find the suspect

[Tman]

hi

there is a killer in my tank.
everyday i have fish got beaten, eaten to where you can see bone sticking out.

i have

Mystery wrasses (I think he's the killer)
gold rim tang
clown tang
sailfin tang
powder brown tang
2x tomato clown fish
blue damsel
manderin

used to have

big yellow tang
small blue hippo tang
green chromis

here is the situation. Day 1, the yellow tang got snap at the top fin where you can see two of her bone were sticking out. day after find her laying dead in the rock. Follow is the hippo tang wont come out from rocks. he last 3 days in rocks and found dead. next, is the green chromis, some one snap him on his side where you can see the red meat. disappear next day.

i have pic of the yellow tang just that i don't know how to post pic up yet.

who is the suspect?

what should i do with him?

 

[RichT]

I think none of the above. You may have another critter (i.e. crab/shrimp) thats taking them out. I know the Hippo's and Chromis like to wedge in the rocks at night making them easier targets for predators. Disappearing fish generally means someone's dinner. I've never heard anyone say their wrasse caused a problem. Out of your list of fish, the tomato clowns are the only one's I'd suspect if it were a fish. Then again, what size tank do you have? 6 Tangs is a lot to have in a tank unless its large (225+). Tangs have a barb on the base of their tail that they use as a weapon.

 

[MikeNapoli]

I was going to say one of the Tangs or a Mantis as well. There are alot of tangs in that tank. I have three and they chase. I couldn't imagine 6.

 

[Tman]

i have a 220 they seem doing fine in there and planning to add more.

but the suspect?

who is the suspect?

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

Out of that list the only ones I would rule out would be the wrasse and the mandarin. The rest are all known to be territorial and can really pack a punch. The crabs just clean up the bodies, unless you hear some clicking at night. Then it could be a mantis shrimp.

 

[Phyl]

That sounds rather like a mantis shrimp attack. Where did you get your rock from?