Firefish blocking holes in Rock with shells? (update!)

[RocketSeason]

My purple firefish was trying to hide behind a rock today....I was trying to figure out why she just wouldnt go into her cave and I found two of the entrances completely blocked by shells. This must have happened only recently.

Did she do this? would a pistol shrimp have done it? (I do not know if I have one large enough to move shells.) should I remove the shells from the openings to give her a way in? (I do not know if there is a possible 3rd entrance.)

 

[grimlock3000]

I have three empty Hermit shells in my tank and they all found their way into one spot, I never figured that one out and I have no Pistol Shrimps

 

[BillyZ]

have any star fish? I have a brittle star who moves around a little bit from under one rock to another and I occasionaly catch him waving his arms around moving stuff on the bottom of the tank. Could be possible

 

[austinsdad]

I've had hermits crawl into holes and stay for what seemed like weeks. I've pulled them out, when possible, and they were still alive.

I think it might have took them some time to figure out which way to turn in order to get out.

 

[RocketSeason]

Nevermind guys. I found the culprit. a HUGE hitchiker crab. I caught him carrying a shell to the hole. I guess he got sick of sharing his rock with a firefish and decided to try and block her out for good. he did a great job too because those shells were packed in tight!

after about an hour of battle I was finally able to fish him out with a wire hanger and that was the end of that.

 

[aquafreak]

cool. how hard are the hitchhiker crabs to maintain?

 

[RocketSeason]

I don't really want to maintain the bad guys. This last one was one of those.

But they take care of themselves no problem. I ended up disposing of the crab I fished out last night because he is big enough to do major damage to my fish if he wanted to.

there are some crabs that won't bother fish at all though, so don't assume that they are all bad.

I have to go remove more shells from that hole tonight. My firefish tried to go back in last night and only got about halfway in. I guess there were more in there than I though. She ended up spending the night "outside" again.

Poor fish