PLEASE HELP - Fish gone in 5 days................

trotsky123

trotsky123

Member
hi, please help me out
I had my aquarium done with happy fish living there until last friday i bought a Red Legged Hermit Crab - about 1.5 in shell.
I had all about 1.5-2in living in 35 gallon hex fish only tank:
juvi dragon wrasse
hippo tang
royal gramma
tomato clown
some small crabs and snails
after i added the crab, both of my Turbo Snails were dead
day after i saw the crab munchin on my wrasse
2 days ago i say hippo tang attackin the crab with his tail and crab grabbing him with his claws
yesterday the tang was moving on his side (dead today) and i was completely missing my gramma
only clown is there now.
Water parameters ARE fine - did measure with test tube kit - slight elevation of nitrates (last one on the list) - but i assume that it's fine given all the dead bodies.
DID THIS CRAB KILL ALL MY FISH?
ALSO, since I will have to restart the tank again - please advise if I should get rid of my Tomato Clown - he got fat at about 2 inches and very aggressive
THANK YOU
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Crab could have killed the snails. Pretty rare I would think if this is a Red legged reef hermit though. Is it the one with the yellow eye stalks like this? If so IME rare they would kill the snails but anything can and does happen.
Crab did not grab a healthy fish and kill them IMO. Your most likely suspect here is the "Tomato Clown - he got fat at about 2 inches and very aggressive".
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Henry, I have no clue, BUT there was a picture box, and when I deleted it....the post showed up
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I agree with Spanko. What on Earth were you doing with some of these fish in a 35G Hex anyways? This definitely added to the aggression.
Tests were "fine" and tested with test tubes, don't help much. What brand is the kit? What are the readings?
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
After seeing the pic, then nope not the crab. I was thinking one of those big red hairy hermits. lol
I also agree, those fish in a 37 gal equals fighting
 
trotsky123

trotsky123

Member
I am aware of the limitations. However, as I was informed on the forums in THIS site I could have them as long as they are juvis.
I was going to get rid of them as soon as they get bigger.
I do NOT have space for 200 gallon tanks as most people here - I just DO NOT.
The only issue I have is with tomato clown - he was just given to me for free when I started a tank. I know that they are the most aggressive clowns.
However, if you suggest - I WILL get rid of him and get a less aggressive nemo.
Crab is going today too as I searched through issues on sites and do not see a solution!
 
S

smartorl

Guest
I'm not sure where you were told that these fish as juvi's would be ok but moving forward that advice was not sound.
A tang is an open water swimmer, even for a juvi a hex tank doesn't allow them adequate room to swim and causes them stress.
I used to own a hex tank that I used for seahorses. A 35 hex tank would most likely need to be stocked less than a 35 standard because of the configuration. A standard has more sandbed space, more room for the inhabitants to establish territories. A hex kind of glumps them together for lack of a better word and if you are not careful in your stocking can be a aggression nightmare.
This isn't to say it can't be done but it would be more of a case of choosing what would "work" rather than what you 'want".
While it is true that juvi's can be housed in a small environment than would be ideal for them, that isn't to say that you can put several of these juvi's together without consideration of the footprint of your tank and their temperment and not end with huge problems.
I feel your pain about wanting fish that you really can't accomodate. I spent a year in MA, with a little nano only, longing to get back home and to my tanks.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///forum/thread/386114/please-help-fish-gone-in-5-days#post_3389506
I'm not sure where you were told that these fish as juvi's would be ok but moving forward that advice was not sound.
A tang is an open water swimmer, even for a juvi a hex tank doesn't allow them adequate room to swim and causes them stress.
I used to own a hex tank that I used for seahorses. A 35 hex tank would most likely need to be stocked less than a 35 standard because of the configuration. A standard has more sandbed space, more room for the inhabitants to establish territories. A hex kind of glumps them together for lack of a better word and if you are not careful in your stocking can be a aggression nightmare.
This isn't to say it can't be done but it would be more of a case of choosing what would "work" rather than what you 'want".
While it is true that juvi's can be housed in a small environment than would be ideal for them, that isn't to say that you can put several of these juvi's together without consideration of the footprint of your tank and their temperment and not end with huge problems.
I feel your pain about wanting fish that you really can't accomodate. I spent a year in MA, with a little nano only, longing to get back home and to my tanks.
+1
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
I agree with mostly everything said here! Hex tanks are kool imo but dont allow adequate swimming room! Can u post it on CL maybe trade it for at least a corner tank?
I dont think it was your red scarlet hermit killing ur fish, he was just cleaning up the leftovers. If the tomato is the last one standin than hes just the king of the tank imo. Your fish were killing each other because of the small confined spaces. Kinda like survival of the fittest!
Some good fish for you would be firefish, some gobys meaning not some gobys, cardinals, idk something small and not a lot of swimmy lol
Do u have any pics of ur rockwork or anything?
 
hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
+1 on all this....tank was way way too small for that stocklist. I wish I could have some of the bigger beautiful fish but they only die if you put them in an environment that is too small from the start....
 
trotsky123

trotsky123

Member
FANTASTIC!!! LET'S HAVE A GROUP HUG AND SING F KUMBAYA!
Thank you all for so much useless sh't - you all are absolutely great and knowledgeable - you all deserve a gold star.
I have not done a thing with my tank without consulting with people on the forums in THIS SITE!!!
My fish coexisted peacefully for half a year until I got this crab and 3 went one after another....
1GuyDude - thank you - I will research the fish selection you mentioned as that's exactly what I wanted to hear - suggestions and advice.
 
S

smartorl

Guest
Trotsky, sorry if the truth hurt your feelings.
Frankly, I call b*llshit.
I went back through your posts. You asked about a stock list and were given suggestions of fish that would work for your nano tank, yet you add the dragon wrasse instead.
I don't see where the tang or the gramma were added but don't see that a half a year lapsed with all of these inhabitants based on your posts. Sorry.
The gramma would have worked and was suggested to you by TeresaQ, along with the suggestion of a goby and blenny. Sorry but your tank is what it is, there are limitations.
I don't see where you were given bad advice. There were very few stock list inquiry from you two posts to be exact for the 35, probably because you didn't like the answers you got.
You did what you wanted, which is fine, you took a gamble, no problem, it's your tank and your money but don't come after the fact and blast those trying to help you and pointing out what is an obvious problem to most.
Your tank was a time bomb, the crab was not responsible but likely was that one last straw on the proverbial camels back that broke it. The most likely scenario, the introduction of the crab, which the fish would likely try to avoid pushed overcrowded, stressed fish into an even smaller water column and this stressed them further so that the smallest act of aggression, the slightest hint of disease, the very minimum of water stability change was bound to take them out.
The people that have told you this weren't being nasty or snarky, I think about everyone has been there once in their time in the hobby. It takes a second to make an impulse purchase that you are in no way set up for, it happens. The point is it happens to everyone, you live, you learn, and you move ahead a better hobbyist.
Blaming others and popping your cap your choices is just silly and rather rubbed me the wrong way. If you wanted a pat on the head and a atta boy, it just wasn't going to happen. If you didn't want input, why post your question?
It's a forum, you asked a question, you got answers from people who have most likely been there.
 
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