Hammer coral losing tips of polys

[Huntersreef]

New to reefing. I picked up some LPS coral (frog spawn, hammer, lobo, bowerbanki) a couple months ago and all are doing well. However, the hammer is losing tips of polyps about daily. Every morning I see small pieces. What would cause this? Otherwise he looks good. Opens fully every morning and closes up at night.

Salinity 1.026
Ammonia. 0.00
Nitrite 0.00
Phosphate. .07
PH. 8
Calcium. 381
Alkalinity 8.2
Magnesium. 1382

 

[crazyfishmom]

I suspect you have a fish or invert that’s causing damage. What fish do you have? What inverts?

 

[World Citizen]

That sounds like something is eating it. Could be a fish but also invertebrates.

 

[Huntersreef]

2 clownfish, 1 fox face, 1 algae Benny, 1 peppermint shrimp, a few hermit and snails.

 

[crazyfishmom]

My money would be on the peppermint or hermits.

 

[Huntersreef]

I had an emerald crab, but booted him when. I saw him go after the frogspawn. Even since then I see the hammer lose tips.

 

[Huntersreef]

My money would be on the peppermint or hermits.

Ok. I’ll keep an eye out. Thank you!

 

[World Citizen]

Put a camera on it during the night.
You could put motion detection on it. Otherwise you need to sift true the video the day after.

 

[Huntersreef]

Now that I think about it, it started a couple weeks after adding some red legged hermits. I feel an eviction coming for them…

 

[World Citizen]

If its an hermit you should also take a look at the coral. Usually they wont eat it when the coral is 100% healthy.

I am not saying it is sick, but if he has some damage, other animals will feed on it.

So if the hermit has damaged the coral, you should protect it for a while to heal.

 

[Huntersreef]

Oh that’s an good idea. Thank you.

 

[World Citizen]

I have seen this happen in front of me.

A torch was happy but hen I dropped it. The drop gave it a little bit of damage.

A filefish which had been in the tank with the torch for months went crazy. He never touched to torch but the moment it got some damage he was all over it.

Same goes for snails, hermits, starfish, urchins and worms. They love damaged tissue.