Strange Crab Deaths.. what am I missing?

[mario8402]

My tanks has been going for the last 4 months.. everything has been good except I have lost alot of fish.. all my corals are growing. I do regular water tests as well as have 2 LFS' check them and they are always good.

Last Tuesday I found one of my hermit crabs behind my rock work, dead and no shell in sight.. I pulled it out and didnt look too beat up besides that the peppermint did.. Wednesday I found ANOTHER hermit out of its shell on the highest rock I have and also no shell in sight in the same condition... I just got back from out of town today and I saw my biggest emerald crab dead behind my rock work... I have 2 other crabs (1 more emerald (smaller) and 1 strawberry hawaiin ( medium)).. I havent changed anything in the last few weeks so I dont know what could be going on.. I wouldnt think that there is a reason for a "lone hermit" to go around and take shells since I got 5 hermits at the same time and dropped in 8 various sized empty shells.. I have not noticed any snails dead or missing since I do have scattered empty shells.. everything is within spec......what could I be missing???

[dlaclo]

ok what type of fish inverts do you have in your tank... there are certain fish that will eat crabs

[mario8402]

I have 1false clown and 1 silverish goby (thats not the technical name but close haha)
The thing is that they arent eaten... theyre just dead..

[MDeth]

Get a ground probe. < I forget if thats exactly what they are called. But it is a 3-prong plug with 2 plastic forks and the ground is the actual metal. I think they are marketed as "rid-volt" or something.

Rid-Volt Grounding Probe: Premium Aquatics

[Otty]

Have you checked for stray voltage in your tank??? Are you using submerged powerheads?? You may have voltage in your tank. Do you know how or have the equipment to test???

[omard]

Loss of fish & crabs...Ummmm...you may not be feeding enough. If you don't have much algae, it is a good sign you are not - or you have some bad food.

What are you feeding the tank with?

Just a thought

OmarD

[mario8402]

Originally Posted by MDeth

Get a ground probe. < I forget if thats exactly what they are called. But it is a 3-prong plug with 2 plastic forks and the ground is the actual metal. I think they are marketed as "rid-volt" or something.

Rid-Volt Grounding Probe: Premium Aquatics

Thanks for the link. I need to get one of those for sure..
I read somewhere that a titanium heater would be just as good as a ground probe... true?
I have been pricing heaters lately cuz I do need one. would be nice to knock out 2 birds with one stone

Originally Posted by Otty

Have you checked for stray voltage in your tank??? Are you using submerged powerheads?? You may have voltage in your tank. Do you know how or have the equipment to test???

I borrowed a friends voltmeter and we tested it, but I cant say we tested it properly.. I turned everything off, put the probes in and it was in the negative.. as we turned it on it would go up, but would stay in the Ma.. I have no idea what that means, but he said it was hardly any voltaged..
I have a penguin350, aquac with maxihet 1200, and a hydor koralia 1..

Originally Posted by omard

Loss of fish & crabs...Ummmm...you may not be feeding enough. If you don't have much algae, it is a good sign you are not - or you have some bad food.


What are you feeding the tank with?

Just a thought

OmarD

I feed regulary, but the LFS told me to cut back cuz my amonia was a little high.. I feed some kind of spectrum pellets supposed to be the best pellets around and mysis shrimp probably about every 3 days... do they need more??

[MDeth]

mA = milliamperes i believe

I have no clue about the titanium heater being a probe...but I would think it would possibly make the problem worse. I'd research / lookup more about it, and let me know...I'll probably replace mine!

You should get your own test kits too

[mario8402]

I am using a Hagen test kit, but its not very easy to use haha..
I usually test everything, then bring a sample to each LFS and compare.. sometimes they lie

[geekdafied]

did you ever think it might have molted? Mine do that, I will see a body one day when I have 2 hermits in one tank, but there is still 2 LIVE hermits in there.