Powder blue tang eating polyps?

[SamIAm]

I've got a 100 gallon tank right now with a tomato clown and a powder blue tang. My corals have been doing great until about three weeks ago. First my two star polyps were not opening fulling and finally closed. (Another set of star polyps that aren't all that accessible are doing fine.) Now, my yellow polyps are disappearing. I haven't caught either fish in the act yet, but the powder blue tang is looking really, really fat. In the hopes of stopping this behavior, I've been feeding the fish twice a day and there is ample vegetable matter (which gets quickly devoured). Any other suggestions (besides removing the tang and sending him back to the pet store)?

 

[revhtree]

What inverts do you have? I would not think is was either of the two fish you have. Hmm....

 

[Atari]

Don't presume anything until you actually see it.. it's far more likely to be a hitchhiker or other small pest.

 

[SamIAm]

No inverts of note

Forgot to mention -- I caught him nipping at a flowerpot when he was first introduced. (Yeah, I forgot that they were on the verboten list and won't make that mistake again.) Come to think of it, the other corals started going downhill when the flowerpot died.

The only inverts I put in were snails. I've noticed some bristleworms. I removed a small crab a few months ago. The damage is not limited to one part of the tank (as would occur, I assume, with a hitchhiker type pest). Also, whatever it is finds star polyps particularly tasty. The only star polyps unaffected are in a little crevice that is just too small for a big powder blue tang (or clown) to get into.

 

[revhtree]

I have added tangs to my tank, and I currently have one, most have nipped at polyps and corals when they were first introduced. I guess they were taste testing. Anyway, I guess it is possible that is eating it, but usually tangs dont mind eating in front of you. I would think you would be able to watch and see it if it were eating them.

 

[clowninround]

I removed my yellow tang because I actually witnessed him eating my yellow polyps and ALL of my zoo's (I have since replaced them. However I didn't take him out until i knew it was him and that the polyps were heathly (they were). I had to take out my other tang cuz the clown was beating him up pretty good. I was told that it was really rare, but it does happen. I'd say just watch him for awhile and see if he's the culprit.

 

[clowninround]

Also as Atari and Revhtree said, it could be something else, better to watch him first.

 

[SamIAm]

OK, it's definitely him.

OK, it's definitely him. He's starting on my leathers now. One of them wasn't opening. I definitely saw him take a bite. Now how do I get him out?

Sam

 

[clowninround]

what I did was use a small cheap plastic tank for a betta and attached a strip of seaweed inside, when he got in there and was busy eating, I scooped it up and put him in my other tank.

 

[revhtree]

Great Idea Clowninround! Maybe you could sell that idea on ebay for .99cents and then charge $10 shipping. (joke from another thread)