with long skirts and nice tightly packed polyps. Over the last week something in my tank has taken a liking to them and they have been nibbled down to pathetic little disks with no skirts. I did a freshwater dip but nothing came off of the colonys. I can only assume that one of the fish is eating them when I am not looking.

I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore and I put all of my zoa colonies into the sump. My question is, will the polyps grow back their missing skirts or are they gone forever?

[betamed]

They can grow back the skirts no problem. You prolly lose a few polyps, but if they are back in favorable conditions they'll recover.

[bosscrab]

Yeah, you might lose a few but all you need is one to survive.

[jenajet]

So what fish do you have? I would definately figure out what is going on. I had a damsel and a yellow tank that loved zoos. They found a new home real quick. I like fish but the corals is my main concern and they come first. Let's try and find out what is going on so you can get the zoas back in the display.

[partobe]

I had a bi color blenny wipe out a whole rock of blue zoos and never touched the brown ones.

[jerseyguy1996]

Originally Posted by jenajet

So what fish do you have? I would definately figure out what is going on. I had a damsel and a yellow tank that loved zoos. They found a new home real quick. I like fish but the corals is my main concern and they come first. Let's try and find out what is going on so you can get the zoas back in the display.

I have a foxface, a maroon clown, and a bicolor pseudochromis (royal dottyback). I haven't witnessed anyone nipping at them. The clown has recently decided that the large colony would be a good place to nest so he is constantly wiggling his body down into them. The foxface doesn't go near them, instead preferring to just swim back and forth across the front glass. The bi-color occassionally looks interested but the clown chases him off and I have never actually seem him nip at the zoas. I did find a hermit up inside the colony once but on close inspection it appeared that he was just picking at some detritus and uneaten food that had gotten trapped in there.

[jerseyguy1996]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am glad to know that they should regain their former looks. Colorwise they are not all that impressive but being my first coral and all, I am somewhat attached to them.