Noob question. Something eating green star polyps.

[Grnorton]

Yesterday and for the past month all green star polyps were good...I added them to test for nippers. Well I think I have one. Fish stock list...2 snowflake clowns, pink spotted goby, bicolor blenny, orange shoulder tang, hippo tang, fairy wrasse, melanurus wrasse. Somebody wiped out my colony overnight. I'm wanting to do sps but I think if they are eating the gsp the sps won't stand a chance. Anybody have any advice? Should I get some sps and see what happens or where do I go from here. I attempted to get all reef safe fish....apparently I got unlucky

 

[Sk8r]

You're not ready for sps. And I'm not sure it's a fish that did it. They're green---and I've known a vegetarian-mostly rabbitfish to suddenly take a taste for green hammer coral---but all of it? And a coral nothing eats?

What are your water parameters, particularly alkalinity, magnesium, and nitrates?

 

[Grnorton]

Tested all that too bc that was my first thought...nitrates tested zero...no algae growth in the fuge either so I know it's not just being consumed. Magnesium is a little low at 1100 but not bad. And alk is 9.0 at 3pm. Also should have added that it was super glued to a rock and now it's not. I noticed this morning there were 90% missing heads and then this afternoon it was all gone laying on bottom....something is eating it.

 

[Grnorton]

Soooooo. Now that it's gone and my params are good. What coral should I give a shot next to see what and or who my problem is

 

[Sk8r]

Mmm. First thing I'd do is put a piece of that same coral in a bottle trap and see if you get any takers overnight. I've googled 'what eats green star polyp' and gotten two answers: larger crabs, including mithrax, maybe some species of larger hermit, and turbo grazer snail. This is all anecdotal, but it is a start for what to look at. Being sure you don't have a midnight hitchhiker would be a good move: a half-liter wine carafe tilted up on the rockwork at a 20 degree angle can let a crab in, might not let him out.

 

[BeachVacationer]

How many GSPs do you have? Pic of all of them would be nice.

 

[stingeragent]

LOL, this post is of no help, but if you catch whatever is eating it, I'm sure you'd have no problem selling it on here to someone that can't get rid of the stuff.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Emerald Crab?

 

[whitrose02]

Gsp is SUPER easy to keep. There really isn't anything more beginner except maybe xenia... and nothing eats gsp. What is your phosphate level?

 

[CStrickland]

Also should have added that it was super glued to a rock and now it's not.

maybe an urchin or decorator crab or something took it for a walk, and it got chewed up along the way?
Most things that would nibble it wouldn't bother to tear it off the rock first

 

[Cdodge1]

GSP should be an easy coral to keep... IF you used live rock to start the tank, check for hitch hikers... (I disdain liverock from unknown sources because of this and just use dry base rock in my aquarium) Your fish didn't eat your GSP and none of the fish you listed will eat any corals. How old is the tank? Be patient. If you want a second opinion, have your LFS test your water as well. Once your tank has matured a bit, consider getting some lower end Zoas and see how they fare. If they do well, I'd start getting some nicer corals. Hold off on SPS for now. Good luck!

 

[Grnorton]

so, something definitely picked at them just for an update. I left them sitting on the bottom of the tank and they all popped their heads back out and are doing great, well I've since moved them to a holding tank since I'm treating the display with chloroquine phosphate. but nonetheless something in there ripped them from the rock where they were glued and caused them to suck in and be scared. so i guess ill just have to wait to put them back and see what happens.

 

[Sapelo]

I wondered if they were just pulled in and not eaten.

I have to agree with the poster who noted that if you have something that eats GSP you can probably sell it here!

Sk8r's right: almost certainly not one of your current stock list