NO CLUE, any suggestions?

[Mbones]

Hey Guys,
A little history of the first inhabitant I had. I had a small yellow clown goby (cute too), but then I left for the day to Orlando and came back that night to a dead goby with just the head remaining.
Now, I just had a Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel Disappear! I can not find it anywhere! I have looked all throught the tank, in cave, in between rocks, but nothing. And it is not like there is much to go through, it is only a 10 gallon nano.
My water parameters are:
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ammonia = .25
pH = 8.1
Also, there is ammonia showing up, low, but showing. What does this mean again? I have forgotten.
Oh other tank inhabitants are:
2 Hermits
3 Turbos
2 Emerald Crabs
Red and Blue Mushroom Corals
Thanks for any help you can lend me!

[JennM]

Could be your emeralds. Could also be a hitchiker crab in the live rock, or a mantis.

Ammonia means something is decaying (food, dead body, poop) and causing a spike. Hard to maintain smaller tanks' water quality.

Sounds like you do have a predator though, bodies don't disappear unless somebody's eating them.

Jenn

[sanblas]

I lost a perc to a gorilla crab that had hitchiked in on some rock, I would check the rock carefully for crabs, also do you ever hear any popping or tapping from the tank, if so it could be a mantis

[Mbones]

So I was thinking I could have a mantis too, with two fish now just disappearing. But the tank is in my room, and I have never really heard any tapping or popping. I do have a fan that creates a lot of white noise, so I guess I might not use it for a couple of night to see if I can hear anything.

[sanblas]

mantis tapping is pretty noticable, at least mine was(but I had him on purpose and he was a bigger mantis) I could hear it clearly throughout my apartment, it sounds like someone is tapping a nail or something metalic against the glass.

[sanblas]

of course you could also have a spearer mantis, and I dont know if they tap at all, wheres your rock from? is it the florida stuff?

[Mbones]

I bought the Rock at a LFS, since I was new at reefing at I didn't get what type it was when I bought it. But from looking at it I think it is Fiji. I have been looking throughtout the tank with a flashlight now, and still nothing. I might have to go through and tear it down to make sure there are no tunnels on the back side or underneath that I can't see!

[Geoff]

the flashlight trick is good thing to be doing look for red reflective dots. most of the time it is difficult to see the critter itself. you hope to catch a glimpse of its eyes. most of the predatory crabs/shrimp are noctornal. it does seem kinda strange that the goby got got during the day. wondering if it died than the hermits/emeralds finished it off.

i am not a big fan of crabs.

G~

[DaveJ]

Sounds like a predator to me too... which doesn't like to eat the heads. Cats are famous for that

Since the tank is so small, jsut fill a bucket with saltwater mixed to 1.030 or so SG or just with fresh water.. drop each rock in there singly and see if anything falls out. Do it for about 2 mins or so with each rock, setting the rock aside in properly prepared saltwater. The key is empty the tank out one piece at a time. Once you have all your rock in the good water, dig around in any substrate you have with a stick or scraper end to see if anything is hiding.

[Mbones]

DaveJ, I think that I might just have to do that! I am getting tired of searching with the flashligh. I will look tonight since like Geoff said they are nocturnal mostly. Thanks for the input guys!

Geoff- I think that I might have your opinion on crabs too after this! Might have to sale them to someone on this site!!

[Mbones]

I stayed up WAY late last night ( ) to look for what was in the tank. I grab my flash light and strated scanning( ). I first didn't see anything at all around the base of all the LR. SO I decided to look in the little cave the fish likes to stay in most of the time, and PRESTO! THE FISH!! I have no idea where this guy stays in the day, but he was alive last night in the dark doing his own little thing. I am so confused now, more then before .

The fish doesn't look all that good in the food department. Looks as if he hasn't eaten in a while. I feed him cyclpeeze/dry formula one flakes. Should I try something else? He is a little Yellow tailed Blue Damsel, and help would be appreaciated.

[tims]

if you can catch him try getting a breeder cage that hangs in the main tank, ( shares the same water) and feed noramlly. if he is big enough you can try some ghost shrimp.