Oceanic 8g BioCube

[fish911]

Was set up boxing day
I had 2 sea horses however came back from staying over at my parents for 2 nights and they were dead... I don't need ppl to tell me how stupid that was ... i know
it was only a full day that I wasn't hear .. and as we all know it could have been anything that killed them
the water tests are fine ... I had my lfs do a test for me this time ( as i dont have a master test kit .. just a few for the basics)
Currently have:
--9lbs of fiji live rock
--about 1-2" deep sand bed ( live argonite sand from well established 72g)
--1 tiny long spine urchin ( which i saw a seahorse get stung when he tried to grab onto it...days before the death!)
--1 tiny skunk cleaner shrimp
--5 blue leg hermits
--3 astrea snails
--1 flame scallop
--1 emerald crab
Blue ricordia
Yellow stars??
and green-yellow zoos
(dont know specific names... got an awesome deal on the blue ricordia ..esp for canadian prices)
here are some pics (camera not the best..and well the operator)

you can see the zoos in this pic .. there arent many .. but it was cheap

the cleaner shrimp went on to the sea horses sometimes as well ... could that have hurt them
i think im going to get a lil shrimp goby ...or a helfrichi firefish or something
suggestions welcome

 

[nctarheels]

so wait you had the tank for a couple of days before you put in the sea horses? i think that was the mistake right there. and the urchin is not good with them i dont think

 

[fish911]

sorry .. i forgot a very important point ahahha
the water was from my 72 g .. that has been up and running for months and months!!!
ooops

 

[nudilove]

Hermits and especially Mithrax (Emerald Crabs) despite being algae and detritus eaters have been known to be opportunistic feeders, were the seahorses being eaten when you got back? Sorry for your loss!

 

[fish911]

OMG!!!!
there was a blue legged hermit crab eating its stomach .. i just thought it was foraging after the death.... who would have thought!!!!
and the 2nd one .. ive yet to locate the other one .. perhaps it was eaten entirely??
.. i guess ill have to talk my S.O. into another tank just for seahorses ... seahorses and grass ..perhaps a 55g .. when i buy a house!

 

[lbaskball]

how did your sea horses die? In my experience, they are pretty hardy. It must of been something that killed them. How long has your tank been established?

 

[fish911]

i dont know how they died ..that was the question
my tank is new .. but all the water,sand and live rock was from my established 72g ( has been up and running since june or july)
and they were eating and everything ..so its a mystery to me .. maybe it was the emerald crab:S?