Disappearing Fish

silversides

silversides

Member
I have a 120g tank with live rock and live sand it is two years old and I have a problem with disappearing fish. The tank is sealed and there is no fish on the floor. Here is what I have and had:
Maroon Clown had it 2 years, about 5" missing last week.
Singapore Angelfish had it 6 mo., about 3.5" missing last month.
Achilles Tang had it 2 mo., about 4" missing last week.
Blue Damselfish had 3 for 2 years. about 2.5" 2 missing 4 months.
Three stripe Damselfish had it 2 years, about 1.5" still have it.
Engineer Goby have 2 for 2 years, about 7" still have them
Cleaner Wrasse had it 1.5 years, about 1.5" still have
Brittle Star had 2 years, still have
Bunch of scarlet and blue leg hermit crabs
3 Pepermint shrimp, still have
snails
The live rock and live sand are also 2 year old.
I have found NO SIGNS of the missing fish.
HELP!
 
ty_05_f

ty_05_f

Active Member
well you just said two years since your live rock. Soo...... any one in your house selling em for some extra money?? B/c i don't know what could take so many fish! I really doubt the hermits or shrimp could have gotten them but you never know.
 
swilbs83

swilbs83

Member
Clicking sounds at night - mantis shrimp. There is your culprit. search the board for mantis shrimp posts to find out how to catch them. I'd watch my fish very carefully if I were you, maybe even remove them until the mantis is gone
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
But before we go crazy, what are the water parameters, just to be sure we don't miss something else. :D
 
swilbs83

swilbs83

Member
If it were water problems he would be able to find the remains of such large fish. I highly doubt hermits would make the fish he listed disappear overnight. Also, if water was bad, wouldn't the cleaner wrasse and shrimp be dead? They are more sensitive than the maroon clown
 
sting_ray29

sting_ray29

Member
I don't know about the mantis thing... It just hard to believe a shrimp could eat all the remains of those fish.. I would search your tank well, for pieces.. Then check around the tank.. They could fall out and flip flop to somewhere you can't see them.. Also, check your filter for anything- like pieces of them.. One time my filter cover fell out and one day I realised one of my fish was jammed in the propeller of it..... But the mantis is probably your problem, even though it sounds wierd
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
IMO, I doubt it is a mantis, it would have to be a real big one to completely finish the remains too, at least on the big fish.
But a Mantis is definitely a possible candidate
Also, if it were a mantis, they would probably find damaged snail or crab shells too. Not just fish.
I am with ophiura here, we shoudl also be looking elswhere, this is why I asked about the star. Another posiblity could be an anemone, if he had one, like a carpet.
 
S

sinner's girl

Guest
you've had a brittle for two years and it's only 3inches longs? i've had mine for a year and it's huge.
those are nice size fish but have you checked the fliter?
i'm interested in missing fish, since my male clown is missing.
from what i've read today, there seems to be a few missing fish out there....is there a fishnapper out there??? i can't afford much ransom, but i'd still like my fish back please.
 
swilbs83

swilbs83

Member
Why is it out of the question to have a 5 inch mantis? The clicking at night means something. He might have gotten a young mantis that stayed hidden, grew large, and is now snacking on his fish. Clicking noises + missing fish + no remains = more than likely a mantis. Fish don't just disappear. He has his tank covered and they aren't in his filter(large fish don't usually get sucked into filters). Something is taking them out. I still think it's a mantis
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
Why is it out of the question to have a 5 inch mantis? The clicking at night means something. He might have gotten a young mantis that stayed hidden, grew large, and is now snacking on his fish. Clicking noises + missing fish + no remains = more than likely a mantis. Fish don't just disappear. He has his tank covered and they aren't in his filter(large fish don't usually get sucked into filters). Something is taking them out. I still think it's a mantis
Oh, I'd listen to this person. Definately worth checking! Clicking sounds are pretty telling :( --and they CAN eat big things without leaving a trace. That's a LOT of fish to lose and find no evidence. (That's why I LISTEN to my LR before I buy it..hehe). BTW, I keep one in a 5g tank.
As for breaking your tank...it doesn't happen very often. Lots of mantis keepers have good luck with glass tanks.
Didn't I read a post somewhere that brittle stars can be fish eaters??? Maybe I'm wrong. If not, another culprit.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
the posiblitly of a mantis being that large is good, yes, but the size he would have to be, would also dictate a decent size hole
and there would also have benn traces, like empty snail and crab shells, he would have had to have eaten before now. and their shell would have been broken open.
 
jbfastlane

jbfastlane

Member
I feel your pain Silver - I have a Mantis problem and have been thru the list of remedies. I've used a trap - I've dipped my live rock -- everything but a shotgun!!!!!!!!!!!
I currently have a Tang and that's it. My snails and crabs (over 40) are disappearing slow but sure. I found two more crabs extracted from their shells laying in the sand last night.
Mantis shrimp suck!!!!!!!! Good luck finding him!!!!!!!!!!
 
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