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[jrein40806]

This is really strange, I hope somebody may have an answer. I have a 75 tank with 80-90 lbs of live rock. I have 4 damsels, 2 blue and 2 black and white striped. I switched over from CC to sand(thanks to advice from this board) The water was really cloudy and I lost track of the fish for about 10 hours while it cleared. I put the lr back in so it wouldn't dry out. The next day when it was fairly clear I saw all 4 fish. I then put the lr back so it looks like a reef. When I checked back about 4 hours later I noticed that 1 blue damsel was missing. I figued that he was stuck somewhere so I moved all the rock but there was no fish. I looked all around the tank,on the ground, and still no fish. Today I went to my lfs and bought another damsel. He acclaimated just fine and was swimming together with the original damsel. This was around 3pm. At 9pm I saw all 4 fish in the tank,but at 9:30 it happened again. 1 blue damsel is MIA. I took the rock out again and there is no damsel! The other night I did see some worms, but from what I read here the worms shouldn't be a problem. Other than that though I have no idea what could be going on. There are no signs of a killing-tail,head,everything is just gone. Has anything like this happened to any body else or does anybody have an idea what is going on here? Thanks!!!

 

[ty_05_f]

thats kinda wierd, You might want to check your rock a little better b/c I never would have found my yellowtail even when i lifted the rock up he stayed in a small little hole in it. So maybe, hopefully, they will show up. Another place to look is behind or around the tank. They might have went carpet surfing.

 

[jrein40806]

I looked all around the tank 2 or 3 times-no sign. When I took the rock out I looked at the pieces carefully-I saw nothing. Could a worm be so large that it could eat a fish whole and the quickly?

 

[jrein40806]

Thanks for the replies. It was a mantis shrimp.One of the lf stores told me if I would bring all my rock in,90 lbs, he would go through it all for me. I took just about all of it in and sure enough, the owner went through every single piece. He found a 2" mantis shrimp in one of the rocks. He tried to get it out without killing it but he couldn't. The head got ripped off, I wasn't too sad for the shrimp though!!

 

[ty_05_f]

glad you found the problem! That sure was nice of the lfs to do it.

 

[jrein40806]

I can't believe this but another fish is MIA. I guess there was more than 1 mantis. I hate to say it but I am quitting. I can still take the equipment and the tank back where I bought them. What a drag.

 

[jrein40806]

The pieces I left in my tank had no holes in them. The lfs owner told me there was a possibility that there may be more.(Shrimp) He really checked well but I guess there was at least one more he didn't find. I just feel really frustrated. I started off with CC and the switched to sand. I bought Hati rock becasue the owner said it wouldn't have mantis shrimp in it. Then the owner that checked my rock said Hatian rock was known for having a mantis problem. Another lfs owner sold me $300 of lighting that he said would work for any corals. Another owner told me the lights wouldn't work. I bought an Emperor 400 and a 330 because the guy at Petsmart said they would be great for my tank and 3 other lfs owners told me to get rid of them. I have been into this for 3 weeks and am just fed up. The shrimp pushed it over. Maybe I will look for a dog. At least dogs are mantis shrimp free.