Hello Everyone! 
I hope this isn't a repeated question (I did do a search and couldn't find anything related) but.....about 2 months ago I bought a reef lobster. Cute little fella, don't see him much, I expected that though. I target feed him a couple times a week and everything seems to be going fine. However, my sallylightfoot crab went MIA two weeks ago. I thought it was strange since it seemed to be feeding well, there are no fish that would bother it, and even though I know crabs can have trouble molting sometimes, I have hermits and shrimp in the tank that I've had for years. Unexplained death but it happens right? About two days ago, I noticed that one of my pj cardinals fins are messed up. Not rotting looking (I know what fin rot looks like and this isn't it) but torn, almost cut looking. Although the 3 pj's have a definite pecking order it has never, ever resulted in fin damage like this. The fish, despite the torn fins, has excellent color, fins are open and erect and the fish eats with gusto, moves fine, etc....
Checked the water params and they are salinity 1.025, temp 80º, ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate 0, pH 8.2, calc 400. I don't test for phosphates. 20% water changes are done weekly. Tank has been set up for 5 years, fish include 2 ocellaris clowns, and 3 pj cardinals. Guess I should mention that this is a 75g tank. Aside from the lobster, there are 4 small blue legged hermits, and various snails.
The lobster is the only new addition in about a year. I 'thought' I had done all the research I needed on it and everything I had read didn't suggest that they might go after small fish but I don't know what else to think. It's either him or could it be the pj's are getting more aggressive with age?? I really haven't seen them going after one another....and is the sally's death just a coincidence?
What do you think???
I hope this isn't a repeated question (I did do a search and couldn't find anything related) but.....about 2 months ago I bought a reef lobster. Cute little fella, don't see him much, I expected that though. I target feed him a couple times a week and everything seems to be going fine. However, my sallylightfoot crab went MIA two weeks ago. I thought it was strange since it seemed to be feeding well, there are no fish that would bother it, and even though I know crabs can have trouble molting sometimes, I have hermits and shrimp in the tank that I've had for years. Unexplained death but it happens right? About two days ago, I noticed that one of my pj cardinals fins are messed up. Not rotting looking (I know what fin rot looks like and this isn't it) but torn, almost cut looking. Although the 3 pj's have a definite pecking order it has never, ever resulted in fin damage like this. The fish, despite the torn fins, has excellent color, fins are open and erect and the fish eats with gusto, moves fine, etc....
Checked the water params and they are salinity 1.025, temp 80º, ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate 0, pH 8.2, calc 400. I don't test for phosphates. 20% water changes are done weekly. Tank has been set up for 5 years, fish include 2 ocellaris clowns, and 3 pj cardinals. Guess I should mention that this is a 75g tank. Aside from the lobster, there are 4 small blue legged hermits, and various snails.
The lobster is the only new addition in about a year. I 'thought' I had done all the research I needed on it and everything I had read didn't suggest that they might go after small fish but I don't know what else to think. It's either him or could it be the pj's are getting more aggressive with age?? I really haven't seen them going after one another....and is the sally's death just a coincidence?
What do you think???
