Opinions Greatly Needed

What's the clicking like? What have you seen in your tank that might seem "off"? What did your firefish look like when he passed away (bodily injuries?)? Sorry, but I want details details details. I may not be able to tell you what it is, but I know I can at least tell you if it's a mantis or not. Where did you get your live rock from? What kind is it? Since you're in Cali, I'm guessing it came from the Pacific somewhere.

 

yeah, I think you need to take a second to find out whats causing damage in the tank.. You really dont need to rush things, especially with the bad luck you have been having. Anything rushed in this hobby usually yields negative results.
Im just trying to look out for your best interests, so Im sorry if I come off a little blunt.
Find the clicking noise, fix that. then take your next problem, fix that, and then after everything is stable you can move forward..
If you have ever seen the movie "What About Bob", its all about Baby Steps.. I promise it will all work out in the end and for the best if it is taken slow and cautiously..

I hope this helps.

 

when i heard it the first few times i wasnt to sure what it was then it would happen again then i rememberd mantis make clicking noises so after i noticed my firefish dead i went to youtube to try to find what kind of noises mantis make and i found one video of a mantis going after a crab and it sounded just like that, and i heard the clicking very shortly after i rearanged my rocks.

as far as the firefish having body injuries he didnt have any, the part that was left was basically perfect, but then where the back half was missing it was kind of shredded looking

as far as my rock goes its from Fiji, ive had this same rocks for the entire 7 months of my tanks life and have no rock has been added

and all of the fish bodies dissapering have been happening for like 3 weeks now, first started off with the chromis, i knew they originally died from the pecking order thing, but the majority of bodies were not found. Then the other day when i got my DOA wrasse, i placed him in the tank just in case he was "faking his death" and when i rearanged the rocks today his body was not found, and now the most recent was my firefish.

And the clicking noise has been going on for a week now, i know its not my skimmer as when it was first started my skimmer was off and that was two nights in a row, ended up hearing it off and on at night, and now today after i rearanged my rocks and the sound came from the area where my firefish's body was.

only other equipment i have is my lights and i know its not the timer going off because that is a much quiter clicking sound, this one is fairly loud, and i know its not my vortech

sorry for the long response and also sorry if i repeated myself with anything

 

thats a good way to think about it, and funny about the "What about bob" lol i loved that movie

 

the clicking sound could be a pistol shrimp, they are known to eat fish if they can catch them. Also do you have any big serpent or brittle stars?

 

you know, thats the funny thing i have NONE of those, i have thought it was just so weird out of my tanks entire 7 months that i have not seen any of the brittle stars, those little jelly fish, no copepods on the glas, or swimming around the water column even at night, i have never had any of those neat little guys :/ and i have always wondered why