Where are all my fish going?

[brndfrb]

I have a 65 gallon saltwater tank with a 4 inch cc substrate and about 45 pounds of live rock. I have a yellow tang, half black angel, two domino damsels and two black striped damsels. For the last couple of days one of the domino and one of the striped damsels have been missing. So i moved all of my live rock and everything. Pretty much dismantled my tank and they are gone. Is there something eating them or what. They can't just disapear. I also have 7 snails and 10 hermit crabs. and one emerald crab. Please help me Also i had a blue chromis that half of its tail had been bitten off. I mean all the way up into the meaty part of his tail

 

[fishtender]

My suggestion is to get rid of the emerald crab. I heard that they have a varaciuos appitite and will eat anything they can get their claws on. I have a minor problem with bubble algae and was considering geting an emerald because supposedly they love to eat it. I learned that they love to eat and eat and eat....

I choose to not buy one.

If you are just looking for some clean-up crabs, try Sally Lightfoot. I have two and they do a great job and leave the fish and corals alone.

Howard

 

[brndfrb]

i really don't think it is the emerald though. WEll i can't say taht for sure. considering i only see him about once every 2 weeks. So if i should get rid of it i will.

 

[brndfrb]

Can anyone please tell me anything more? I am now one more damsel down. It doesn't bother me all that much since they are just damsels. But if they get to my tang or my angel i will be very upset. Considering they lived through my whole ICH problem. Now this. It has to get better

 

[Salt4Us]

Well I know my blue damsel likes to hide in the rock, did you look inside the live rock you have, just a suggestion.

 

[brndfrb]

I have tore my tank apart. I took every single piece of live rock out of it. The fish are nowhere to be found. There are now 4 fish that are MIA. What do i do. I think i have a murderer on the loose.

 

[Salt4Us]

Well I have read that emerald crabs have been known to grab fish. I'm sorry for your loss

 

[reefrunner69]

Do you here any clicking noises at night? Have you seen any shrimp in the tank that look like praying mantis? With what you describe, my first assumption is either a mantis shrimp, or a very nasty hitchiker crab.

Just to cover all bases...What is your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH, temp, CA and ALK? It is not uncommon for fish to die from one thing and the carcass to be xconsumed by your clean up critters (that's what they are there for, it is also not uncommon to never find any trace of the dead fish.

 

[fishlips12]

I have 4 emeralds in my 55 g along with 2 clowns, three damsels, one goby , cleaner shrimp , hermits and 6 snails. The emeralds are very busily picking food off of the rocks and have never seen them attack any creature. They are actually my favorite critter next to the goby. As said before the fish may have died and the crab was just cleaning up . Does the possibility exist that the fish were jumpers. Do you have an overflow that they may have also jumped in to?

 

[brndfrb]

Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=0
ph=8.3
temperature=80 degrees
salinity=1.023
No the fish were not jumpers. I havent seen any shrimp that look like mantis shrimp. Of course all i have seen is pictures of them. I haev heard two noises at night before about an hour after i turned off the lights. It sounded like something tapping on the glass. But i havent heard it in a while. Please help me. I only have 3 fish left.

 

[reefrunner69]

Well my vote is for predation, not muxch help, but there you have it. It is most likely a mantis shrimp or a nasty crab. If your fish are disappearing at night, that is when you need to go on a stakeout.

 

[brndfrb]

so what do you think i should do. Wait a couple hours after the lights go out and use a flashlight to see what is going on. I did that tonight and say my emerald crab out walking around. Also about how big are mantis shrimp. So they only come out at night? And if that is what it is how do i get rid of them? Is there a way to trap them. This has got to stop. Whatever it is it is destroying my fish and it is upsetting me very much. Thanks for all of your guys help.

Lets hope for the best

 

[lilismom1]

i've seen traps for sale at my lfs especially for mantis shrimp. i'd call around to every store and see who carries it so you don't waste any time. sorry to hear about your fish!

 

[clownin around]

I have heard the same mysterious noise in my tank .. no missing fish yet thank the gods, but, because of the noise i have been doing some reseach. It could be a mantis shrimp or less likely a pistol shrimp or that emerald crab. From what i have been reading a Mantis shrimp makes a sound like something tapping against the glass several times like two or three times in a row and a pistol makes a the same sound but only one at a time. ( this isnt a rule just a typical behavior) A suggestion I liked was to put something meaty that will hold together in a corner of the tank where you can see it and then a few hours after the lights go out take a look in the tank with a flashlight. Mantis shrimps are ruthless predetors great for the ocean but generally bad for our reef tanks. Even taking all your rock out will not bring him outta hiding they are whilly little creatures and are very very smart. Also, there are mantis traps avalible. From what i have read it sounds like it is a strong possibility that this is what you have. I would try to quarentine your emerald and see if that stops the killings. Hope that helps. There are lots of awesome articles on what to so if you do have a Mantis.