Help for a hi fin goby

[pacificangel02]

Hi,
I'm a new aquarist who is looking for some help. I have a 10 gal. saltwater reef tank and I am in dire need of some information for anyone who can provide it. Yesterday, I introduced a hi fin red banded goby, a skunk cleaner shrimp, and 5 small hermit crabs into my tank. This morning, I looked in to find the goby alive but half eaten (link to pic included). I have NO idea what could have done this. A little background on my tank:
Established for about 6 months
10 gallon tropical saltwater tank
Just did the chemistry and everything looked fine
Inhabitants include 3 types of coral, 2 banded trochus snails, a few small (less than 1 inch) bristle worms that came in on the live rocks, 7 small hermit crabs, the goby, the shrimp, and that is it!
Any information as to what could have eaten half of the goby (while it was still alive nonetheless), if there is any chance at survival, and what I can do differently in the future would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Sk8r]

Poor little fellow. The cleaner shrimp is your chief suspect: 'cleaners' can produce wounds from overzealous attention, and I've seen fish run in terror from them under those circumstances. Acclimation damage is also possible. But I would discourage a cleaner in a 10 gallon...even in a 100 gallon, I'd be leary of the type. Maybe a peppermint shrimp, which has nicer habits.

 

[shesacharmer]

I've been running my DT fallow following an Ich outbreak. In the meantime I feed my cleaner shrimp and emerald crab with small bits of minced clam or mysis. After not feeding for a couple of days I watched a cleaner shrimp pull a good sized Stomatella snail to bits and eat it. I was a bit more attentive to feeding them after that as they are very assertive about their grub. I'll be putting my fish back in the tank soon so you've reminded me to feed those guys to the gills before putting any fish in the tank! I think they'll be okay after the first day. Poor Goby.

It's also possible that you have an aggressive crab hiding in your rocks. Many people have found one of these crabs after months or even a year of never knowing it was there.

 

[zeebies]

First, sorry about your hi-fin. I have one paired with a pistol shrimp in a 10 gallon reef and it's a nice fish.

A couple of thoughts: Did you quarantine anything before placing in your tank? A period of quarantine in a separate tank would allow you to observe your animals and get them eating and comfortable. You could also observe the interactions between critters and easily remove things that are causing problems.

During quarantine, some folks treat their fish prophalactically in order to prevent parasites and treat for worms. Personally, I do Tank Transfer and PraziPro on all fish.

I don't trust hermit crabs, especially if there are snails in the tank, so I'd choose snails OR crabs.

How much rock is in your tank? The culprit could be hiding in the rock - another reason to quarantine, so you can see what you have.