Who is the culprit biting tips of my torch coral?

[kartrsu]

My torch corals are getting one or two tips nipped off every day or so. They are high end torches and it's irritating me. Who do you think the culprit is among my inhabitants?

Fish:
1) 2 clownfish
2) royal gramma
3) diamond goby
4) blue hippo tang
5) yellow tang
6) neon goby
7) exquisite wrasse
8) 2 cardinalfish
9) helfrichi firefish

Inverts:
1) cleaner shrimp
2) fire shrimp
3) hermits (blue legged, scarlet, mexican red leg)
4) snails (turbo, trochus, cerith, astraea)

I'm leaning towards yellow / blue hippo. I see my yellow "look" at it, but never actually nip it. I know my dragon soul was placed near it's hiding spot and that's when I noticed the chopping. Now it's my aussie gold torch. Tank is relatively new, so no absurd algae growth, but I try to feed heavily and include nori every day! what the heck!

 

[PicassoClown04]

Can you post some pics of the coral? Are whole tentacles gone or just the tips cut off? Are your clowns hosting and if so, where?

 

[kartrsu]

Here is a photo. These are fresh cuts on the tips only. Do the “balls” at the end ever grow back. Some previously cut tips have healed but have no ends to the tentacles. Clownfish do not host it.

 

[Vu337]

I had a powder blue tang that did it to my torches.

 

[Casket_Case]

Lol it’s like Clue but an aquarium

 

[1Clown]

My Gold Nugget Maroon was doing it to my torches and goni so I had to get rid of her, such a shame she was a stunner.

 

[RVA REEF]

clownfish and the shrimp are risky with expensive torches

 

[kartrsu]

My clownfish never make it to the front of the tank. Plus they are small ocellaris (<2 inches each). They usually hide in the back left of the tank vs front and center. What's the best way to catch the culprit? Camera time?

 

[Macbalacano]

Interesting... I had a flatworm on my torches before, but I don't recall if this would happen...

 

[kartrsu]

Flatworm would probably manifest with tissue recession along the skeleton. Tissue has not been receding. I just dialed back my flow so it gets a gentle wave. Maybe that's the issue, but not ruling out fish. Don't torches sting? If a tang bit the tips, would it be like eating a jalapeno, lol?

 

[kartrsu]

Okay crap, now my Duncan is getting tips nipped at too. This one is actually close to my clowns, but they have always been model citizens even in a smaller tank with the Duncan. This one got damaged more than I would have expected.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Any shrimp or crabs in tank? What fish do you have?

 

[kartrsu]

Stocking list is in the first post.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Stocking list is in the first post.

Oops didn’t see, doubt it’s the fish, most likely the shrimp or hermits Maybeeeee and it’s a stretch, the hippo

 

[William Mumford]

I dont have any coral nippers but my friend has had a tang not sure the exact type. He said that feeding sponge stopped the nipping. He had a similar looking issue. Hope that helps.

 

[kartrsu]

Oops didn’t see, doubt it’s the fish, most likely the shrimp or hermits Maybeeeee and it’s a stretch, the hippo

It would be tough for the hermits given these are areas that are tough to reach for them. My cleaner shrimp has grazed over my duncans but never seen this type of damage. I have NO idea if my fire shrimp would do this i.e. less history with him, but he does have bigger claws.

 

[tehmadreefer]

It would be tough for the hermits given these are areas that are tough to reach for them. My cleaner shrimp has grazed over my duncans but never seen this type of damage. I have NO idea if my fire shrimp would do this i.e. less history with him, but he does have bigger claws.

Hermits can climb ya know. But still prolly the shrimp

 

[MONTANTK]

I’d guess the fire shrimp or maybe the blue tang. I have seen blue tangs nip some meatier LPS

 

[DangerDave]

Do you have good flow? Sometimes when a nice long stinger is sent out, they tend to get twisted in the flow and will break off. That’s what it usually looks like after...

 

[Uncle99]

Hermit