RIP Ace

[KelliZackMOM]

Here we go again! Woke up this morning and the crabs were eating Ace. Before I turned the lights out last night he was doing his normal thing swimming in and out of caves. I'm puzzled now and open to any suggestions as to what may have went wrong. I have a million possibilities going through my mind. Ginger the firefish is back to being the lone fish again now. Seems to be acting like normal self, but then the others were too and then just like that they became crab food. I'm almost afraid to turn the lights out tonight.
Ace's remains(what's left, the little buggers must of finally got full) are still in tank. I couldn't get to it this morning where he was at and was hoping when I got home the crabs would have dragged him out to somewhere I could like they did poor Benny. No, those little Aholes drug him into Ginger's cave.
Water parameters today:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20( If that's right because I think my test is whacked)
PH 8.2
SG 1.025
Temp 80.3
Calcium 380(This is one thing that has really changed past week. 420 then dived to 340 and is now climbing back up)
Phosphate 0.25( maybe 0, depends on lighting)

 

[Smitty]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[liquidattitude]

so sorry for your loss. What kind of crabs?

 

[KelliZackMOM]

so sorry for your loss. What kind of crabs?

Just hermits and one emerald

 

[little_fish]

How big is the emerald crab you have? If they are large and aggressive they can and will catch fish.

 

[KelliZackMOM]

This is how big. I think he's pretty big, but I haven't seen many other so not sure wat to compare to. He was way bigger than all the others the LFS had though when I got him.

 

[little_fish]

Ya, i would probably pull him out and trade him out for a much smaller one.

 

[KelliZackMOM]

How big is the emerald crab you have? If they are large and aggressive they can and will catch fish.

See that's what I thought when I seen him eating Benny the other day, he was an accused murderer. 2 fish in 2 days though? I just figured now that maybe I did something wrong and they just died and crabs were cleaning up. Would an Emerald really go after an Angel?

 

[FishyReef]

Did you get all 3 fish from the same store or notice any sorts of spots or anything on them suggestive of disease? How did you acclimate them? I guess I'd pull the crab too just to be on the safe side...

And I am very sorry about Ace and Benny - how sad :( Especially since you had such a tough run with this tank to start with and now are doing things right. Hang in there!

 

[little_fish]

Crabs are opportunitistic (sp?) predators, so they get the chance they will go for it because they dont know when they will get such a nice meal again.

Hang in there!

 

[KelliZackMOM]

Benny and Ace came from two different stores. Ginger came from same store as Benny, but is okay. I saw no evidence of any disease and everyone was drip acclimated. The emerald crab is going back before I add anymore fish so if anyone is close to me and wants him he is free to good home.