Potential Crash Advice

[Zanotti]

30 gal cube Tank has been up for about 4 months, no problems. Parameters good, lots of crabs and stuff, but only two little fish ( firefish and goby).

I had added some Calcareous alge several weeks ago to feed some of the crabs and snails. It was doing fairly well, although got snacked upon occaisionally. Yesterday, it started turning white. By mid day it was all white. Today, white and brown and the entire tank is very cloudy and the zoos are all closed up.

I am in the process of a water change, got to wait to get it up to temp. And I put the protein skimmer on high.

What happened and what now? I took out the macro alge and threw it away. I had also put in some small nori that was pretty much eaten. Other than that, nothing new. No new foods, no new quantities of food, no change in cycle.

Ideas?

Z

[lando]

The water change is your first defense. How were your parameters before this incident, how about now? Try running some chemi-pure or reef carbon to clear the water. Another water change in a couple of days may be in order.

[Zanotti]

Here's an update:

I did a 30% water change and added carbon pads inside the remora skimmer. I also bought a filter attachement that goes on my Aquaclear 400 powerhead.

Overnight, the water is clear again, however I lost my Firefish and one peppermint shrimp. The yellow goby is fine.

I found both the fish and shrimp in the claws of the same red mithrax crab. My guess is that he was simply helping himself to an opportunistic snack, but when I found both they were still brightly colored, like they were caught rather than dead then snacked upon.

I seem to have the mother load of crabs, about 6 red mithrax and two emerald crabs in a 30 is high, but they came on the rock. Two mantis as well, but they havent bothered anything - I think they are smashers rather than spearers.

OK, Ideas. Lose the crabs? Just replace the fish and forget it? Give up the hobby? get top water fish to stay away from the crabs? Heartier shrimp (what kinds are toughest?)

[lando]

parameters?