1st step is admitting you need help, right?

Radioheed · 03/09/2014, 07:39 AM

Hello all,

Not exactly a newb here but my knowledge pales in comparison to most here. Please help!

History of my tank:
My sig is updated. Started my tank in July, had a mini cycle from LR, so I waited until Sept and added two fish which started a full cycle and thus killed them. Waited for cycle to finish, tweaked things like lights and circulation in mean time. Once nitrates started to build my skimmer kicked into gear, testing on API (bought Red Sea yesterday) I never passed 5ppm nitrates.

At this time I had aiptasia and hair algae pop up, so I bought a CUC: 3 peppermint shrimp, 3 turbo snails, and last min LFS suggestion 2 olive snails (JUST SAY NO!). Also I have a bunch of brittle stars and about 7-10 bristle worms (each about 3"). I've done my homework, and they're not fireworms. Shrimp are aiptasia immediately, battle with GHA continues.

It is at this point in our story that along comes a spider...first my turbo snails disappeared, then one of my peppermint shrimp vanished. But my params looked fine and a fish can't disappear right? so last weekend I added a royal gramma and some red legs since my snails were gone. First two days he was out and about, not eating a lot but some. Then he became more reclusive and I have not seen him since Thursday. I rearranged my rocks completely last night and never saw him so either he is the hide and seek champ of 2014 or he's gone. Didn't jump, I sifted through some sand, moved every rock, and still can't find him. I did however find my turbo snails shells so I blamed the oilive snails and they were prompt evicted.

Questions:
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FISH!?!? And do I need to continue to look for him? I can't believe any of my inhabitants could catch, kill, and devour a decent sized RG. I read SK8R's definitive thread on bristles so it can't be them, the olives are carnivores but come on its a snail!

Pretty frustrating and sad to lose 3 fish in 6 months...part of me wants to quit. Then I think of the time/$ and want to continue but idk how. What is my next step? add a sump to help keep params better? Catch bristles?

Params:
PH - 8.2 (hanna pen)
SG - 1.026 (refract)
Am/nitrite - 0
While I wait for your help I'll test nitrate, phos, Ca, KH, Mg

Sorry for rambling but wanted to give all info I can up front.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

-Jonathan

GT350pwns · 03/09/2014, 10:27 AM

May have a mantis or a pistol shrimp that hitchhiked with your rock. Do you hear any popping/cracking sounds every once in awhile?

salajander · 03/09/2014, 10:42 AM

A few years back some coworkers had a 36g tank in the office. Was running great until a hitchhiking mantis started murdering everything. Took weeks to catch it.

Radioheed · 03/09/2014, 11:01 AM

Thanks for the replies! My last attempt at SW tank I had a mantis from aquacultured LR, spent months chasing that thing! So this time I bought real reef rock which allegedly did not have hitchhikers, however most LFS don't seem to understand how to not introduce hitchhikers, haha I'm hijacking my own thread, topic for another time.

Short answer no clicking, empty snail shells are intact, other shrimp are alive, and never seen one.

Jone · 03/09/2014, 12:39 PM

Did they jump Out ?? or Bobbit worm???? just throwing ideas out there..

GT350pwns · 03/09/2014, 12:50 PM

Bobbit worm is another possbility. nasty things.

Radioheed · 03/09/2014, 01:46 PM

Yes please throw out ideas! Cause I got nothin!

The worms I've seen don't have any sort of tentacle on the head like Euclid or bobbit have. But I'll keep my eye open for something like that thanks! Hadn't ever heard of the bobbit, wow that thing looks gross! Thanks for the nightmares :0)

Sk8r · 03/09/2014, 02:22 PM

Get up at midnight with a flashlight and check for what's prowling.
Get a half-liter wine carafe, bait it with a piece of raw shrimp, and set it slightly tilted from horizontal, with mouth resting on rock. This lets things crawl in, but if your tilt is right, they can't quite crawl out. Leave that in during a night and see what you have. Probably a few bristleworms, which you can release unharmed. Maybe your bandit.

Radioheed · 03/09/2014, 03:03 PM

THANKS! I was worried to set a trap because I didn't want everything to go inside and create thunderdome. Will my brittle stars hermits and shrimp be ok together?

03/09/2014, 07:39 AM	#1
Radioheed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 275	1st step is admitting you need help, right? Hello all, Not exactly a newb here but my knowledge pales in comparison to most here. Please help! History of my tank: My sig is updated. Started my tank in July, had a mini cycle from LR, so I waited until Sept and added two fish which started a full cycle and thus killed them. Waited for cycle to finish, tweaked things like lights and circulation in mean time. Once nitrates started to build my skimmer kicked into gear, testing on API (bought Red Sea yesterday) I never passed 5ppm nitrates. At this time I had aiptasia and hair algae pop up, so I bought a CUC: 3 peppermint shrimp, 3 turbo snails, and last min LFS suggestion 2 olive snails (JUST SAY NO!). Also I have a bunch of brittle stars and about 7-10 bristle worms (each about 3"). I've done my homework, and they're not fireworms. Shrimp are aiptasia immediately, battle with GHA continues. It is at this point in our story that along comes a spider...first my turbo snails disappeared, then one of my peppermint shrimp vanished. But my params looked fine and a fish can't disappear right? so last weekend I added a royal gramma and some red legs since my snails were gone. First two days he was out and about, not eating a lot but some. Then he became more reclusive and I have not seen him since Thursday. I rearranged my rocks completely last night and never saw him so either he is the hide and seek champ of 2014 or he's gone. Didn't jump, I sifted through some sand, moved every rock, and still can't find him. I did however find my turbo snails shells so I blamed the oilive snails and they were prompt evicted. Questions: WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FISH!?!? And do I need to continue to look for him? I can't believe any of my inhabitants could catch, kill, and devour a decent sized RG. I read SK8R's definitive thread on bristles so it can't be them, the olives are carnivores but come on its a snail! Pretty frustrating and sad to lose 3 fish in 6 months...part of me wants to quit. Then I think of the time/$ and want to continue but idk how. What is my next step? add a sump to help keep params better? Catch bristles? Params: PH - 8.2 (hanna pen) SG - 1.026 (refract) Am/nitrite - 0 While I wait for your help I'll test nitrate, phos, Ca, KH, Mg Sorry for rambling but wanted to give all info I can up front. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! -Jonathan __________________ 26g AGA Bow, Current Orbit LED, Tunze 9002, Tunze Nano Osmolator, 200gph HOB, Koralia 425, MJ400, 25 lbs Real Reef LR, 10 lbs base.

03/09/2014, 11:01 AM	#4
Radioheed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 275	Thanks for the replies! My last attempt at SW tank I had a mantis from aquacultured LR, spent months chasing that thing! So this time I bought real reef rock which allegedly did not have hitchhikers, however most LFS don't seem to understand how to not introduce hitchhikers, haha I'm hijacking my own thread, topic for another time. Short answer no clicking, empty snail shells are intact, other shrimp are alive, and never seen one. __________________ 26g AGA Bow, Current Orbit LED, Tunze 9002, Tunze Nano Osmolator, 200gph HOB, Koralia 425, MJ400, 25 lbs Real Reef LR, 10 lbs base.

03/09/2014, 01:46 PM	#7
Radioheed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 275	Yes please throw out ideas! Cause I got nothin! The worms I've seen don't have any sort of tentacle on the head like Euclid or bobbit have. But I'll keep my eye open for something like that thanks! Hadn't ever heard of the bobbit, wow that thing looks gross! Thanks for the nightmares :0) __________________ 26g AGA Bow, Current Orbit LED, Tunze 9002, Tunze Nano Osmolator, 200gph HOB, Koralia 425, MJ400, 25 lbs Real Reef LR, 10 lbs base.

03/09/2014, 02:22 PM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Get up at midnight with a flashlight and check for what's prowling. Get a half-liter wine carafe, bait it with a piece of raw shrimp, and set it slightly tilted from horizontal, with mouth resting on rock. This lets things crawl in, but if your tilt is right, they can't quite crawl out. Leave that in during a night and see what you have. Probably a few bristleworms, which you can release unharmed. Maybe your bandit. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/09/2014, 03:03 PM	#9
Radioheed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 275	THANKS! I was worried to set a trap because I didn't want everything to go inside and create thunderdome. Will my brittle stars hermits and shrimp be ok together? __________________ 26g AGA Bow, Current Orbit LED, Tunze 9002, Tunze Nano Osmolator, 200gph HOB, Koralia 425, MJ400, 25 lbs Real Reef LR, 10 lbs base.

03/09/2014, 10:27 AM	#2
GT350pwns Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 600	May have a mantis or a pistol shrimp that hitchhiked with your rock. Do you hear any popping/cracking sounds every once in awhile?

03/09/2014, 10:42 AM	#3
salajander Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 343	A few years back some coworkers had a 36g tank in the office. Was running great until a hitchhiking mantis started murdering everything. Took weeks to catch it.

03/09/2014, 12:39 PM	#5
Jone Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 517	Did they jump Out ?? or Bobbit worm???? just throwing ideas out there..

03/09/2014, 12:50 PM	#6
GT350pwns Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 600	Bobbit worm is another possbility. nasty things.