Fish/Shrimp go missing....

[lauriemae]

Hi all! Nice to be back, but sorry to be back because of an aquarium problem.

OK, my 28 gallon tank is now all set up and looking pretty with all the fish/corals transferred from my small 12 gallon tank.

I have these fish:

1 - maroon clown
1 - six line wrasse
1 - yellow watchman goby
1 - bi color blenny

I have one emerald crab
small blue hermit crabs
various snails

Awhile back, I was having issues with aptasia so I put three small peppermint shrimp in the tank. I saw them from time to time for a week and then...poof...gone!

I got a medium cleaner shrimp and it is thriving.

I found a small beautiful pair of golden coral banded shrimp - I saw them for about 2 days and now...they are gone, too. Poof!

I tried to put a dwarf angel in the tank...it disappeared.

Same thing for a yellow jaw goby.

What's happening? I have a killer and I can't figure who! HELP!!! Ohh, FYI - When I set up this tank with new live rock, it came with a LOT of long legged white bristle stars whose legs come out of the rocks at night. Could they be killing everything? From everything I've read, it seems unlikely.

Thanks for your advice & help!

LM

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Brittle stars... naw, they're not killers. Personally, with the fish you've listed for a 28g, I wouldn't be trying to add anything else. (Maroon's are nasty little buggers, even in a big tank.)

Regardless, even if the Maroon was harassing something to death, you'd think you'd find the body. Do you hear any clicking noises in the tank at night? From what you're describing, I'm kind of thinking you might have a Mantis Shrimp that hitchiked in on some rock. The new live rock didn't come from Florida waters by chance, did it? That seems to be where folks end up with Mantis from - not so much with the rock from the Pacific.

 

[redfisher1139]

Just an idea, but have you tried moving the rockwork around to see if anyone is just found a good hiding spot. I can go days without seeing my green clown goby, and my yellow watchman, too.