Mystery

[Jaster]

Hi everyone

I have a mystery in my tank got up this morning and my red shrimp was dead and when I came home from work I've noticed my orange star fish has had a leg half eaten but still alive. I only have a yellow tang a orange nemo and a damsel in the tank and 2 snails there is 9 corals and live rock. I saw something running in the tank this morning that was small could not recognise I'm at a loss and new to reef tanks any suggestions please Joe

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

The first thing I would do is test the water parameters. The next thing I would do is to get water prepped for a water change. How old is the tank? What size tank? What equipment are you running? How long have the inhabitants been in the tank?

 

[saltyphish]

Sounds like you have an unwanted, unidentified hitchhiker in your tank. Chances are you introduced something in your tank with the liverock happens all the time. My guess is some type of crab. Watch your tank during the lights out cycle and you will probably see the culprit. You can try making a bottle trap to catch it. If you happen to see it and notice where it is hiding maybe you could take out that rock and try a ro water dip. I'm sure someone else will chime in with their thoughts.

 

[Jaster]

Thank you thought the same I have noticed what looks like a clam growing at the bottom of my coral but don't know how to put a photo on here to identify it

 

[saltyphish]

Probably a rock boring clam. Google that see if it fits. I got a lot of them with my liverock when I bought it. They usually do not live long and you end up finding their shells laying on the bottom. Thinking my crabs find them and finish them off.

 

[saltyphish]

Also definitely not your culprit.

Probably a rock boring clam. Google that see if it fits. I got a lot of them with my liverock when I bought it. They usually do not live long and you end up finding their shells laying on the bottom. Thinking my crabs find them and finish them off.

 

[haleyf1024]

My guess would be a gorilla crab or possibly a mantis shrimp. Do you hear clicking ever?

 

[crharvel]

Damsel might be actin a fool. Get a six pack and camp out at lights out to see what goes down.