What would eat hammer skeleton?

[bsfmaximus]

Probably around a year ago I lost a small hammer. I kept it in my tank in hope that it would recover and then as a reminder. I put the base of the skeleton about an inch into my sand bed which was attached to a frag plug. In the past couple of days I noticed the skeleton has been "chewed" in half and the remainder is now sitting on its side in the sand.
So the question is - what would do that? And are my currently living euphylia and lps in danger?

 

[taintstick]

What's your CUC like?
Maybe a crab found interest and just broke it all up and it's scattered....
How long have you had your other living euphyllia? Before the dead one?

 

[ahiggins]

What's your CUC like?
Maybe a crab found interest and just broke it all up and it's scattered....
How long have you had your other living euphyllia? Before the dead one?

I would put my money on that. things tend to decay and break down when theres no coral actively building skeleton.

 

[bsfmaximus]

I've got hermits, nassarius, turbos, brittle star... I've also got a couple monster xanthid or huge black, hairy emerald crabs. I've had my other current euphyllias for 6 and 10 months.

I didn't realize a skeleton would break down so I assumed the worst. I've got some live rock that is old dead coral so I figured my dead coral would hold up like rock.

 

[ahiggins]

They may be traces of old coral still on the hammer skeleton so I would bet on the mithrax crabs :)

 

[wkscott]

Chronically low pH can also speed up the decomposition of the calcium carbonate skeleton.

 

[Tahoe61]

Chronically low pH can also speed up the decomposition of the calcium carbonate skeleton.

^This.

 

[bsfmaximus]

wkscott - thanks, I was thinking something more malevolent like this, be it a level of some sort or some critter I don't know about in my tank. That being said, my pH stays around 8.1-8.2.