LPS Coral eating monster

[kirstyflash]

My Duncan and hammer have been attacked, sadly the Duncan didn’t make it and I have lost one head off the hammer. I recently found this guy who I assume is a red Mithrax...but I could be wrong. We also introduced a single small peppermint shrimp not long before the attacks. Any help on the culprit would be great. Our tank is fallow due to a ich outbreak so I can easily set up a trap to catch any little buggers.

This is the best I could get of this guy

This is the closest match to what he looks like. Not as red as this

When the hammer was first attacked

Dead hammer :(

 

[Flippers4pups]

My Duncan and hammer have been attacked, sadly the Duncan didn’t make it and I have lost one head off the hammer. I recently found this guy who I assume is a red Mithrax...but I could be wrong. We also introduced a single small peppermint shrimp not long before the attacks. Any help on the culprit would be great. Our tank is fallow due to a ich outbreak so I can easily set up a trap to catch any little buggers.

This is the best I could get of this guy

This is the closest match to what he looks like. Not as red as this

When the hammer was first attacked

Dead hammer :(

Red light after lights out will tell whos the culprit. Catch the crab either way and place in your sump. Both are highly likely culprits.

 

[CNDReef]

That kinda looks like a strawberry crab.

 

[kirstyflash]

That kinda looks like a strawberry crab.

Had a look and he isn’t pink/red enough and my crabs legs are hairy, but will keep looking into that one.
I’m going to sump anyone who is suspicious

 

[kirstyflash]

Any ideas on how to flush him out? He is in a rock with many caves twisting thru it. It’s home to stomas and other snails/creatures, plus it is pretty big and I don’t want to kill anything, I just want to sump him

 

[Dsnakes]

Could be the crab. I have decided that peppermint shrimp are very quick to go rogue and go after LPS. Seem they can really wipe out some Acans as well.

I agree with @Flippers4pups - get out the red light.

 

[KrisReef]

Put some bait out in a location that has good access and grab the crab when it comes out to eat

 

[Livinlocal]

I would bet on the peppermint shrimp. I had some go rouge and they ate my hammers, frogspwan, and some acans before I bought a large wrasse.

 

[kirstyflash]

Red light and trap and bait. I’m going crabbing tonight

 

[kirstyflash]

Traps have been successful only if I wanted to get all my nassarius in one lot. Red light has helped locate the bugger. I got a set of long tweezers to try and grab him but he still runs back into the rock when I get them near him and I don’t have the steadiest of hands. Here are a few more pics that I have just taken. Used the red light, but got good images of his claws, hoping that can help with an ID. Little bugger was carrying a baby trochus snail into his den. Hoping the baby was already dead and the crab is just cleaning house.