Pods are eating my favia!

[Benga]

I got pods eating my favia! I thought they were good to have but I think they gained taste buds for my favia. Literally every other coral is doing great and the favia we're going great then this happens. I usually see about 4-5 at night and there's no way to catch them.

What should I do?

 

[Miami Reef]

Usually pods will eat decaying matter. What’s more likely is that your coral is bleaching/dying and the pods are just eating the dead flesh.

Just my 2¢

 

[a.t.t.r]

Most likely just eating the dead tissue.

 

[Benga]

Usually pods will eat decaying matter. What’s more likely is that your coral is bleaching/dying and the pods are just eating the dead flesh.

Just my 2¢

Most likely just eating the dead tissue.

I think I had minor tissue death but I feel like they've either gained a taste for favia now or they're walking on it so much that it's irritating the coral. Any suggestions on how to keep them away?

My parameters are all good and none of my other favias are having trouble

 

[Miami Reef]

I think I had minor tissue death but I feel like they've either gained a taste for favia now or they're walking on it so much that it's irritating the coral. Any suggestions on how to keep them away?

My parameters are all good and none of my other favias are having trouble

Most fish (especially wrasse) will eat them.

 

[MaxTremors]

I would guess that other Favia/Goni is stinging the crap out of it at night. I’ve had many instances where one coral was stinging another and despite looking each night, multiple time per night, and never actually caught, but as soon as I moved one of them, they started to recover. I am willing to bet it’s not the pods. Something else is killing it, whether it’s another coral, fish, or water quality (IME when people say ‘my water is fine’ that’s usually a red flag, and even if it is ‘fine’, by having another set of eyes look at your test results, they may see something you don’t). Since the missing tissue is all on that one side, I’m pretty positive that it’s the other Favia/Goni that’s doing it. Favias/Goniastraea/Favites don’t all get along, I would put a few more inches between them.

Edit: You can see the coral above has some sweeper tentacles out, it is undoubtedly the culprit.

 

[WheatToast]

Usually pods will eat decaying matter. What’s more likely is that your coral is bleaching/dying and the pods are just eating the dead flesh.

Just my 2¢

Agreed.

 

[Spare time]

They are not eating the coral. The coral is dying from an unrelated issue. They may be eating the dead tissue, but they are not eating the living coral. They might actually be helping the coral by removing necrotic tissue

 

[Tired]

Pods will USUALLY not eat healthy tissue. If you have a lot of them and no fish to keep them in check, they may start chewing things. I had some eat the tentacles off a healthy-but-small RFA, and I've had them chew zoas, before I got a fish to cut their numbers down.

That said, yeah, it's probably being stung. Move it far away from everything else and see if it improves.