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.