fish missing and coral beautys tail cut up

So here's the story. When I had my 55g I had 3 chromis,2 clowns,coral beauty,watchman goby, and a purple firefish. One day the purple firefish went missing. No body was found. 3 weeks later a chromis was missing the the next day another was found stuck the the overflow box. I just did my switch to my 90g and all I have in there was the remaning chromis, 2 clowns,goby,coral beauty. Yest the chromis was missing and the coral beautys tail was all ripped up.

Now worst case I'm thinking I might have a mantis. But no signs of that so far
My params are fine and I don't see that being the issue. Expecially with the chromis.

What can I do? What really scares me is the tail of the coral beauty.

 

With the tail cut up I would think a crab or lobster more than a mantis.

 

Hmm, has the new 90g been set-up with the same rock? Have you ever heard any tapping/clicking?

I had a pair of established clowns and added 3 chromis. My clowns killed one in a day, they stressed the other 2 to death over the next week or so (corraled them to the top corner of the tank, wouldn't let them move, constant chasing/nipping). Chromis are very wimpy fish IMO, they can be terrorized to death easily IME, esp in small #'s.

It's possible your clowns nipped your coral beauty, were the clowns in the tank first for a long period of time?

 

Clowns and coral beauty seem to get along fine. Only crabs I have is 2 emeralds. Never heard clicking or anything. Same rock from my 55

 

I've kept manis in my reefs and I've kept fish in my mantis nanos. I've never lost a fish to a mantis. I have however lost fish to a hitchhiking Eriphia sebana crab.

 

ive searched for some kind of hitchhiker. i havent seen anything. even late at night.
it doesnt make any sense to me.

 

When I got my rock, I didn't see any gorilla crabs for about 3 weeks. Then, I saw three in one night. Then I saw a much, much bigger one that I couldn't catch with a chopstick, and decided to flush out my rocks when the weekend came.

I got rid of about 60 gorilla crabs that day.

Lesson: Hitchhikers can be ultra-elusive. Especially the crustaceans.

 

Rubberband a couple of silversides to a couple of pieces of LR rubble and put them on the sandbed when you turn the lights out. If you don't keep fish that require silversides, I'm sure the LFS you frequent often will give you a couple. Sit in the dark and wait with your moonlights on or a flashlight with a red lens. Something is likely to come out.

 

Good idea k+

 

if i do see something come out. how do i catch it? fast net? haha