Schism
Aquarium Advice Addict
AquaTricia said:My shrimps are that way. Came home to a missing green star polyp. Had my husband turn on the lights and the hermit was where the polyp should be. I found it on the rubble at the bottom of the tank. It had been thoroughly glued down and was even growing. For tonight, I scraped off the glue and wedged in between two rocks. I also noted that one of a pair of purple ricordea attached to rock rubble from the Los is shriveling up, but the other looks fine. The only difference between the two is, on the side of the rubble, under the shriveled ricordea is something growing out of the side that I said looked like the business end of a round corn broom. A couple of days ago it was about 1/4 inch and now it's about 1/2 inch. Could this have anything to do with it. BTW, the hermit crawled away to a different rock. He might not have had anything to do with the star polyp, but I just don't like him!
The broom thing u describe sounds like maybe it could be aiptasia which will sting corals and irritate the, even kill them.
Im guess your polyp just came unglued, its really not uncommon especially with soft corals. As they expand and contract the glue gives way and the go floating off. Not saying this what happened but it would be my guess.
I have had tons of red and blue leg hermits over the years, ive never seen one physically eating a coral, however i have seen many crawl on corals feed on algae growing on corals, bits of food in between polyps etc. generally the biggest thing with hermits is their willingness to attack and kill snails for their shell. If its a big hermit like golfball size then you will easily be able to tell of ita eating your coral. That polyp would have disappeared instead of being spotted floating around the tank.