Aquarium Serial killers!

[blaxsun]

I've mentioned this previously, but we used to have a green urchin that we'd named "Godzilla". It managed to kill various snails, hermit crabs and even a horseshoe crab which he relentlessly pursued around the tank (drilled several holes right through the skull). It would actively hoard any seaweed dropped in the tank - either smothering it or hauling small rocks (yes, you read that correctly) up onto various perches where it would forge to its heart's content.

We've also got a condy anemone that has eaten at least two small (stupid tangs).

 

[Rovert]

Had 'someone' go rogue and wipe out a Skunk Cleaner shrimp in my tank nibbling its feet and antenna off until it (the shrimp) finally disappeared shortly after Emperor Angel was re-homed because the Angel was nipping at my corals. I strongly suspect either my Melanarus Wrasse or Midas Blenny, but not sure since I haven't caught the culprit in the act and don't want to risk any more shrimp until I know. Any advice welcome.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

I bought 3 yellow tail blue damsels a few years ago. One of them killed one of the others. Then it kept attacking the one that was left. It was a so and so to catch it and I took it back to lfs. I’m still not sure whether I caught the killer or the one it was after. But the one that is still in the tank is the only fish that goes for me when my hand is in tank.

 

[rmorris_14]

Murder hermit

 

[Eye H8 Empty V]

Unfortunately, my sharks didn't understand the cleaner wrasses were just trying to help them.

I would love to see that tank!

 

[Aspect]

I would love to see that tank!

Shark Feeding.

Feeding time for my sharks in my 420 gallon aquarium. Sorry about the quality as I have Kessil lights and they use a lot of UV which messes up the phone camera.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Aspect]

Just got an orange filter lens so I'll get better quality videos. Have to figure out how to record and upload to 1080.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

6 line wrasse kill list

green chromis x3
neon dottyback
bicolor pseudochromis
orchid dottyback
yellow dottyback
multiple peppermint shrimp
coral banded shrimp
skunk cleaner shrimp
I am quite sure it killed one of my dwarf angels
my wallet

 

[anabechara]

My tiger pistol shrimp got a baby yellow watchman goby and was about to eat a baby clownfish... but I caught him and was able to save the clown... needless to say that terrible terrible being went back to the store that same day!
it is unfortunate tho, cause now I don't trust pistol shrimps and I feel I am missing having a pistol shrimp/goby pair... but I cannot put that baby clown in danger again!

 

[Matrig]

No idea who’s doing it but all my Trochus snails end up sucked dry. Also have lost a few small clowns. Maybe have a couple of serial killers on the loose!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Not sure this counts as a "spree" per se, but I had a red mithrax crab kill my serpent starfish, and my melanurus wrasse regularly murders snails (as did my red leg hermits - they got evicted from the tank a while ago, lol).

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Need I say more…

Only other fish to go on an unprovoked killing spree was my banded leporinus. They have a need for dominance and kill any possible competitors (even passive fish like bala sharks). One of the best looking fish out there though:

Hard to blame any predators though, they are just doing what they were made to do.

OMG that clownfish looks smug as can be, lol.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

No idea who’s doing it but all my Trochus snails end up sucked dry. Also have lost a few small clowns. Maybe have a couple of serial killers on the loose!

Do you have a wrasse or hermit crabs?

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

This guy (earmuff wrasse) is a serial killer of hermits, emerald crabs, most snails, cleaner shrimp and even a poor anemone crab.

And she (Kuiter's leopard) is his accomplice!

But they're gorgeous so they just get to enjoy their CUC snacks, lol.

 

[Joe's Coral Reef]

Small purple tang was introduced with 8 other small fish in a 200 gallon tank. All was good for 4 months then the purple just turned into a crazy. He would confine some fish to caves and not allow them to leave. Then the body count started. I should have pulled him earlier when I noticed his behavior go straight psycho. The purple managed to damage almost every fish and killed 2. You could totally see how it changed and turned into this bully. The funny part is when I put him by himself in a 120, the weeny just hides. Scared of the lights, scared when I walk by, scared of the food clip.

 

[MnFish1]

Aquarium Serial killers!

Have you ever had a fish or invert go on a killing spree in your tank? (Could be a trigger that went postal or a shrimp that ate coral...or something else)

image source

A Lemon peel angel - literally ate about 1000$ worth of coral - within a week (while I was trying to unsuccessfully catch it with a fish trap). I didn't realize he was the culprit - the coral just started wasting away. Then after watching the coral closely - I watched the fish swim up - rip huge threads off and swim away.

 

[mjszos]

My cleaner shrimp decided that it had a taste for euphyllia - the salty little bugger decided to munch on my hammer. I always saw him getting cozy when I was spot feeding, but I stopped reef roids for a few weeks as I was planning to be out of town and wanted to keep my phosphates in check... About 10 days after I stopped I saw him going at the hammer with it's little grabbies.

Also my pincushion urchin - the fashion sense on this one is unreal, and while it may not be intentional he picks up frags and suplexs them from the top rope. Leaving them upside down in the sand bed and indirectly killing heads if I don't catch it in time.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I once had a Wolf eel that woke up and chose violence against the tank. I got him out quick before he could eat my juvenile passer angel.

It's really not funny but the way you worded this almost had me spitting out my coffee, lol!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

A Lemon peel angel - literally ate about 1000$ worth of coral - within a week (while I was trying to unsuccessfully catch it with a fish trap). I didn't realize he was the culprit - the coral just started wasting away. Then after watching the coral closely - I watched the fish swim up - rip huge threads off and swim away.

I had a lemon peel that I loved, until I had a rock of mushrooms near the cave it hung out in start wasting away... but after closer inspection, I found out it wasn't actually eating the shrooms - it was majorly irritating them to death by aggressively picking the rock all around them looking for algae. Regardless, all the shrooms melted and I wasn't very happy. What kind of coral did yours tear up?

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

My cleaner shrimp decided that it had a taste for euphyllia - the salty little bugger decided to munch on my hammer. I always saw him getting cozy when I was spot feeding, but I stopped reef roids for a few weeks as I was planning to be out of town and wanted to keep my phosphates in check... About 10 days after I stopped I saw him going at the hammer with it's little grabbies.

Also my pincushion urchin - the fashion sense on this one is unreal, and while it may not be intentional he picks up frags and suplexs them from the top rope. Leaving them upside down in the sand bed and indirectly killing heads if I don't catch it in time.

One of my skunk cleaners almost stressed a BTA to death by constantly yanking food out of it's tentacles. It would wait for me to feed the nem and I'd have to shoo it away with a turkey baster! I've never seen a shrimp munch on coral though, that's a new one.