View Full Version : Button Polyps
lebloom
08-22-2003, 3:24 PM
I bought a piece of LR for my 75 Gal FOWLR tank and it has a few polyps growing on it. They are growing but something eating on them. Either my hermits or yellow tangs chewing on them, I am not sure. Is there something I can do to keep the hermits off them? Or am I stuck with this problem? I'd like to put some more corals in my tank in the future but I don't know which would be a good starter for right now. My lighting is a power compact. I just have 4 fish, 1 yellow tang, 2 clown fish and 1 yellowtail damsel. This along with 3 queen conhs, 2 turbo snails and about 12 hermits. I have approx. 170# LS and 100# LR in this setup.
Guy W
08-24-2003, 10:16 PM
I don't think any of those fish are known for eating corals. Esp not button polyps. They are relatively toxic and most fish won't touch them.
What kind of hermits are you talking about? I've never heard of Scarlet Hermits bothering corals either. But purhaps some of the other types do. I'm not sure.
Guy
lebloom
08-25-2003, 12:14 PM
Iv'e got a few scarlets and some blue leggs. Maybe my fish aren't bothering them but the polyps do look as though someones eating them. I have never bought any corals till these polyps.
How are those button polyps looking today?
lebloom
08-27-2003, 6:18 PM
Not much has changed, maybe I need to add something to my water? I add a liquid calcium to my water every few days. I don't really see my fish around the polyps but I catch my hermits playing around them.
mogurnda
08-27-2003, 6:26 PM
Someone gave me a small piece of live rock with a lemnalia coral (like a kenya tree), some kind of brown star poly and a brown button. The hermits seem to like sitting on it and the button never opens. The coral has grown nicely. I haven't figured out whether the hermits are eating the button or simply harrassing it so it stays closed.
Before you add Ca, what are your levels now? Button polyps aren't horribly Ca-hungry. The only other things I can think of are that your lighting is way low (how much PC have you got), or the pH and alkalinity are off.
Another possibility is that the polyps are just adjusting to the new tank. How long has it been in the tank?