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bigbris1

Re-reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
I have one small colony (joined at the base) of buttn polyps that seem to be getting eaten. It looks as if one side of the skirt (the tentacles to the stalk) has been chewed off. The funny thing is I have a colony of green palythoa right next to it that is A-O-K.

I have a copperband (have never seen him even look at coral)
Potters angel (him either)
Regal tang (him either)
Tangorea goby
2 large cleaner shrimp (skunks)
Purple reef lobster
scarlet hermit (small)
white stripe hermit (small)
Mythrax crab

Has anyone experienced this & what could it be?
 
Last edited:

Deanos

Old School Reefer
Location
Bronx, NY 10475
Rating - 100%
194   0   0
I have experienced this with 2 colonies of pink zoanthids. My Hippo Tang developed a taste for the skirts of those 2 colonies. It never bothered any other coral. It took hours of staring to discover the culprit. In your tank, my guess would be the Regal (Hippo) Tang or the Potter's Angel.
 

bigbris1

Re-reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
If it's either the angel or the tang, they at least have the sense not to do it while we're watching. What can I do short of removing them? Will the buttons recover?

Also, my wife just alerted me that the buttons to the left of that colony have signs of nibbling too :(
 

scarf_ace1981

Advanced Reefer
Location
San Juan, PR
Rating - 100%
103   0   0
bristols that sucks. it's so hard to decide between a fish and a coral. actually there is no decision to be made. i'm sure you'll keep the fish. too bad they developed a taste for your coral. try feeding them more and hope they don't develop a taste for other coral.
 

bigbris1

Re-reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
I think the culprit was a mythrax emerald crab. He went belly up two weeks ago & no more signs of nibbling. The paylthoa colony is making a comeback.
 
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