Disappearing Fish

[fishrfun]

I started a new tank about 3 months ago. I started small with two chromis and two yellow tailed blue damsels (each fish about an inch). The water was great, they were doing fine and in perfect health so I added 4 hermit crabs (smallish about the size of my thumb). Eveything still fine, so I waited two weeks and added a yellow tang about 2 1/2". Then the mystery started.
Last week my two yellow tailed damsel fish just disappeared in two days. No bones, no dead fish or pieces of dead fishes...just gone! Yesteday morning, one of my chromis also disappeared again without so much as a trace. No place to hide in this 50 gal aquarium either.
This is literally happening overnight. Whats happening here? Will tangs eat other small fish? I thought that they were good community fish.
It seems totally bizarre to me since there are no traces of three perfectly healthy fish. One chromi is left and is probably terrified. I have noticed that the tang seems to follow this fish around the tank. Is my chromi being stalked??

 

[flydan]

Hey,
The tang isn't eating your fish. The fact they disappeared so quickly is a mystery. I don't believe your hermits could eat that much sushi that quickly.
BTW, the tang police are going to have something to say about a tang and a 50gal tank.
Dan'l

 

[cprdnick]

Originally posted by FlyDan
BTW, the tang police are going to have something to say about a tang and a 50gal tank.

Easy Killer:yes:
Do you have any rock or just substrate? Tangs are pretty much vegetarians. Either way they don't have a big enough mouth to eat other fish.
What do you have for filtration? What other equipment are you running in your tank?

 

[fishrfun]

I have undergravel filter with two risers and two powerheads - water flow is drawn down through gravel. I also have an Emperor 280 over the top. The aquarium is fitted with about 30 lbs rock with holes big enough and probably deep enough for fish to get lost in. My son thought that maybe the fish went into the holes and did not come out - sort of like a roach motel for fish! I did not think that this seemed like a likely scenario though.

 

[razoreqx]

Originally posted by fishrfun
I have undergravel filter with two risers and two powerheads - water flow is drawn down through gravel. I also have an Emperor 280 over the top. The aquarium is fitted with about 30 lbs rock with holes big enough and probably deep enough for fish to get lost in. My son thought that maybe the fish went into the holes and did not come out - sort of like a roach motel for fish! I did not think that this seemed like a likely scenario though.
My guess is these fish got under the gravel filter...

 

[flydan]

Hey,
If there are that many dead fish in a tank wouldn't it smell pretty bad? I had one Coral Beauty die a few years back and I didn't find it for a couple days. The stink was aweful.
Just wondering...
Dan'l

 

[fishrfun]

Lost my last chromi last night. It disappeared just like the others without a trace. Ok, I think I know what is happening.
They were eaten by the hermit crabs. It is the only explanation!
I did some research and discovered that the hermits do have the ability to turn into predators. They attack the fish at night while they are at rest and totally devour them. Hermits Crabs are EVIL, they are going to find a new home tomorrow. I would not have believed it had I not done this research. Live and learn.....

 

[flydan]

Hey,
I still think it would be hard for 4 hermits to eat so many fish. Possible I suppose if they are really big.
There are some people in this hobby that like to keep their DT's "claw free". (If it has claws it doesn't go in the tank.) I think the size of the critter is the key. Small crabs/hermits are generally safe. Some people also have no problems with peppermint shrimp in their reef and then someone will get one that has a taste for polyps.
Good luck,
Dan'l