My fish are disappearing

[miracles38]

I have had 2 fish disappear in the last few weeks. Normally, I would think that they just died, but these have been very healthy fish that I have had for 2 years. It has been one male ocellaris clown and yesterday I noticed that my breeding female Bangaii is gone. Also, 2 chromis disappeared about 2 months ago. There have been no live rock additions in many, many months.

The only thing I can think of is a crab. I have not seen any, but of course that means nothing. Last night I put a tall glass leaning against a rock and put some shrimp in it. The nassarius snails loved it, but no crab this morning.

Does anyone have any ideas about this? I have a crazy schedule for the next week and can't stay up watching the tank.

Any help would be so very appreciated!

Thanks.

[katpurdy]

gremlins! I had them too...2 chromis, a coral beauty, and an ANEMONE!!

[Silverfin]

I can also think of worms and Aiptasia anemone's that can harm your fish. I had two worms before, one was eating my polyps in my nano and one was just swimming around at night in my big tank, before it was taken out and put into the garbage. When you have time, you should probably take a good look at your tank at night and in the day.....
BTW-- do you have any anemones? If so, what kind?

[Silverfin]

I can also think of worms and hidden Aiptasia anemone's that can harm your fish. I've had two worms before, one was eating my polyps in my nano and one was just swimming around at night in my big tank (before it was taken out and put into the garbage). When you have time though, you should probably take a good look at your tank at night (about 9-10 pm) and spot for anything out of the usual with the use of a flash-light that has removable, colored caps (if you don't have moonlights).......That might help you to see whats harming your fish....

[Silverfin]

I can also think of worms and hidden Aiptasia anemone's that can harm your fish. I've had two worms before, one was eating my polyps in my nano and one was just swimming around at night in my big tank (before it was taken out and put into the garbage). When you have time though, you should probably take a good look at your tank at night (about 9-10 pm) and spot for anything out of the usual with the use of a flash-light that has removable, colored caps.......That might help you to see whats harming your fish....

[Silverfin]

whooopps...

sorry for all the posts! my computer was a little slow to post my reply so please try to ignore the last two posts.....

[shred5]

A mantis that has been in there long enough and has grown up big enough now? Carpet anemones are known to do this. A friend of mine never knew what was eating hisa fish till wnet over there and saw his large carpet.

Could they have jumped or got into the over flow or plumbing?


Dave

[miracles38]

I checked the overflow/sump/refugium at lunch. I didn't find my missing fish, but I did find a baby bangaii that must have been living in my fuge (full of chaeto) and had gotten into the return area. That was a nice suprise during all this.

I do have a RBTA that has gotten pretty large (10" or so). I don't know if that would do it or not. The ocellaris never went into it, only the saddlebacks and they guard it. What is weird is that bangaii are nocturnal so you would think they would be safer from a night predator than say my chromis (9 left) or anthias or neon goby, clown goby and others that hide in the rocks.

I will check for worms. I haven't seen any huge ones and if there was one how would I catch it? The pep shrimp take care of the aptasia.

I'm betting mantis or hairy old crab. I have two pistol shrimp, so when I hear snapping I always assume it is them.

[gsxrchck]

hmmm i am not sure what it could be although it could e anything being that they are not huge fish it could be a number of things. i once had lost my pinnatus batfish to my rock flower anemone.... strange and i have had a very sneaky gorilla crab eat all my gobies but never really saw him until of course i figured it out and i would watch him chew on them.. could it being somthign with your water went wrong and they just died and are hidden behind rocks? and yes carpet anemones are none to eat fish as well as elephant ear mushrooms... however i have both and mine dont SO FAR!!! good luck i know its frustrating. oh and i also had a mantis but he hurt NOTHING!

[miracles38]

They were in my 240 reef and the water has been fine. Lots of other fish in there. When I have had fish die before I have found their bodies as I am always looking in the tank when I am home. These fish just disappeared real quick.

[hilde123]

Do you hear clicking noise at night, if so you got a mantis,. Search for mantis trap. Good luck

[Pea-brain]

Originally posted by hilde123
Do you hear clicking noise at night, if so you got a mantis,. Search for mantis trap. Good luck

Grrrr....NO! Never assume a clicking sound is a mantis. A pistol shrimp (which he has two of) are just as common as mantises. If it is a mantis you will notice broken shell piles from your CUC. BTW don't waste money on a mantis trap. I hear they almost never work.Seahorse.org has very nice diagram of a bottle trap in their library

[Silverfin]

For corals, I just basically disected it until i pulled the worm out. I would lure it with bait in a trap. look at your LFS for bait.

[miracles38]

Well. After I got home from the meeting tonight I decided to take a look around my tank with the flashlight. As I am going around I spot a big ol' crab on one of the top rocks!! I tried to grab it, but it got down in a crack. So, I grabbed the rock out of the tank put it in a bucket and proceed to poke around with my long tweezers. Saw the little sucker hiding down in the hole, after after pulling off the claws and a couple of legs I finally got it!

The body is about 1" across. I am hoping and praying that this is the only one in my tank and the one that has eaten about 5 of my fish and numerous snails! I have one corner of my tank that must have 20 or more snail shells in it and none of the other corners have any shells. A bit of a clue that something was eating them . . . .anyway, here it is. Any id? Anyone want it? It is staying in the little cup tonight and then tomorrow, maybe to the triggers or red coris wrasse? But, I hate to put it in any tank thinking it might live on . . . I think I will have nightmares about it tonight.

[uscharalph]

Originally posted by miracles38
But, I hate to put it in any tank thinking it might live on . . . I think I will have nightmares about it tonight.

Can he really do much harm without claws?

[supervdl]

Keep on looking - this guy looks small to eat your fish... how large is it?

[1F2FRFBF]

Will a crab that size grab larger fish? I mean, an ocellaris, a cardinal and a couple of chromis aren't exactly small things.

But I do hope this was what you were looking for, and peace can reign on the reef.

[Dubbin1]

Do you happen to have a top on the tank? If not take a look on the floor behind it.

[reefworm]

Xaire,
Polychaete worms are almost without exception harmless. They're helpful detrivores. Worms caught "attacking" polyps are cleaning out dead or dying tissue - they detect it long before we do, and worms on fish are taking care of the dead tissue after something else did them in. Don't take the worms out of your tank as they're doing you a service. Check these articles out:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/index.php
http://www.augsburgcollege.net/home/...sswimming.html
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquariu...97/0897_5.html
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquariu...96/1096_3.html
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~toonen/files...lewormFAQ.html

[Archmagev]

How exactly would a crab that small be able to grab a full sized cardinal or clown?
There is something else in the tank

[nosferatu51]

[i] I have one corner of my tank that must have 20 or more snail shells in it and none of the other corners have any shells. A bit of a clue that something was eating them . . .

That is tell-tale mantis. Clicking is sort of a hint, but a pile of shells around one opening? Time to go hunting

[miracles38]

I also recently found a snail eating snail in that area. So far, no more fish have disappeared (knock on wood).