fish disappeared

[rngrjt]

can anyone help me figure out what happen to my fish? I had a clown, green mandrin, and a royal gramma. All three vanished in about a 6 hour span. They werent stuck to the filter, they didnt jump and if they ate each other what happen to the last one. I am puzzled? I have more fish current on order and i am worried now that something is going to eat them as well. The tank is a 46 gal tank with nothing but caribbean live rock in it right now. Anyone got any ideas as to what happen to these fish? I would post pics of the tank if it help but i cant figure out how to display the pics on here. thanks in advance.

[melosu58]

Are you sure they are not hiding?

[Squado]

Is it possible that the rock structure fell on them, just a guess but reasonable.

[Sadielynn]

what size tank ? do you have a sump or an fuge that they may have gotten into?
Have you heard any clicking perhaps a mantis ..... Check with lights out you may see something ? Perhaps a bit of tasty food to see if they come out to feed ? Perhaps a smiling cat or kitten . Do check in baskets and very well around the tank , I had a fish jump out and where he landed I could not see him .....

[rngrjt]

the way my sump is set up its impossible for them to get into it however, i did check the tubing and no fish there, as far as the cat idea goes no chance of that no cat and i dont think the jump thing is possibe either because the tank is covered. I have tried feeding them, and no-one comes to eat. So i am lost. and the rock is the same as it was when it was set up months ago. The fish were in the tank as well for about a week before they came up missing as well.

[MT79]

Have you heard any clicking perhaps a mantis .....

Another possiblilty would be a crab that hitchhiked in on the LR. Looking in the tank at night, as Sadielyn mentioned, w/ a small flash light will give you the best chance of spotting a crab. Good luck.

[roka64]

What about that stone crab...Are how big is he?

[rngrjt]

the stone crab is getting bigger... he ate a dog face puffer, porccucine puffer 2 damsels and a imperior angel while i was away for 2 weeks. I came back pissed. Now i have him in his own 10 gal tank. I would post pics but i need someone to tell me how

[Sadielynn]

use a host such as photobucket.com (free) copy paste the img line in message the picture will show up

[Cinder]

I can't help through personal experience but I have friends that had the same thing happen to them. They had more fish and the fish kept disappearing over a couple of weeks time frame. One day they were feeding the remaining fish and all of a sudden this 'thing' popped out of a hidden hole of a rock and grabbed the fish. It was gone and over in seconds! They didn't even know the 'thing' was in the tank, or that anything in the tank was large enough to eat their fish. They took the whole rock to the LFS and the people there were thrilled to get this 'thing' as they'd never seen one in an aquarium before. It came in on my friend's live rock without their knowledge, of course.
I'm sorry I can't tell you what the 'thing' was because I don't remember what they called it. You may want to do a thorough check of your rock - every hidey hole. Could be you have a 'thing'.
I have put in a call to my friends and if they can remember what the name of the little beastie is I'll add that to this later.

[rngrjt]

[Sadielynn]

IMHHO he looks big enough to do damage I would remove him to a sump or a fuge or the LFS JMHHO

[JG]

Do you have any serpent stars? I had one that used to drop down on my firefish during the night.