What could have eaten my red kelp???

[vrob]

I had a little piece of red kelp that came with my TBS package and it was growing quite nicely since right before Thanksgiving. I left town Thursday afternoon to return today and as I was inspecting the tank, I noticed that all of it was goine except for one little piece that you could barely see. I am still trying to figure out who the culprit is. Tank inhabitants include: a six line wrasse, a false percula clown, 2 cleaner shrimp, SEVERAL pencil urchins, turbo snails, astrea snail, and a few decorator crabs. I am wondering if it was the decorator or porcelain crabs because right now there is one in my tank in the process of devouring a little mound of lush red algae growing on one of the rocks. I also understand that pencil urchins will devour algae as well. I need to figure out what to do with them because they have multiplied like crazy. I have about 15 or so and would like to take a few down to the LFS to trade but don't know what's a fair trade price or how large I should let them get.


I really liked the kelp. Any idea where it went???

[mygreengoldfish]

It is either the pencil urchin and/or the decorator crabs. If small urchins can devour parts of kelp forests, i think they would have no trouble with delicate red kelp for aquariums. Also decorator crabs can easily tear the kelp.

[Lincutis]

definately the urchins...that's #1 on their grocery list...

[vrob]

I had read somewhere that they would tear into it, but I figured after 2 months that they hadn't, they wouldn't..........I have so many of them and I am thinking about trading some of them at the LFS for fish credit, but I don't know how to price them. Haven't seen any of them at the LFS. Any idea how much they run and how big I should let them get before trading them? I have them in various sizes and they are reproducing like crazy!!