3 dead fish......

ryebread

Active Member
I have had the same fish in my reef tank for just over 9 months now. 1 scissortail goby, 1 sleeper goby, 1 percula clown, and 1 banggai cardinal. I came home from work yesterday to find my scissortail with most of its head eaten. Later in the night my sleeper goby, who was just swimming around and eating brine shrimp is stuck to my powerhead with its head destroyed. (not sure if that was from powerhead or something else) This morning I wake up to find my banggai cardinal upside down with some hermits eating it. What the #$%&? I just finished checking my water and everything seems good. I am going out to get another test kit because I am not sure if I can trust the one I have. I want to cry. I have had all of these fish for about the same amount of time. The only thing I have recently added to the tank is some LR about 3 weeks ago. I did a 3am tank check last night and found a white flatworm about 4 inches long and what looked like a small mantis shrimp 1/2". I have to work all day until about 12:00am and I am wondering if I will lose my clown. Any ideas?
 

reef aquaria

New Member
Something hitched a ride on your LR; I would guess the small mantis is munching on your fish. Have you heard any popping noises?
 

almarktool

Member
ryan,
sorry to hear about your fish loss, if it were me i might be inclined to if it is possible take the rocks that u just added 3 weeks ago u prob know which ones they are and i think if u dip them in eith a higher or lower salinty of water usually the shrimp will come running out ( perhaps someone else can post on what salinty to dip the rocks in ) now this obvisouly will only work if the mantis is still hiding up in it's orginal rock
Mark
 

ryebread

Active Member
Is it possible for a small mantis to kill fish? How is it catching them? I have not heard any clicking noises but, I know what I saw last night, even if it was really quick.
 

almarktool

Member
catching them can be a real pain in the butt, see if u can see what rock he is hiding in then take that rock out, broomer made a post this morning he just got his out after over 1 year,
 

sistrmary

Member
I think you have what they call a "spearer" I don't think they make the clicking noise like the smashers do. (or it's possible that I have it reversed lol)
If you can remember what rocks that you recently put in (if you're anything like me, you probably can lol) and take them out and isolate them, pour pure carbonated water (not the flavored kind ;) ) on them and see if it pops out. If it doesn't, it's moved onto your old rock and you can (If it won't tear your tank up too much) try it with the rest of your rock. I've heard that it works really well. Also, if you have a Q tank, I'd get the perc into it ASAP. It seems like you've got a rather mean one. I don't think at that size that it could possibly be that hungry. Although...you may have more than one. That many fish down in a couple of days seems a bit odd...
 

reef fool

Active Member
I had a few inverts die after adding a mushroom rock and it ended up being a mantis shrimp in the mushroom rock! I took out the rock,split it in half w/ a mason chisel and gave the Mantis back to the LFS store! They fed it to a Grouper!! He could definitely be your problem. Find his home and evict him!!!!!
 
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