# Missing marine fish mystery



## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

Any thoughts anyone.... Sorry its a long one..... a bit of history to cover...
I have a 130ltr Marine tank stuffed full of living rock. I have owned this rock for approximately 8 years, every now and again fish have dissapeared, strange, but I excepted it as just one of those things. Some of the fish that have dissapeard have included tangs, a sea horse, damsels, mandarin, wrasse and many others.
I did manage to keep succesfully a pair of large seahorse for three years but I then had a 5 foot tank with a 4 foot sump tank so plenty of room to what ever it is to move around in and avoid the Seahorses! (The Seahorses ended up as part of Plymouth Aquariums breeding programme when we moved house)
After we moved the living rock sat in the 4 foot tank in a shed for a year with just a pump light and heater doing its thing, with no additional attention at all.
I then set up my latest tank three years ago with the same rock.a I lost interest due dissapearing fish so I left the tank to its own devices for the past year without giving it attention, it had one Blue Damsel which I had managed to keep which I had bought the year before, so in total I had it two years. (it's two friends I bought at the same time lasted a month) It seemed quite happy, I never fed it, as it seemed happy feeding off things it was finding.
There are two brown anemones that are about 40mm across and have long stems they appeared during this past year (I think they came in with some weed about three years ago) and there are dozens of tiny ones dotted across the tank.
At Christmas I gave it a make over the water quality was fine but for good measure gave it a partial water change, gave the calerpa weed a trim and put in two clown fish and a saddle back puffer. Witihn two weeks the damsel dissapeared, then a week later one of the clowns, 
The remaining clown and Saddleback both dissapeard last night! I cant believe that the puffer could have been eaten by the anemones as it was about 100mm long and very healthy.
There must be something lurking in the rock Also the Anemones show no signs of having eaten, I have no idea what it can be, even if it was a monster bristle worm why would it take two fish in one night? I have seen and heared clicking noises since day one and once found what I then assumed to be a pistol shrimp about 15mm long, I have never seen it again but hear clicking when the light goes out.
I am going to have to break the tank up and maybe even break the rock open as I am determined not to go through this again, I know its nature but hey it seems cruel and not to mention expensive! 
Does any one have any ideas or what I might find in the rock?????:gasp:


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## tokay (Mar 13, 2007)

maybe its some kind of catfish? could be this species


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

YouTube - Mantis Shrimp Striking Glass (First Person View)


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## benjo (Oct 31, 2007)

bluddy love those things, how much would one set me back? (mantis shrimp)


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## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

*missing marine fish mystery...*

after checking out Youtube I dont wanna put my hand in the tank!
If I do have one of those Mantis Shrimp your welcome to it!
The shrimp I found was about 15mm long two years ago so I spose it could have grown or it has a mother one lurking somewhere....


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## cnella (Feb 24, 2010)

there is a possibility that a small mantis shrimp was already living in your rock when you obtained it and has been munching its way through your fish, i found this which might help you catch it (if thats what it is) without completely dismantling your tank. www.blueboard.com/mantis/pest/catch.htm I've not had a problem like this when i've kept marines in the past so thats about as much help as i can offer. hope you manage to find whatever is causing your problem. the only thing that ever disappeared from my tank when i kept marines was a long spined sea urchin, there one day gone the next, no spines no exoskeleton, nothing - strange, had nothing that would eat it at the time either.


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

Mantis shrimp are pretty inexpensive I think, like a max of £30 for one?


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## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

The good news is my puffer has just made a reappearance,hiding between some rocks, it seems seriously spooked! It has up until now been very sociable, no sign of the Clown Fish though, they were really good mates and hung out together. My guess is whatever has eaten the previous fish it has eaten the clown and feaked out the Puffer... I will try the trap and see what we get.. I must admit I tried this before and caught my brittle star, which I then got rid of because it could have been the culprit... but the fish have kept on disapearing... we will see......


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## strictly_scales (Sep 10, 2008)

What colour is the Brittle Star?


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## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

*missing marine fish mystery...*

It was black and white striped and quite small but I got rid of it over a year ago....


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## strictly_scales (Sep 10, 2008)

I would stake out the tank one night- stick a red light on it and just watch from a distance- see what comes out. Place a small piece of Sardine or something in a pierced tub as a lure, and see what comes to investigate by night. 

There are probably a whole manner of weird beasties that'll come out, and you may find the culprit. Then you just need to catch the bugger.


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