pipefish death

[kcdan87]

so i was very excited to finally add a fish to my 55 gallon pipefish/seahorse tank. The tank has been up and running for 2 months. The live rock came from my 5 year old reef tank. The tank contains calupra. It also has 5 very small hermits, and 5 very small snails. I purchased a dragonface pipefish from my lfs. It was doing very well for 3 days cruising the tank picking off tiny pods as he went. Today i woke up to him face first under a rock. I touch him and noticed he was wedged. Of course he was dead. I don't think the rock could have fallen on him. Is there a chance something could have pulled him under? I think i would rule out a mantis shrimp because i never had a problem in my other tank. Any suggestions would be great because i am fearful of adding anything else until this is resolved. Thanks

 

[skleek]

Maybe the hermit?

 

[TamiW]

Dragonface pipefish are very sensitive fish. Hermit crab is a good guess, or it could have tried going under there for security if it wasn't feeling well. Unfortunately, they do often just die like that, especially newly acquired pipes.

 

[namxas]

if the fish was dead or dying, it could be a large bristleworm as well.

*waves to Tami*