After the crash- pic and suggestions

[justinl]

Well, after a major wipeout of my tank inhabitants this is what I'm left with. The tank is normally brighter, but I'm not running my 3 vho's, only 2 PC's and a NO in the shot (new bulbs coming on monday- yay!)
I only have 1 cleaner shrimp, 3 hermits, 5 snails, assorted polyps, and 2 clowns left, so I'm looing for suggestions on 1 or 2 small, colorful fish and inverts I might add.
I lost an emerald crab, cleaner and peppermint shrimp, starfish, six-line wrasse, domino damsel, and firefish.
Any suggestions?

 

[piscesblue]

Pygmy Angels are great fish for smaller reefs.

 

[broomer5]

I won't suggest fish - that's too personal a choice.
I would suggest determining "why" you lost the critters you did first - before adding any other creatures.
Do you know why the other fish/inverts died ?
If so - sorry - but this is a very important step not to skip over.

 

[justinl]

All water parameters were in check when things started to die- I know that my emerald crab went nuts and ate the leg off of the starfish, contributing to it's death more than likely, but otherwise, things like the polyps did ok (usually the polyps would be the first to go in my experience if water conditions were to blame). Otherwise I'm not sure, but things are looking up for the tank now.

 

[glinton]

I think what Broomer is trying to ask is this-What is the root of your problem?
If you don't figure it out, you may risk having another crash, even though things look great now.

 

[slothy]

Originally posted by JustinL
- I know that my emerald crab went nuts and ate the leg off of the starfish
are you sure he did (i find that hard to believe a emerald did that) ? The water may have been bad enough to stress the starfish and it lost a leg, in which the emerald picked up ?

 

[justinl]

I justy assumed it was the emerald, since I knew of no other suspects. It didn't look like a clean break. I didn't know starfish legs would just fall off.
The thing is the 2 clowns and cleaner shrimp seem to be getting along fine, so I'm not sure what's going on, unless one of my tests has expired or is faulty- which brings me to another question, do test kits expire?

 

[michaeltx]

yes test kits do expire and the readings will be very off. if you are in doubt take a sample to a LFS and ask them to check it for you.
and as others have said there is a reason that the livestock died and if you dont find the reason you will continue to loose new stock that you put in the tank.I would sart with the water and then work my way down the list.
do think that you might have a preditor in the tank that is the culprit? (that is if its not the water)
Mike