Help, corals are disappearing overnight

S

Steph_D

Large Fish
#1
Feb 27, 2006
123
0
0
Noel, MO, extreme SW corner of the state
#1
I've got a problem that I could use some help with, and I appreciate it greatly. I got some coral frags about 2 weeks ago and all seemed great. Had a zoa polyp glued to a reef plug that was healthy as could be. On Tuesday the lights came on and the polyp was gone, ripped right off the plug. I figured it would be next to impossible to find a single polyp if it had fell somewhere so I didn't think much more about it. Then it happened again last night/this morning. This time a green riccordia is missing :eek: I ripped out every piece of rock and shined the flash light into every nook and cranny only to not find my ric anywhere. I'm fearing that I have a coral eater in my tank somewhere but I don't know what it could be. My stock list is pretty normal, BL hermits (4), turbo/astrea/nass snails and a black clown goby. I also have bristleworms and some of those "mini" turbo snails that came on the rock.

Now when I bought my rock and got it in the mail, when I opened the box I found a small hairy brownish-white crab. Is it possible that there could be another crab, or maybe a mantis shrimp in there somewhere that's eating my corals?? I can provide a not very good picture of the dead crab that I found if y'all thought it would help.

Any help and ideas are greatly appreciated *thumbsups
 

1979camaro

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
#2
Oct 22, 2002
5,862
2
0
42
San Ramon, CA
#2
It could be a crab or a nudibranch (more likely in my opinion)...or the corals could have died. Softies will disappear quickly if things go wrong. It is also possible they could have detached themselves from the plugs and are now stuck in the rock somewhere.
 

S

Steph_D

Large Fish
#3
Feb 27, 2006
123
0
0
Noel, MO, extreme SW corner of the state
#3
Thanks for the input. I think I might've found my coral killer, just don't know what to do with it. I was sold a "nassarius" snail a while back, but now I believe it to be a whelk snail, as seen on this site. I made a sort of bottle trap today with a water bottle and some frozen squid. So far, the only thing that's gotten even close to the bottle has been this snail. I've had it for a few weeks, now. It has never touched my gsp or mushrooms, that I know of.

I also think that little crab was a gorilla crab. I've heard that if there was one, there may be more. Can anyone recommend a good way to catch them, or is the bottle trap about my best bet?

Thanks again!
 

C

Cumminz

Medium Fish
#4
Aug 1, 2007
90
0
0
32
utah
#4
I have been loking at things in the internet to get an idea, and one of the things they try to sell you for a tank cleaner is a nassarius. this doesnt make sense, can someone clear this up for me?
 

S

Steph_D

Large Fish
#5
Feb 27, 2006
123
0
0
Noel, MO, extreme SW corner of the state
#5
Nassarius snails are great sand sifters and cleaners. However, this whelk snail has me concerned. I'm still researching them, though.

I didn't catch anything in my trap last night so today I'm FW dipping all of my rock. I'm pretty positive that I've got a gorilla crab in there somewhere. Hopefully it'll come out while I dip. I've got a small 2.5g minibow set up that he could live in, away from my corals.
 

C

Cumminz

Medium Fish
#6
Aug 1, 2007
90
0
0
32
utah
#6
Tre was saying that i should wait on corals for a few months so would it be okay for me to get some nassarius's ? and the probably only eat soft coral right?
 

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