Emerald Crabs all dead

[tormented]

I have lots of hermit crabs, snails, flame angel, yellow tang, 2 yellowtail damsels, clown goby, tank-bred clown, and a black brittle star. I can only test for the 4 basics{nitrite/nitrate/ph/amonia}. I have chaeto and the long leaved type of plant. The emeralds seemed to devour the chaeto when alive.
Everything is doing great and growing well, but over the last few weeks the emeralds have slowly died off and disappeared. I must have had about 15 of them at one time.
My tank is a 90g with a 20g fuge.
Now I have no emeralds

Any ideas why?

 

[tormented]

anyone?

 

[promisetbg]

Are you sure they are'nt molts? They will hide for a few days after a molt until their exoskeleton hardens.

 

[whitey_028]

mine only come out at night and the only way i can really get them actively to come out is put some shrimp pellets in. Thay love those things,otherwise youd never know i had about 20 of them i kept buying them in hopes that i would see one during the day,lol didnt happen they ALL hide. kinda sucks cause i like the little guys.

 

[tormented]

Im pretty sure they are gone. I used to always see some and now nothing, just the dead ones I found. Definately dead ones and not molts.
Kinda weird that they die first of all my things.

 

[toonascott]

I wonder if hermits and snails can handle more metals than the emeralds? Maybe you should check for copper?

 

[bot587]

maybe their in your rockwork.... 90 gallons is a lot

 

[04mach]

Any hint of food and mine forget about thier shyness.

 

[stimpy4242]

I had a similar experience, I had about 10 of them and then all of a sudden I noticed all were gone except one which is giant like 2inches in size maybe bigger...they were all out all the time...now nothing...i didn't even find dead ones...i assumed cleaners got to them...

 

[alvin]

Originally Posted by stimpy4242
I had a similar experience, I had about 10 of them and then all of a sudden I noticed all were gone except one which is giant like 2inches in size maybe bigger...they were all out all the time...now nothing...i didn't even find dead ones...i assumed cleaners got to them...

I just got my group of 3. 2 were pretty small, the other one was HUGE. I saw the Huge one tearing up the small one's legs and claws

I didn't expect that one crab to be so much larger than the other 2. But its weird, because they do it algae.

 

[tormented]

Im beginning to wonder if its a critter that has a short life span when in an aquarium.
Anyone know? :notsure: :notsure: :notsure: