missing fish!!!

[kissingtoads]

3 weeks ago I bought 3 bengaii cardinals and put them in a QT for 14 days where they thrived. I then transferred them to my 55 gallon reef tank, and after the first day I noticed one was dying (and then it did) the next day I had 2. After feeding all the fish, the 2 cardinals ate well, another cardinal was missing. I took apart the rocks certain that my purple lobster had a snack, and he was not the culprit. The 3rd day much to my horror, the 3rd cardinal died. I can't think of anything other than my atlantic anenome that could have hurt them. Does anyone have any ideas??? All water perameters are normal and were tested daily.

 

[beth]

What acclimation procedures did you use? How did the bodies look when you removed them? Were they chewed up?

 

[kissingtoads]

They weren't chewed up. I never did find the one missing fish. I suspect that something ate it.
I acclimated the usual way which was to add 1/4 cup of h2o until the amount of water in the container doubled, then I poured out 1/2 and did the process again.
My parameters were the same in the QT as my 55 gallon. I do have to question the validity of using a QT for new fish. What is to prevent them from aquiring diseases when they arrive in the new tank.