heres the problem,tank is a reef setup for 18 months, critters include serpent stars and 3 pistol shrimp. first fish into the tank was a flame angel. since than, every fish into the tank has vanished, anthis, gobies, flame fish and now green chromis. nothing lasts more than a week or two. i have many tanks and the problem is in this tank only sometimes i see wounds along the side before they vanish. i'm sure it,s not a mantis and i've done the night watch looking for othercritters and nothing. thru it all the flame is perfect! is it possible the flame angle is killing all these other fish? i'm at my witts end!
fish disappearing
- Thread starter bobt2
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matts125
Well-known member
I would say that the fish you are losing are very vonerable to the serpant and even the shrimp. the flam angel is not as vonerable because of the size.
if you arent keeping the serpant stars fed properly they will become an aggressive apourtunistic feeder and will jump on your fish to eat them. I have seen it with my own eyes..
What are your water parameters??
matt
if you arent keeping the serpant stars fed properly they will become an aggressive apourtunistic feeder and will jump on your fish to eat them. I have seen it with my own eyes..
What are your water parameters??
matt
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matts125
Well-known member
I would still suspect the star fish, they are sneaky and can catch even fast fish, they are very fast when they strike, Like I said I have seen it with my own eyes so I can gurantee you that it is a possibility..
Best of luck
Matt
Best of luck
Matt
MCSInc
Reef Enthusiast
Do you ever see the starfish in a feeding stance? I also suspect the star.
matts125
Well-known member
I have a few more questions for you that may help find out what is eating your fish:
how big is the tank, how many starfish and how big are they, and how many lbs of rock?
as you can see I am concerned with the stars
Matt
how big is the tank, how many starfish and how big are they, and how many lbs of rock?
as you can see I am concerned with the stars
Matt
Curtswearing
Mantisfreak
Are any of your serpent stars yellow or green? Those colors are notorious fish killers.
ok, tank is a 75 with 150 lbs of fl aquacultured rock. these are atlantic serpent stars which i have in all 3 of my reef tanks. i have 3 similer set-ups with different corals [all softys] and different fish. the only difference is that the fish vanish in this tank. all tanks have hermit crabs and porclean crabs. i've been keeping sw fish since the late 60's and this has me stumped.
BIG-G
Member
With the fish being wounded do think that this may be a failed attack? I would check for something coming from the live rock at night, you said that you have did the night watchman thing. How did you see into the tank without alerting the culprit? You may want to try again and use a red light if you havent already. Other than that i would also suspect the serpent star, i to have seen these starfish take fish resting at night alot larger than themselves.
yes on the red light, i do it often. i see the 2 chromis left behind a rock, like their hiding from the flame angel.if it's the stars, then why are the other tanks fine with the same stars and blennys on the bottom? i don't buy the stars
matts125
Well-known member
Bob I know it is hard to believe that the same stars would do this just in one tank but here is my experience: I have had 8-12 of the green serpants in my reef for 2 years now, I have kept lots of small fish such as hellfrichis (they hid under the same rocks as the star even touching them) and never had a problem. here is the main part I am getting at, I set up a tank for my father same size tank and same amount of rock and gave him one of the stars out of my tank. well my father started to notice his damsels were missing one by one, from 5 down to 2 then he witnessed one day the star jump on a 2'' clown and ate it whole!!! well he then knew where his fish were going to, the belly of a star fish, and that star fish came out of my tank with small fish for 2 years with no problems...
I hope you figure this out, I know how frustating it is t lose fish!!!
Best
Matt
I hope you figure this out, I know how frustating it is t lose fish!!!
Best
Matt
BIG-G
Member
bobt2, do you have another tank that you could move the angel into, you seem to be leaning toward the angel (no one knows your tank better than you). If it is the angel you could move him and see if the problem goes away. Just trying to give you an idea.
the stars are the brown ones, i,ve heard the green need to be watched.don't know how i would catch the angel except hook and bait [i,ve moved fish this way before] the chromis are definitely hiding and affraid to come out, even with food in the water.
BIG-G
Member
If the angel is the culprit (whats killing the other fish) i dont think that it would be eating them, you said that the fish were disappearing. It may be that you have a tag team, the angel is killing the fish and the shrimps and starfish are cleaning up.
BIG-G
Member
That's what im thinking, sorry i have no good way to fix this problem other than what you are already doing. Does the angel attack the other fish during the day? Maybe there is something in the rocks that doesnt attack or move every night, you may need to go on a steakout several nights in a row.
I know its frustrating to have your fish die im sure whatever it is will show its self with time.
I know its frustrating to have your fish die im sure whatever it is will show its self with time.
heres an update, i added 6 green chromis to the tank. one by one they are gone. one or two had small wounds before dissippearing and the last one hid behind a rock before hes gone. again i visited the tank at night and found nothing. it HAS to be the flame angel doing the damage, altho no one has heard of this before.
BIG-G
Member
what do you think is eating them? if the flame is killing them where are the bodies going? do you actually see the flame attacking? im not saying that your wrong, im just trying to get more information.
