ACK!!! Help w/ID, my polyps are almost gone!!

[BDHutier]

HELP!!! I picked up some calcified oyster shells in Corpus two weeks ago, and brought home a hitch-hiker. He made it through my QT unseen, and is now in my DT. I saw him yesterday afternoon, and have been trying to capture him, with no luck. Long story short, we went to Chili's tonight, and ran a few errands, and now about 80% of my polyps are gone without a trace. I'm suspecting the crab, but then again, he is only about 1" wide, so he'd have a really big stomach to eat them all (about a 7"x3" strip of polyps packed in crown-to-crown).

The only other thing I can think of are some small goby's, or my brittle star, but they get raw shrimp every other day.

Sorry for the crappy pics, my camera isn't great for close-ups. Any help is appreciated!! BTW, the crab in the pics is from my kids' crab tank, we caught him that same day, and he's much bigger than the one in my DT.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/2344145661_cce2c4fd59.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2344145687_f5fd022e66.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2344975710_66b973ace5.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/2344975748_9dbea61bcb.jpg?v=0

[SoLiD]

It looks like a common Stone Crab to me.

[apedroza]

Yep it's a stone crab. It looks plenty big enough to do some damage to your polyps. Definitely are not reef safe.

[rz1a]

last pic looks like knows hes in time out

[BDHutier]

Thanks, guys, I'll keep trying to catch him. I'm really confused about this disappearance, because the crab in my tank is about 1/2 the size of the guy in the pic. I'll start pulling out LR and get after him.

[BDHutier]

I pulled all my LR out, and found him (of course, he was on the next to last rock). He's now in my kids' crab tank. I don't know how many Zoos were taken out, I'd guess around 50-70, but in the LR removal, there wasn't a polyp to be found. Oh well, live and learn... there's nothing I can do now, other than inspect the stuff coming out of QT better.

Thanks for everybody's help!

[JimD]

What will you do if you continue to lose polyps? lol

[thedude]

Stone crabs (such as yours) will eat anything and everything they can get into. Yours absolutely ate all the polyps you lost and will probably molt soon as a result.

Remember that not too many crabs are reef safe.

John

[rz1a]

lol i cant believe that other board was telling you to keep it. i searched for a stone crab online and its huge

[BDHutier]

lol i cant believe that other board was telling you to keep it. i searched for a stone crab online and its huge

BTW, I've finally put 2&2 together, and know who you are on the other board, so good to see ya! Yeah, "That's cool looking!" :Timeout: The second I saw him I figured he was bad news. The black-tipped & really pointed claws spelled disaster. That's why I immediately started to try and trap him. Doggone I'm mad about losing the Zoos, but it's my own stupid fault for a lack-luster inspection prior to QT-DT transfer. :angry:

I'm pretty disappointed with the "other guys." I'm not stupid, and know what Zoos look like when they are in the sand... Lord knows my hermits knock one off every now and then. Oh well, I guess it's a matter of timing to get good advice sometimes.

[rz1a]

yeah that website is really horrible to ask for any advice besides really simple stuff. dont worry about the QT, weve all been through it and have to learn from it.

currently im going through so many things right now that wish i would have been careful and quarantined; ive got red bugs on acros, pyram snails trying to eat my clean up crew, and caulepra in my DT. :| for my 75 ill definitely be quarantining everything

[BDHutier]

Man, I had some of the cool fern-looking caulerpa, but my turbos ate it all. :(

[rz1a]

maybe it was bryopsis? i know i have a type of caulepra in the tank that stings my SPS and kills the tissue. its pretty annoying

[BDHutier]

Mine was Caulerpa sertularoides, here's a pic:
http://www.ccfhr.noaa.gov/images/pr_caulerpa_9.jpg

It looks beautiful in the tank, and I figured I'd be pulling a bunch out every few weeks. Too bad it didn't last long. Oh well...