Whos eating my yellow polpys

[bobothewizard]

One of my new additions are eating my yellow polyps, cleaner shrimp, or decorator crab? Which one is it?

 

[javajoe]

Is this a game? are we supposed to guess? (sorry- i'm just in one of those sarcastics moods today... )
Actually, it could be either. i would watch them and try to catch one in the act. both are known to mess with polyps.:

 

[jakob4001]

I'd put my $$$ on the crab; they ARE NOT REEF SAFE; they are very cool though...but um they are called dec crabs for a reason...they take things from their environment & well um "decorate" themselves...well use items for iether camoflauge or protection or both...& are you SURE it's a cleaner shrimp...some LFS or even online retailers mismatch cleaner shrimps w/ other species of shrimps...
I can also state first hand that tiger coweries will eat ALL yellow polyps as well...

 

[bobothewizard]

well i found the culprit, it was my decorator crab who removed all the polyps. At least now i do not have a stationary rock with polpys i have a moving "rock" with polpys. There all alive and living on his back lol.

 

[rockster]

OMG, that is awesome! I kinda like that crab's hairdo
But seriously, you think the yellow polyps will adjust to constant movement of the "rock?" I know that they retract when they detect movement. Hmmm...you have aiptasia in your tank?

 

[j21kickster]

i've seen decrator crabs with polyps living on its back- they were all doing fine

 

[bobothewizard]

well the guy didnt clean up after himself either, now i have a few polyps attached to the glass. One thing im very surprised about is he removed the polyps from the rock carefully so as not to destroy the polyp. Kinda neato.