Help, who's eating my firefish?

[rocketeer]

Hi,

I added three firefish to my 120g reef (sort of) tank July 29. They were very cute swimming together in a tight group. Then August 2 one of them disappeared. I didn't think I had any bad predators in my tank so I attributed the disappearance to shipping stress. Then on August 14 another one disappeared. I noticed a pile of hermit crabs in the corner of the tank the night before and thought it was a little strange. Now this morning my last firefish shows signs of attack. He looks bruised on his sides, his dorsal fin is damaged, and there is a red mark at the base of it. Today’s his last day if I don’t do something. These guys sleep out in the open on the substrate! How do they survive in nature?

Other fish and mobile inverts are:

brittle star about 10 inches tip to tip (maybe the culprit but the firefish shows bruises)

sally lightfoot crab about 4 inches incl. legs

A bunch of hermits and snails. The largest hermit crab is kind of a trouble maker. He kept attacking my featherduster when I first put him in. I think he’s a blue legged hermit in a shell about 1 inch long

A skunk shrimp and two peppermint shrimp

A huge aiptasia about 6 inches across. Can these eat fish?

Regal tang about 7 inches long

Ocellaris clown, dottyback, bicolor blenny

I have a 10 gal quarantine tank I can use. I could either take out the firefish until he heals, or remove the brittle star, sally lightfoot and the biggest hermit to the quarantine tank and put them back one at a time until the firefish disappears. What are your comments? I think the hermit crabs are ganging up on him. Am I crazy? Last night he started sleeping near a bunch of them.

Thank You,
Jack

[Inno]

Well everyone always asks, do you hear clicking noises at night, possible mantis? Anyways, the brittle is a huge suspect, especially at being 10in (have seen some amazing brittle feats). Unless your tank is bare of any food or algaes, I don't believe it'll be the sally. The dottyback is a known bully, so that wouldn't be a surprise, but my guess would be the brittle so try getting up in the very wee hours and see if you can sneak a glimpse of what's going on...that may be your best route if you want to catch the culprit.

*Make sure they are not carpet surfing either :s

**I once lost 9 chromis to an octopus I never knew I had :P

[Jimnorris]

If the brittle star is green I bet money on that he is the one. The green brittle star is true hunter!
Jim

[matt]

I'm astonished that you have a 6" aiptasia, and that you don't have 1,000 offspring from this anemone. Are you sure it's an aiptasia? If so, my hat's off to you for successfully keeping the biggest of these plague anemones I've ever heard of.

Matt

[TexasState]

I only saw mine about once a month after I drop them into my big tank. They phreak out and hide most of the time.

[rocketeer]

Yeah, actually I do have quite a few aiptasia. I've started counting periodically and the numbers have been holding about constant. Maybe a few more peppermints... ;)

I quarantined The firefish for at least until he heals. His little dorsal fin doesn't go up anymore. :cry: I've heard about mantis shrimp and haven't heard any snaps. Maybe I'll set a trap anyway. I hope it's not the brittle star, who is green by the way. He's sort of a crowd pleaser.

I've got live rock with lots of holes for these guys to sleep in. My blenny uses them. My wife says I just got stupid fish and they're doomed. I still don't want predators in the tank.

[Sherri]

Hey.....talk to me more about this "clicking" or "tapping" sound. Sometimes when lights are out...I hear that...thought it was a crab...since I still have 2 LR "hijacker" crabs I haven't been able to catch...

Sherri

[Sherri]

Thanks Josh....never have seen anything...when I hear it...it is usually 1 click - I was at one time losing turbo snails (about 10 of them), but didn't notice anymore after I caught a crab...now that that one is gone - 2 more are showing their crafty little claws...interesting....

Sherri

[Tim Marvin]

I'll put my money on the dottyback. They are very aggressive territorial little fish. I had one that used to chase off a large yellow tang, and it used to bite at me when I put my hand in there.

[Richard]

I agree with Tim. I mixed a little dottyback with 2 firefish when we first opened the store and the next day I had a dottyback and 2 dead firefish...won't try that again.

[rocketeer]

Wow, that's 3 for the dottyback. I've been thinking he may be why the firefish are sleeping outside but I didn't think he'd kill. Very interesting.

Jack

[Jimnorris]

Well when the dottyback comes up missing and the brittle star is now 11 inches I will take that bet! ;)
Jim

[Tim Marvin]

Yeh, I'll change my mind then also..... :)