Hammer Coral - Something has the munchies

[andymi]

Ok, just picked up some hammer coral this past weekend and now two complete polyps are gone out of about 8. What on this list could be the culprit for these things.
Peppermint Shrimp
Red/Blue Leg Hermits
Mithrax Crabs
Cleaner Shrimp
Tang
Clownfish
Chromis
I highly doubt it is any of the fish. I could possibly see it being the Mithrax crab. Anyone else have this problem?
Also I noticed a peculiar looking crab in my tank last night I got from swf. It was not bright red like a scarlet hermit, more of a dark maroon with much bigger claws. What kind of hermits are these?
--Andy

 

[jacksonpt]

First off, are you sure that the 2 polyps were eaten, as opposed to die off? I had a little die off when I first got my hammer (they are very sensitive to the oils on our skin... I think the person at the LFS touched it)? If it was infact eaten, I don't know who would have done it... the mithrax is the only thing on your list I don't know anything about, but the rest shouldn't have bothered it.
I too have one of those darker maroon hermits with the larger shells. I thought it was just a red hermit that got all growed up. Been watching him for a few months now, never noticed him being a problem. Wish I knew what he was though.

 

[kimmisue]

My experience with all the animals you listed is that none of them did it. I would be more inclined to believe that the coral may have lost those polyps when acclimating to your tank.
Just my .02
Kim

 

[andymi]

I am not talking about missing a couple pieces I am talking about the hammer coral being gutted down to the hard portion of the coral. The day before the coral looked just fine and had been that way for almost a week and just all of a sudden all the polyps on that piece of the coral were down to the bone so to speak. It definitely looks eaten vs. sickly.
-Andy
BTW: I did check all the levels and they are just fine. Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Nitrites 0, pH 8.2, salinity 1.024, temp 80

 

[andymi]

I am not talking about missing a couple pieces I am talking about the hammer coral being gutted down to the hard portion of the coral. The day before the coral looked just fine and had been that way for almost a week and just all of a sudden all the polyps on that piece of the coral were down to the bone so to speak. It definitely looks eaten vs. sickly.
-Andy
BTW: I did check all the levels and they are just fine. Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Nitrites 0, pH 8.2, salinity 1.024, temp 80

 

[fixitdude2001]

Andy, the critters you have sound ok, it does sound like something ate it, you dont by chance have a starfish by chance do you ? I am not talking a brittle or shifter just a regular star like a choco-chip or a general, they love corals, had to take are big general out of the reef because he wouldnt stay of the corals. I dont believe that much died overnight, it shure sounds like something ate it...fixit

 

[nm reef]

I've got about the same assortment of life in my reef.....currently I have a very nice sized hammer coral......none of the critters bother it at all.....BUT.....I once had a very nice frogspawn and hammer that died....reason was a sudden temp change.....both were doing great until a heater malfunction let the temp rise to around 90 degrees.....both started to receed just as you describe.......I learned the hard way that these type corals do not tolerate changes in the system very well..........I would check your temp fluctuations and monitor your calcium/alkalinity....sounds to me like your corals may be unhappy and not being munched on......