Something is killing all the inverts i add to my tank!

[Darkreefer82]

im not sure what it is, but i've had 2 sea hares, 2 peppermint shrimps, and a small pin cushion urchin all die in my tank within a few hours to a few days. I don't know if whatever it is killing stuff killed all of them, but i do know that it isnt my water parameters b/c i put my last peppermint shrimp in the sump to test it out and he's still kickin around after more than a week. i have left-handed hermits, nerite snails, a porcelain crab (was 2 but the other went missing, presumed dead) a small conch, small ocelleris clown, and a starry blenny. i havent seen any of the victims being harassed at all, but they all end up dead from the time i go to bed until i get up in the morning. any help would be appreciated

[nanoreef heaven]

Sounds like you need a test kit because it is more likely your parameters aren't right. Can't really figure out the real issue without knowing some info such as is your tank set up new along with parameters, etc.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[MrG]

I think more info may help. Things like:

How long has the tank been set up?
Where did you get the inverts that died?
Acclimation process?
Did you find the bodies or did they go missing?

If you are keeping those other inverts alive (hermits, snails, crab, etc.) I wouldn't think your parameters are grossly out of whack, especially if you are keeping a shrimp alive in the sump.

[Darkreefer82]

it's a 10g w/ 10g sump, it's been up just under a year now and the only other thing ive lost out of it is an old glory goby that just went missing. parameters are normal: dkH is 8, 0 nitrates,nitrites, ammonia, and phosphates. calcium is a bit high at 520, but i just did a water change so that should have fixed that issue. also, the urchin that died looks like something chopped a small section of it's underside off and it's empty inside the body cavity now. im almost positive that it's not parameters since most of the stuff is living, even the sexy shrimp and procelain crab. another thing, ive been told bristle worms will sometimes eat inverts if they're big enough, but i have yet to see a single specimen in my tank

[nanoreef heaven]

It could be a large bristle worm. I have some that I've only seen twice in a year. You could always try the traps they have them. Or use the red light at night when lights off to look around your tank. You could possibly catch them out late at night.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[EllieSuz]

Do you ever hear any unusual noises in the tank? I'm wondering if you might have a Mantis Shrimp.

[yogoshio]

Mantis most likely. They'll chew up all your tankmates eventually. They are incredible at hiding too, so gl.

A bristleworm would have to be HUGE to do that kind of damage to an urchin.

[Darkreefer82]

im fairly certain that i dont have a mantis shrimp, considering the largest thing ive added in the last 5 months is a small frag of chalice. also just to update, the shrimp i put in the sump is still doin just fine. as far as bristleworms are concerned, my roommate and his brother both have marine tanks and the brother has bristleworms for sure, they are everywhere and they only seem to hide out if you disturb them, my roomate had one show up that was a fairly decent size right after adding some live rock, but nothing since, he also has the last pep to survive my display and an urchin from the same place/same tank, and they are doing just fine.(other than the yellow-orange growth that the pep has had since i bought him)

[rssjsb]

Bristle worms won't kill shrimp or snails or crabs. They'll eat them if they're dead. Eunicid worms are a different story.

[Sugar Magnolia]

It could be a xanthid crab. They are very destructive and will kill and eat snails, hermits and even fish as they get larger. They are nocturnal, so check the tank several hours after lights out.

[trinidiver]

i'll say mantis shimp...................had one that did the same thing.
The T-rex of the sea

[Darkreefer82]

i'll keep an eye out for the Xanthid crabs, but as i said before, i haven't heard or seen anything that even closely resembles a mantis shrimp. another thing that is being completely left out of the equation is the fact that all the inverts i put in before this started happening are still alive. if it were a predator, why would it go after only the new neighbors and not the others. the porcelain crab and sexy shrimp are both smaller than the peps that have been killed.

[RiddleOfSteel]

Sounds like you have a Eunicid Worm (aka Bobbit Worm). They are bad news-- I think of them as the "undersea version of HR Giger's Alien", they are that nasty.

To make a sure diagnosis, you will need a flashlight with a red filter on it, and you will need to observe your tank at night.

Things to look for:

* Do you hear any strange noises coming from the tank at night? Occaisional clicking or noises like someone popping one of those carnival clickers once every few seconds or so?

* Strange "tunnels" or tubes of sand glued together on the underside of rocks.

* A slow-moving, dark-colored worm, with 5 distinctive tentacles forming a "crown" on the top of its head. The body will be irridescent (but look brown under most lights) and covered with spines. Usually, you will need to watch for a while, and you may notice its head coming out from a crevasses every once in a while to forage. if you have ever seen the 5 tentacles-- there is no mistaking them.

I had a few of these puppies in my 10 gal tank when I first started this hobby. We would hear a disturbing "tink" clicking noise every once in a while from the tank at night(found out that was the sound of the worm's impressive jaws biting out a tunnel in the rock). Then, critters started disappearing. Euniceid worms are a type of polychaete worm, and they have a pair of scissors-like jaws for cutting coral, rock, shrimp, etc.

They can grow very LARGE if left alone. The below article details a fellow who found a 9 footer in his tank!

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

Unfortunately, there is no magic cure for one of these. You will need to lift up every rock (they commonly hide underneath rocks), and even then, they can hide inside rocks too, so some sort of coral dip is recommended.

If manualy removing them-- don't touch! They are covered in poisonous spines and breaking them in half will result in two fully grown worms in short order. Use a net or tweezers.

[EricShane]

I know you disagree, but had the same experience and it was a few mantis shrimps! Thank god,i can finally keep inverts now that the mantis,are gone