What's Killing My Polyps?

[Reef Maniac]

I have various polyps in my tank, and two of the colonies (red and yellow) are starting to decrease in numbers. What could it be? I have emarld crabs in there. Could it be them? Or is it some sort of bacteria?

[harris611]

I had the same problem last year - -could not figure it out until I saw this HUGE black hairy grab chowing down on them one night. Came in as a hitchhiker, but it took him almost a year to get big and develop a taste for my polyps.

I finally caught him in a DIY trap (along with another that I did not know was in there) and polyps stopped dissapearing.

Harris611

[Steve Richardson]

I had the same thing happen a couple of times.

One night.. I noticed a crab snipping off and carrying off a 'bouquet' of polyps back to its hideout. Strange to see something like that when you hadnt added anything to the tank for a year.. and suddenly this menace shows up. :p

I have also seen predetory snails (box snails, etc) take out polyps like that. They suck them... but it looks like they are just dissappearing. They would be easy to find if you root around in the polyps.

[Reef Maniac]

They aren't disappearing. They are just shrivled up really small. And show signs of decay.

[Kyle McClain]

You might also look for keyhole limpets, they almost wiped out my yellow polyps out before i caught them.

O-

[Reef Maniac]

Here's a pic: The yellow ones on the top left, and the red ones on the right. The polyps on the lower left are fine. (they are a new addition)
http://www.rmgconstruction.com/polypsdecaying.jpg

[Angel*Fish]

Keyhole limpets kill polyps?!!!:confused: That would explain a lot... I thought they only eat algae:eek1:

[Kyle McClain]

I have not seen anything in a book that confirms this, however when I removed them from my tank my polyps no longer disapeared and started to thrive