What could be eating my soft corals?

[Stu]

I have something in my tank that likes eating soft corals (specifically
toadstools) that are placed on/near a particular rock. That makes me
suspect something that lives in that rock.

See these two pics:
http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/softcoraldamage.jpg
http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/closeup.jpg

Typically, large chunks of the toadstool will suddenly disappear during the
day, or overnight. The damage tends to look more like large bites than small
nibbles too.

I'd suspect a nudibranch, but I'm certain there aren't any in the tank -
I'd expect to have seen one by now, yet I've never caught anything in the
act. I'd also expect something like a nudibranch to move around and eat my
corals no matter where I placed them.

The only other thing I can think of is my widow blenny, but that doesn't
make much sense either.

Can anyone offer some suggestions on what this might be, and how to stop it?

Thanks,
Stu

[Microbot]

I noticed a while back that some of my Soft Corals were being nibbled on.
I thought I had only one Nudibranch but ended up fiinding 4 so far over 2
months..
Since the last one found was removed, I no longer have chewed Corals.

Cheers
Microbot

"Stu" > wrote in message
om...
> I have something in my tank that likes eating soft corals (specifically
> toadstools) that are placed on/near a particular rock. That makes me
> suspect something that lives in that rock.
>
> See these two pics:
> http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/softcoraldamage.jpg
> http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/closeup.jpg
>
> Typically, large chunks of the toadstool will suddenly disappear during
the
> day, or overnight. The damage tends to look more like large bites than
small
> nibbles too.
>
> I'd suspect a nudibranch, but I'm certain there aren't any in the tank -
> I'd expect to have seen one by now, yet I've never caught anything in the
> act. I'd also expect something like a nudibranch to move around and eat my
> corals no matter where I placed them.
>
> The only other thing I can think of is my widow blenny, but that doesn't
> make much sense either.
>
> Can anyone offer some suggestions on what this might be, and how to stop
it?
>
> Thanks,
> Stu

[Marc Levenson]

I had a gorilla crab eating ( the muscular one with red eyes) that can out at
night at ate my soft corals.

As posted before, he was turned into shrapnel and the reef lived happily ever
after.

Marc


Stu wrote:

> I have something in my tank that likes eating soft corals (specifically
> toadstools) that are placed on/near a particular rock. That makes me
> suspect something that lives in that rock.
>
> See these two pics:
> http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/softcoraldamage.jpg
> http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/closeup.jpg
>
> Typically, large chunks of the toadstool will suddenly disappear during the
> day, or overnight. The damage tends to look more like large bites than small
> nibbles too.
>
> I'd suspect a nudibranch, but I'm certain there aren't any in the tank -
> I'd expect to have seen one by now, yet I've never caught anything in the
> act. I'd also expect something like a nudibranch to move around and eat my
> corals no matter where I placed them.
>
> The only other thing I can think of is my widow blenny, but that doesn't
> make much sense either.
>
> Can anyone offer some suggestions on what this might be, and how to stop it?
>
> Thanks,
> Stu

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[br549]

I second the motion, my wife declared war on crabs, we had fish missing,
Zoo's missing, one destroyed the sphincter on our Caribbean brown carpet
anemone, these are the worst pest, they rival the mantis shrimp.

BR549



"Marc Levenson" > wrote in message
...
> I had a gorilla crab eating ( the muscular one with red eyes) that can out
at
> night at ate my soft corals.
>
> As posted before, he was turned into shrapnel and the reef lived happily
ever
> after.
>
> Marc
>
>
> Stu wrote:
>
> > I have something in my tank that likes eating soft corals (specifically
> > toadstools) that are placed on/near a particular rock. That makes me
> > suspect something that lives in that rock.
> >
> > See these two pics:
> > http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/softcoraldamage.jpg
> > http://sswain.tripod.com/tank/closeup.jpg
> >
> > Typically, large chunks of the toadstool will suddenly disappear during
the
> > day, or overnight. The damage tends to look more like large bites than
small
> > nibbles too.
> >
> > I'd suspect a nudibranch, but I'm certain there aren't any in the tank -
> > I'd expect to have seen one by now, yet I've never caught anything in
the
> > act. I'd also expect something like a nudibranch to move around and eat
my
> > corals no matter where I placed them.
> >
> > The only other thing I can think of is my widow blenny, but that doesn't
> > make much sense either.
> >
> > Can anyone offer some suggestions on what this might be, and how to stop
it?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Stu
>
> --
> Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
> Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
> Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com
>
>
>