Palys look cut and missing zoas

[hnvaughan2575]

My wife and I have had our tank for almost 18 onths now. We recently got a frag of magicians hat palys from the LFS. This morning while I was working on the tank I saw that the bottoms of the palys have been cut hand have turned brown. Also My zoas are slowly disappearing.
Our tank consists of; foxface rabbit fish, pair of clowns, Royal dottyback, Mandarin goby, valentini puffer, LTA, anemone crab, 2 emerald crabs, pair of orange spotted gobies with pistol shrimp. The puffer was in a reef tank for lamost two years when I got him, and never ate any corals.

 

[A. Grandis]

Could be the puffer, yes.
Also, try to find something at night.
Grandis.

 

[hnvaughan2575]

The palys had started to receed a bit before we got the puffer. And the the way the palys are being attacked I cant see it being the puffer. Its like a knife has sliced near the foot of the paly. almost a clean cut. I'll see if I can get a picture later.

 

[MikeandNicole]

Foxfaces can get a nice taste for zoas and so can emerald crabs.

 

[Typlus5]

My money is on the Rabbit Fish. Had to get rid of one about 4 months ago after he developed a taste for my Zoas (only the expensive ones I might add), then Maxima clam and started on the Acans.
Sit back and observe for a while, the culprit will come out. I fished mine out and traded him off to somebody with a FO tank.

 

[Borchers]

Do you have Asternia (I think thats how its spelled) starfish. They are known Zoa eaters. I have lost many zoas and palys to theses. Also this not a one tank experience. I have talked to Many people and see theses guys eat them first hand.

 

[mallorieGgator]

Watch those emeralds. I had to take all of mine out because they got a taste for zoas. I even fed mine all of the time and they still ate my zoas (especially the skirts).

 

[jimsplace]

+1 on the rabbit

 

[Dana42078]

Time for some recon..could be alot of things as listed.