What Bad Fish Might Do This?

[EricTMah]

I'll pass. Too big for my frag tank

 

[zoomster]

Lol.
Well thanks for the thought though.
Very nice of you!

 

[Kman]

In my experience a fish is not the most likely cause for eating this type of polyp. Picking at yes but not eating. But it could happen. The problem is purple death is a paly and it will have what is know as palytoxin. That is one of the most toxic substance in the ocean. So it is not very likely to have been eaten by a fish. All paly have the toxin in them just at different levels. If it did eat it, it would show signs of being sick or dead for the majority of fish. Not many fish can or want to eat them. A few will but not very many, typically it will be the specialized feeders like a file fish that will risk it. That is because they can use it in their tissue. Most people don't keep these specialized feeders in the reef tank. Hence why the palyis are so toxic.

With that being said a grazer could have bitten onto the polyps and spit it back out while cleaning off the rock. So I would look in the corners of your tank for any loose polyps. That bird wrasse is not considered reef compatible. Out of any fish I would look to that fish. Some Foxface have been known to pick on corals but I don’t think in this case it would swallow the polyps willingly.

There are many reason for the polyps to be gone quickly. Bacterial infection, shrimp, nudibranch, newly glued frag plugs. That haven't had time for the polyps to attach to yet and they let go. These are some of the more common causes.

 

[zoomster]

Thank you very much for that info, it is very helpful and appreciated and provides food for thought.
Other than the infection you mentioned, none of the other causes in your last paragraph could apply. No shrimp or nudibranchs yet, sat in my main tank in a frag tray for over a week so glue should have been cured by then. Lol.
Although i am not sure which one, i am sure it was a fish but you very well could be right about it picking and spitting.
My wife and I did look all over my tank and we could not find either of them.

 

[Shooter000]

Be patient my friend, remember how I thought all my shrek zoa'S were gone, then BAM!, a month later there's a polyp in the back corner, picked it out glued it back to another rock, one week later it's out and happy

 

[zoomster]

I am hoping the same thing happens here!

 

[Kman]

Polyps are sneaky. They like to be all fine one day, then bam!! They are gone.

I would look at your tank after the lights have gone out for a few hrs. Or better yet in the morning before the lights come on and the room is dark. To rule out critters eating them.

 

[zoomster]

Ok will do!
I would love to be able to tell you that you were right!

 

[Nonuser]

You need a camera feed like quartapound and have it recording to your hard drive so you can catch the thief

 

[zoomster]

You need a camera feed like quartapound and have it recording to your hard drive so you can catch the thief

That is a real good idea actually!
Cant do it tonight but, it is something that I may look into!

 

[deeznutz]

Hippo tang all the way, no doubt in my mind. Consider yourself lucky. Mine has eaten all of my zoos, 30 different colonies. Check out the teeth on them!

 

[zoomster]

Ya, the hippo seems to be leading the polls in mostly likely to be the culprit!
Thank you for your reply!