Where have all the small things gone?

[EDJFA]

My tank is about 8 months old. I started with one piece of LR and it seeded the rest. I had tons of tiny brittle stars, those white stars, feather dusters, pods, and those worms that are stringy looking things that suck back into the rocks as soon as you turn the lights on. Oh yeah, and those worms that build those tubes out of sand. You know, all the fun little stuff that you stare at for months while waiting for your tank to mature.

Anyway, now they're gone. Well, not completely gone, but definitely not as robust a population as there was before. Used to be on every rock there was a little bit of life. Now, not so much.

Here's my stocking list:
3 blue chromis
2 Ocellaris Clowns
Small Foxface
Yellow Watchman Goby (with his Tiger Pistol)
Coral Beauty
Emerald Crab

The only other thing I've got in the tank is a Xenia. And an aiptasia that was hiding in the rock with the Xenia.

The Coral Beauty is the most recent addition. If he's the culprit, he's got a huge appetite.

I really liked the little small stuff on my rocks.

[brandon429]

these benthic communities will thrive better if you will feed the tank the right feeds, kinds that stay in suspension well and are high protein and are the right size

google 'reefcleaners filter feeder formula' and there are fifty others.

direct predation on them isn't as likely as simple thinning/starvation but I will say this, the potential remains in the rocks. once they get a nutrient source to exploit all of them will come back from individuals that are inside the rock still living on whatever nutrients they can find. slow downgrade and slow upgrade but your nutrient consistency will determine population steady state. Im sure some of those fish you listed take a taste every once in a while but none of them strike me with the ability to wipe a reef tank clean.

what exactly do you feed the tank?

feel free to order sandbed seeding kits. google garf grunge, ipsf.com refugium starters, then feed the tank well after addition of another round of goodies. you can either buy a mix to reseed the tank or bring it about with good feeding and much time.

[sandwi54]

It could be the coral beauty, but i doubt it as dwarf angels are typically not known to eat the little micro-lives.

Those little things could've just died since food supply is limited, so the population of "little things" would diminish over time and stabilize as the tank is on its way to maturity.

[uncleof6]

I would be willing to bet that your Emerald Crab has a full tummy--now. They are not herbivores. All crabs are omnivores, meaning they eat everything whether it be plants or critters.

Someone, somewhere, saw an Emerald eating bubble algae and said they eat bubble algae, and so the legend began. However, as with all crabs (even hermits,) if they can catch it, they will eat it.

[Reefmedic79]

WHen are you looking for these critters, try looking at night after the lights have been off for a couple hours. Use a flashlight with a red lens and turn off all the room lights as well. The critters will be there if there are no adverse conditions in your tank.

Take into consideration that alot of these critters will adapt to stay more hidden when you start adding more potential predators (Macro-organisms).

[EDJFA]

The emerald was the second thing I added to the tank, right after the little Nemos. I never see him touch anything other than the nori he eats out of my hands.

As to looking at night, that's what has made me wonder where they went. I have my lights set to come on at 9 am, about 1/2 hour after I get to the office. Normally it looks like a ball of string threw up in my tank from all of the stuff out lookng for food.

I'll look for filter feeder food. That's a great idea. What about the starfish? Any help with getting those back?

[Reefmedic79]

30 minutes is long enough for your fish to wake up and clean up and mess that the filter feeder left behind the night before. It's like flipping on a light in room full of rats.