Mystery Predator

[dough]

This is not good. I've got a myster predator marauding through my tank killing my zoa/palys and nepthea. Sorry Brandon. What ever it is is dragging the corals into the depths of the live rock and munching down on them.

The only suspect I can think of is my emerald crab. My reason for this is now I have a rabbit fish in the tank which has cleaned all the algea out and there is nothing left for the emerald crab.

What do you think?

 

[wolfie]

could be that Rabgbit fish that arre doing it.

Rabbit are hit and missed when it come to reef. I had 1 that eating up my zoo and start to pick on my candy cann.

 

[dough]

I've not seen the rabbit fish touch any coral, not to say it's not happening at night.

 

[darren24]

Seen any blue / gray looking astrena starfish slithering around on your LR? They will kill Zoas. The white ones are OK. I have seen them kill Palys by just attaching to the base. Several folks on "Club Zoa" have had the same experience.

 

[dough]

No astra starfish. What ever it is dragging frag plugs into the center of the LR and eating it there.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

What?!? We are no longer friends I tell you... You better find me a new green softy!!!!

 

[cameron]

You would think given how toxic zoas are not too many critters would feed on them... at least not long term. My money is on a crab of some sort. Would be suprised to see a fish dragging something into your rock work to eat besides the fish probably would just eat the thing in the middle of the day. Night predation just seems crab-esk.

 

[FutureInterest]

I doubt its your emerald crab, that's just not their mo. There aren't a lot of critters out there that would find zoas edible let alone palatable.

The primary ones are zoa nudis, sea spiders, and sundial snails. Some fish, most notably some rabbitfish will eat them on occasion.

 

[dough]

Thanks guys what ever it is is draging frag plugs 4-5 inchs over sand and other frags. Some of the plugs I've not been able to see because they've been drug so deep into the rock work.