Who's The Culprit?

[shaunalynna]

Well in the past few months I have lost 2 shrimp a peppermint and cleaner. The cleaner was eaten the same day he was added! I have also lost a serpent star who I just found today middle part left only and then my royal gramma who is still MIA after searching the tank. They seem to have started missing around when we added to small emeralds however I have noticed my six line wrasse likes to be a pain to everyone as well. Who do you think is responsible for this mess? I am guessing the crabs but not 100% sure it couldn't be the wrasse. I want to try to solve the mystery to get rid of whomever is doing this. All I have left in my tank now is my six line, mandarin, 2 clowns and the emeralds. I am affraid my mandarin may be next so want to clatify this rather quickly. Any help is appreciated on what to do!

 

[candycane]

Based on what's left, my first guess would be water quality or lack of nutrients for the shrimp and star.

 

[aztec reef]

Are your parameters good?
Either theres something in tank eating them Or they're dying due to fouled water chemistry, and the inhabitants are finishing the job..

 

[shaunalynna]

Weekly water changes are done so my water is fine. I even had it tested at the LFS a week or so ago when we went and results were good. I know that is not the issue. I do a test at home myself for nitrates, nitrites, PH and alkalinity as well frequently to be safe to.

 

[nycbob]

how big and how old is the tank? how much lr do u hv in there? i dont think its the emerald crab at all. my guess is if it isnt the water, then perhaps the clowns.

 

[shaunalynna]

the tank is a 28gal and it is about 6+ mo in age now. I have lost track to be honest so guesstimate. The clowns had been in there with these types of items before shrimp and a star with no issues. Like I said in my original post it wasn't until around the time the emeralds showed up that everyone really started to go MIA. I haven't seen my wrasse bother anyone but have seen home chase the fish so makes me wonder. I dunno what the deal is but like stated earlier I check often my conditions and even have the LFS check it sometimes when we go to double check!

 

[aztec reef]

i dont think the emerals are the culprid ..
Do u hear loud cliking in your tank at night?

 

[dse]

Originally Posted by Shaunalynna
http:///forum/post/2786057
Well in the past few months I have lost 2 shrimp a peppermint and cleaner. The cleaner was eaten the same day he was added! I have also lost a serpent star who I just found today middle part left only and then my royal gramma who is still MIA after searching the tank. They seem to have started missing around when we added to small emeralds however I have noticed my six line wrasse likes to be a pain to everyone as well. Who do you think is responsible for this mess? I am guessing the crabs but not 100% sure it couldn't be the wrasse. I want to try to solve the mystery to get rid of whomever is doing this. All I have left in my tank now is my six line, mandarin, 2 clowns and the emeralds. I am affraid my mandarin may be next so want to clatify this rather quickly. Any help is appreciated on what to do!
have you checked for a mantis?
Originally Posted by candycane
http:///forum/post/2786099
Based on what's left, my first guess would be water quality or lack of nutrients for the shrimp and star.

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
http:///forum/post/2786101
Are your parameters good?
Either theres something in tank eating them Or they're dying due to fouled water chemistry, and the inhabitants are finishing the job..
serpent star can servive in the lower quality of water. though if it was low water quality the mandarin would of been the first and so would of the wrasse.
when i lost my first star due to my old landlord 2 years ago poisoning the air via air spray over the tank the star fish's body started to fal apart all over not like the serpent star missing only it's legs. these are the obvious points of a tank.
but by the sounds of things they are being eaten not sure by what but you will need to watch lights on lights off watch don't use a low red light to view though my fish go mad in the head when red light is near them (maybe they think it's a pred's eye/s

 

[candycane]

It all sounds like lack of nutrition. The star deteriorating and what not. The emeralds are going to most likely be the most aggressive during feeding time to pick at the sand beds and any other substrate. If the starfish and shrimp hadn't eaten in awhile, it might actually cause this problem. Another issue could be rapid fluctuations in alkalinity if you recently changed salts or additives.

 

[shaunalynna]

no change in salts or additives...The fish get fed in the AM pellets and then in the evening I feed frozen brine so everyone gets a chance to eat

No mantis either as the rock is rock I have had forever and we have not bought anything that could have had a mantis hitchhiker!

 

[rotarymagic]

Originally Posted by dse
http:///forum/post/2786192
have you checked for a mantis?
serpent star can servive in the lower quality of water. though if it was low water quality the mandarin would of been the first and so would of the wrasse.
when i lost my first star due to my old landlord 2 years ago poisoning the air via air spray over the tank the star fish's body started to fal apart all over not like the serpent star missing only it's legs. these are the obvious points of a tank.
but by the sounds of things they are being eaten not sure by what but you will need to watch lights on lights off watch don't use a low red light to view though my fish go mad in the head when red light is near them (maybe they think it's a pred's eye/s

Why did he do some crap like that?

 

[t316]

Did you say "28" gallon? That would be my guesstimation as to the cause. That seems like a lot of life in a 28 gal., unless all of these critters are small, very small. A sixline and clowns of any decent size in that small of an area, sounds like trouble to me. The shrimp would be the first to go, but the clowns and six will eventually dual it out as they get bigger.

 

[dse]

Originally Posted by Rotarymagic
http:///forum/post/2786771
Why did he do some crap like that?
because i was 1 day over my leaving day and left it to last to move my swt.
as he came in he saw it and he phoned up and said what the F**k is this doing here i said i'm collecting it tonight as i need to move it safe as i can.
he said i had one hour to get it out.
1st thing was i was 30 mins away and second to drain a 50gal safely it would take a lot longer then 30 mins and to remove the fish. i said look i can't it's impossible. he said fine i'm spraying all rooms in an houre and i don't give a damn about your tank.
i begged him not too but as you can tell that twa* did and i gave up tanks for a year and then restarted back on fresh before i built back on the salt tanks again. wich has allmost been a year since i restarted and tobe honest i'm very glad i had

great hobby and it needs more people to be in to the swf