what is this?!? please help asap!

CoralReeferGal

CoralReeferGal

New member
Sorry to jump right in without introduction (promise, ill do it shortly!) but were in kind of a 911 situation here. To make a long story short, we have a 55 gal 10 year old sweet tank. Over the last year or so, we have had about 15 damsels, a tang, 3 clownfish and snowflake eel (approximately 1 foot long) all just disappear. No body, no ammonia spikes, nothing, just vanish overnight. We now have a carpet anemone, but most fish disappeared prior to adding the carpet to the tank. We have had traps set for several months and have still come up with nothing. We've researched bristle worms, flat worms, and mantis shrimp but still haven't figured anything definite out yet. Today, we found this flat shell less looking snail creature that we've never seen the tank before. Any idea what it could be? I do have a pic, but not sure how to post it from my cell phone. It has the same coloring of a snail, maybe a tad darker, and doesn't have a right and left section when moving like the snails do, its one piece. Its also several inches under the sand on the glass. Could this be the culprit of our missing fish, and either way, what could it be? Thanks in advance! Just need to know if we need to get it out of there ASAP or is merely a baby snail who hasn't gotten its shell yet...
 
Hmm...are you sure it's not a worm you are seeing. This scenario sounds suspiciously like a eunicid worm. They can grow to several feet long and are experts at hiding in live rock. A mantis is also a possibility but don't rule out a eunicid worm.
 
Wouldn't you hear the mantis at night clicking?

Sounds like a worm trained by Navy Seals...lol

Man, that's crazy...can't wait till you guys catch this thing.

Have their been body's or have the just vanished into thin air?
 
I kinda thought it was a worm at first. Ill look into the eunacid worm when I get on the comp, and also try to get my pic posted. Thanks!!
 
1. Create a photobucket.com account.

2. Get the photobucket app if you have a smart phone.

3. Upload

4. Copy image code (last link on bottom).

5. Paste it here!
 
Thanks! yeah, we thought we would have heard a mantis clicking or some sign of it, but didnt rule anything out until we do know for sure haha :) working on uploading the pic now
 
here's the pic, thinking of getting it out of there anyway, just in case it's no good.
 

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Hmm, looks kinda like a stretched out stomatella. Would need to see the back side to tell for sure. If he is get to-able, would not hurt to take him out until he is ID'ed.

That tank is 10 years old? You have some clean looking sand for 10 years old, lol.
 
Neptunes World said:
Hmm, looks kinda like a stretched out stomatella. Would need to see the back side to tell for sure. If he is get to-able, would not hurt to take him out until he is ID'ed.

That tank is 10 years old? You have some clean looking sand for 10 years old, lol.
Click to expand...

haha, thanks! it's my fiance's tank, but I do the research and stocking end, he does the cleaning end lol! trying to figure out how to get it out now without getting all the siphoning equipment out lol
 
Your picture is of a chiton, and it's not your culprit. It's actually a very cool and harmless hitchhiker.

Your missing fish sound more like a mantis shrimp or a gorilla crab (but neither of those would take out a foot-long moray. For that, I'd look on the carpet and behind the tank - they commonly go carpet-surfing).

Kevin
 
awesome, thank you!! Any tips on catching whatever it is? We have a mantis shrimp trap set up has been for a good 6 months is not more, and nothing. We have added a soda bottle trap too, to no avail. Whatever it is has been in there for over a year, probably longer, and weve never heard and clicking or anything; could that still be a mantis shrimp?
 
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