predator mystery

[RyanG]

In the last two days I have had two fish disappear. Two expensive fish actually but anyway they both spend lights out on or in thr sand. My picasso and jawfish are gone. I think I temember seeing the clown this am when the actinics came on. I don't see any evidence of disease, they aren't in the sump overflow skimmer or on the floor or eurobracing. Could my sandsifting star or fighting conches ate these guys? I can't think of any other way they would vanish. Any ideas?

 

[cthegame]

Sometimes when fish are stressd they hide. Finding them without removing rocks is near impossible. But since two different kind of fish are gone, i would guess they are dead and taken care of by cleaner crew.

 

[bobby]

I don't think there is a chance of a sand sifter or conch doing anything. I bet you got a hidden crab or shrimp.

nocturnal crabs can go unknown for a long time. I had one in my tank for probably atleast 6 months maybe longer before I happened to notice a slight movement one day. Damn thing ended up eating allmy snails and maybe a fish.

I also just found another crab in my tank that has had to been in there for over two years unoticed because I havn't added any new rock. Any way I noticed a couple of my fish died for no reason so I kept an eye out and seen it move. I killed it and haven't lost another fish since.

 

[RyanG]

I guess what I'm getting at us what wouldve caused the deaths? My tests are all good nothing readable on nitrogen tests all three no voltage no disease no odd activity no jumping no rock slides nothing. These are my first losses other than snails. I want tolearn or fix the cause but I can find a reason to lose two fish in two days

 

[RyanG]

Hmmi did just bring one rock from the sump to the dt recently

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

how old is your tank? thinking crab or mantis shrimp.

 

[RyanG]

Been up since August

 

[cthegame]

observe the tank at night with a flash light. See if you find any hitchhikers that could be to blame.

 

[RyanG]

If you all remember last summer I found that mithrax crab in my stock tank. I found what I thought to be his dead carcass when I moved everything into the 180. I'm wondering if it wasn't a molt now. Its actually the rock it was living in that I just put in the display. Ugh $180 in fish to that rat bastard! I'm not a happy boy

 

[Altohombre]

so just one of the two picassos?

 

[JAG107]

You know for certain the fish are gone? More than one occasion, I have thought a fish or two of mine were dead, only to mysteriously reappear days later.

 

[cthegame]

You know for certain the fish are gone? More than one occasion, I have thought a fish or two of mine were dead, only to mysteriously reappear days later.

Same here. When they dont want to be found, you wont find them unless you remove rocks.

 

[bobby]

A xanthid crab is what was in my tank and they can remain hidden very well. Yes, when they molt the only way to tell is by breaking the shell open to see if there are any innards in it.

 

[sen5241b]

Cleanup crews can really dispense with a dead or weak fish fast. Let us know what happens.