MIA: Purple Firefish, Peppermint Shrimp.... - Aquarium Advice

luckycat · 08-10-2004, 10:19 AM

OK so over the past three days two of my creatures have disappeared. My purple firefish and peppermint shrimp. The shrimp has been in the tank for at least 3 months, the firefish for about 1 month. Both seemed quite healthy.

I have crabs that came along with the [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]...have been trying to bait and catch several, and actually just caught one about three weeks ago that I have sitting in my [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="quarantine or quart depending on context"]qt[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]...I thought that one might be aggressive. There are some other larger crabs that now seem to be coming out more often, they are hairy, greyish, with round bodies, and love digging under the [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]... have been unable to catch these.

I also added an arrow crab around the same time I caught that red crab...I did ask a question on this forum on arrow crabs, and BearFan I believe replied and said he had seen arrow crabs eat clownfish. Could the arrow crab have eaten both the firefish (who was hanging around lower in the rocks than my other fish, blue tang and clownfish), and the shrimp? Should I get that arrow crab, and these other crabs (which I'm having a hard time catching) out of there?

austinsdad · 08-10-2004, 10:37 AM

I got rid of an arrowhead crab (you say arrow, but it's the one that looks like a spider, right?) when after 2 days straight, he was eating on a blue legged hermit, and a peppermint shrimp. Now, it may have been a coincidence, and they both had died already - - but I doubted it and got rid of the crab. I'd seen him reaching for shrimp prior to that.

luckycat · 08-10-2004, 12:04 PM

One quick update...I actually just located the shrimp, he is alive and well. Must have been hiding...so perhaps just the purple firefish was eaten..by someone? Yes the arrow crab looks like a spider, with an "arrow like" head.

austinsdad · 08-10-2004, 12:29 PM

hopefully you'll find your firefish. Mine like to hide in holes in rock. The current one, that is. I had one before and he disappeared within a week. I'm sure the crabs and shrimp found him though.

08-10-2004, 10:19 AM	#1
luckycat Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Detroit MI USA Posts: 204 Images: 1	MIA: Purple Firefish, Peppermint Shrimp.... OK so over the past three days two of my creatures have disappeared. My purple firefish and peppermint shrimp. The shrimp has been in the tank for at least 3 months, the firefish for about 1 month. Both seemed quite healthy. I have crabs that came along with the [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]...have been trying to bait and catch several, and actually just caught one about three weeks ago that I have sitting in my [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="quarantine or quart depending on context"]qt[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]...I thought that one might be aggressive. There are some other larger crabs that now seem to be coming out more often, they are hairy, greyish, with round bodies, and love digging under the [acronym:a1beaf6e0c="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:a1beaf6e0c]... have been unable to catch these. I also added an arrow crab around the same time I caught that red crab...I did ask a question on this forum on arrow crabs, and BearFan I believe replied and said he had seen arrow crabs eat clownfish. Could the arrow crab have eaten both the firefish (who was hanging around lower in the rocks than my other fish, blue tang and clownfish), and the shrimp? Should I get that arrow crab, and these other crabs (which I'm having a hard time catching) out of there? __________________ 90g BB, basement sump/fuge; CSS 125; Tang, Clown, misc snails, peppermint shrimp, other smaller critters

08-10-2004, 10:37 AM	#2
austinsdad Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland Posts: 3,942 Images: 12	I got rid of an arrowhead crab (you say arrow, but it's the one that looks like a spider, right?) when after 2 days straight, he was eating on a blue legged hermit, and a peppermint shrimp. Now, it may have been a coincidence, and they both had died already - - but I doubted it and got rid of the crab. I'd seen him reaching for shrimp prior to that. __________________ -Ray- "Life may not be the party we hoped for but while we are here we might as well dance!"

08-10-2004, 12:04 PM	#3
luckycat Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Detroit MI USA Posts: 204 Images: 1	One quick update...I actually just located the shrimp, he is alive and well. Must have been hiding...so perhaps just the purple firefish was eaten..by someone? Yes the arrow crab looks like a spider, with an "arrow like" head. __________________ 90g BB, basement sump/fuge; CSS 125; Tang, Clown, misc snails, peppermint shrimp, other smaller critters

08-10-2004, 12:29 PM	#4
austinsdad Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clinton, Maryland Posts: 3,942 Images: 12	hopefully you'll find your firefish. Mine like to hide in holes in rock. The current one, that is. I had one before and he disappeared within a week. I'm sure the crabs and shrimp found him though. __________________ -Ray- "Life may not be the party we hoped for but while we are here we might as well dance!"

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