Help! Limpets are eating my soft corals.

[Kristijan]

I recently noticed limpets grazing my soft coral, particularly my GSP. I have limpets for a couple of mounts now (they hitchhike on a coral frag). I had a minimal alge problem, and they were eating the alge, but now I have zero alge, and they started eating my corals. I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of them. (arrow on the pic are showing where the limpets were eating the GSP polyps).

 

[MaxTremors]

I recently noticed limpets grazing my soft coral, particularly my GSP. I have limpets for a couple of mounts now (they hitchhike on a coral frag). I had a minimal alge problem, and they were eating the alge, but now I have zero alge, and they started eating my corals. I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of them. (arrow on the pic are showing where the limpets were eating the GSP polyps).

I would assume they are eating film algae off the the purple mat of your GSP. I’ve had these in most of the tanks I’ve ever had, and they’ve never eater corals, as far as I know that are strict algivores.

 

[Kristijan]

I would assume they are eating film algae off the the purple mat of your GSP. I’ve had these in most of the tanks I’ve ever had, and they’ve never eater corals, as far as I know that are strict algivores.

I tough the same, but when I noticed polyps missing, my opinion changed.

 

[Tired]

Some algae-eaters, in the absence of enough algae, will start doing desperate things. Keep an eye out for another cause, but the limpets are certainly possible.

Manual removal is probably your best bet. I don't think many things eat limpets.

 

[Kristijan]

Some algae-eaters, in the absence of enough algae, will start doing desperate things. Keep an eye out for another cause, but the limpets are certainly possible.

Manual removal is probably your best bet. I don't think many things eat limpets.

I started removing some but it'll take time. I have thousands of them, unfortunately. But I think they'll die naturally due to a lack of food.

 

[Tired]

Unless they eat your corals for food.