Fish death mystery

[justin2895]

First a little about my tank... I have a 90 gal mixed reef tank that’s about 2 1/2 years old. I do 24 gal water changes every 3rd weekend and all test are good. I use RODI water. I feed every other day. I have T-5 lighting. Corals are doing great with good growth and color. With all that... I can’t keep fish alive

Let me explain...
I think I have a crab in my tank that’s eating my fish, there are two crabs in there that I know of one is pretty small and seems harmless. The other crab on the other hand I have seen pluck a snail right off a rock and drag him down to the depths. His body is about the size of a 50 cent piece maybe a little larger.

Throughout my many years of freshwater tanks I knew when a fish died... It was floating on the surface... I have only been able to recover two dead fish from my tank, out of probably a dozen, a good sized yellow tang, and a male maroon clown. My female clown is fairly large and is one of two fish left. The other one is some kind of blenny.
It was rather disturbing as my male clown looked torn to shreds and floating.
All other fish have simply disappeared.

I’m writing this because my green cromis and newly added sleeper goby have been missing for the past three days.

Do I have a rouge crab in my tank or is there something else going on here. I should also add that most of the fish have been friendly community fish.

Assuming it is the crab, what do I do next?

Thank you

Justin

 

[ajnweb]

Read this post, some good ideas about half way down...Good luck!

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49162&highlight=starbucks

 

[justin2895]

Thats sounds like pretty good advice I will have to try that bottle trick... any other advice?

 

[ajnweb]

Thats sounds like pretty good advice I will have to try that bottle trick... any other advice?

If that doesn't work, and you are pretty sure it is the crab eating your fish, you might just have to skewer him

 

[mfinn]

One method I've used many times was to take a small wide mouth baby food jar, place a piece of shrimp in the bottom tied to a weight. Lean the jar at approx 45 degree angle against your live rock and wait for the crab to crawl in. Crab crawls in and the slippery glass keeps it from getting out.
May only take one night, or it may take a week of nights. Plus you will probally catch every other hermit ( if you have any) in the tank first.