There's a killer in my reef

[masssnapz]

Heres the story, about a year ago I noticed I was losing fish overnight. They would be fat and happy eating at 8pm the night before and then at 6 am the next morning when i check on the tank before heading out they would be mia. I'd find them after work stuck in a hole 2 sizes 2 small head first, and when I pull em out there would only be 1/2 a fish left. A few weeks later I found a 12" bobbit pulled the rock he was in out and never reused it.
Well last week my 6 line went mia never found the body and I just now found my 5" copperband butterfly, well half of him, eatin from the tail to the gills.
Luckily I am in the process of setting up a 90g tank in the basement which will be wet this weekend. I can't cook the existing rock because it needs to be a swift transfer to keep my remaining fish and all my coral alive. I heard dipping the rock in sprite will drive nasty critters out of rock but will this harm the bacteria already on the rock ?

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

I personally have never heard the Sprite idea. I think it would do more harm than good. A hypersalinity dip may work (roughly 1.030). At least then you could pick n choose the critters that bail out to return to the DT. Or, if you know the possible location of the culprit, you could use a turkey baster and rodi to flush it out. A freshwater dip to my knowledge would wipe out bacteria, so I would have to say Sprite would definitely do the same. Simply suggestions and unpracticed ones at that, so I'd wait for a second opinion before acting.

 

[lambchops]

I don't think I would ever dip my rock in sprite, you could try a trap.

 

[masssnapz]

Haha that's why I was asking about the sprite. I was doubting it anyways, I would have guessed soda water before sprite.

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Sounds a bit fishy to me. (Pun fully intended) :D

 

[masssnapz]

Sounds a bit fishy to me. (Pun fully intended) :D

I've haddock enough of your nonsense

 

[masssnapz]

So I've spotted a crab some kind in my tank. Kinda of tan/white with bands of darker brown on the legs and it has black claws. I set a trap up to see if I could catch it last night with no luck but I believe I've figured out which rock it's in. Going to try and pull it tonight and take "care" of it.

 

[3mm3]

Try carbonated water

 

[masssnapz]

Update: here is the crab, haven't tried to id yet on my own, anyone have an idea as to which species ? The pics make it look tiny but those are some very large tweezers.

 

[nemo1017]

Gorilla crab. Sump him or dump him to someone who may want him.

 

[masssnapz]

Already done. The amazing thing is he has been in here for at least 3 years. That's the last time I added live rock and I'm sure didn't come in on any coral, it's all Bayer dipped.