Sumfing ate my polyps????

[uneverno]

I got a neat little rock yesterday with some paly's a Zoo and about 1/2 a dozen little blue star polyps. Overnight something ate the stars and that's what I bought the rock for...

Here is my stock list:
3 Marroon leg hermits
3 Blue legs
4 Scarlet/red legs
2 Porcelain Crabs
1 Sally Lightfoot
Various snails (Cerith, Nassarius, Astrea)
1 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Harlequin Shrimp
1 Pygmy Angel (who has no interest in my other Stars - happilly picks algae and pods all day long)
1 Firefish
1 Tiger/Zebra Goby (Not sure on Latin name, but not the one pictured here - he's about 1.5" silver w/ thin black stripes and pinkish around the gills)
1 Yellow Face Shrimp Goby
1 Panda Goby
1 Baby Percula
I'd like to replace the polyps, but not until I can figure this out.
Who's the likliest suspect here?
Thanks,
Emil
P.S. the polyps themselves are really similar to the ones on DeMartini's ADA thread, P10 post 472

 

[uneverno]

Bumpity?

 

[hlcroghan]

I would say the hermits......they have been known to eat corals occasionally

 

[angler man]

Do some research on that sally lightfoot crab. The only thing that sticks out to me is your pygmy angel. They are a risk with polyps. Flame Angels for example are very hit or miss on this. Either they will leave things alone or they may pick at them. Some make good reef fish while others are an absolute nightmare.
Good luck.

 

[uneverno]

Thanks guys,
My suspicion was either one of the hermits or the Angel. I think I've narrowed it down to one of the Maroon legs - the same one that ate one of my Ceriths to get its shell.
Sally is really active, but vegetarian when it comes to the rocks, and the Angel could care less about my corals. I realize that that could change at any moment, but for the time being, he's leaving stuff alone.

 

[uneverno]

I figured it out. It was the Marroons.
As far as I know Sally's are completely reef safe. They're scavengers, and the only living thing I've seen it eat was algae. I saw it pick up one of my Nassarius to clean the shell and dropped it as soon as it realized it was alive.
Anyone have experience w/ this guy?
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=4

 

[stanlalee]

I had a sallylightfoot and added zooanthid and it immediately went right for them and started eating them like candy so I wouldn't rule it out though it could be a number of things in your tank.

 

[uneverno]

I hear ya - it's always never say never in this game.
In this case, I caught the culprit red handed (or should I say maroon clawed?) I removed the other two just in case as well.
Meantime, the rock has some bubble algae on it which I figured, no worries, the Emerald will take care of it. He's been all over the rock and doesn't even stop to sniff it. Go figure...

 

[jmill]

Not meaning to hi-jack your thread uneverno

But I am wondering if all hermit crabs a risk to corals such as zoos?

 

[jeremye83work]

I just took back an anemone crab due to the fact that it was eaying my polyps..... my guess is def. the crab