Fish Disappearing??

[walshliam]

I've lost a few fish recently, literally! Here one day, gone the next.  I've had a black clown fish, Diamond Goby and a Blue/Green Chromi in the last month. All of the fish had been happy and healthy for months, the chromi over a year. I've tested water parameters and I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I've been battling Algae for a few months (Hair and red Slime). I've added Carbon and GFO but no other chemicals.

The Clown did look unhealthy the day before he disappeared, he was laying on a rock, but clowns do weird things so I wasn't worried. He ate normally at feeding time. The others looked perfectly fine. I have a Carpet Anenome that I'm wondering if he's the culprit, but I'm not sure how likely that is. He did kill a SeaHare several weeks ago so I guess it's possible.

My Snails, Large Clown, and Shrimp are all still doing great so any advice ?

Thanks

 

[Pistol]

If there are no signs of the fish, bits of carcass, ammonia spike, etc. then I would say the nem got'em.

 

[Jewel]

So you're saying that you can't find a body then I would think the Anenome got them. Too bad.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

do yu have pets ?  if the fish where carpet surfing. ..the pets will have eat em

 

[Jewel]

I didn't think of that. LOL

 

[walshliam]

do yu have pets ?  if the fish where carpet surfing. ..the pets will have eat em

Yes to Pets, but the tank is completely closed in so no way for them to hit the carpet. Didn't realize how effective a carpet anenome could be at catching prey. Maybe I'll look to get rid of him and focus on less expensive anemones to keep

 

[Duke]

if your fish was "laying" on a rock it was already dying and on its way out.. it died.. then the anemone ate the remains.

 

[curiousphil]

Could be that the clean up crew took care of the fish too.  I have had several fish disappear in my system over the past year:

-Yellow Tang (It was a rescue, was sick and dying when I added it... evidently it was too far gone.)
-Lyretail Anthias (Was happy and eating at first, then started getting shy and hiding behind rocks, then completely gone)
-Longspine Cardinal (again just started by getting shy - more so than normal - and then poof gone)
-Blue/green Chromis (I had three, they used to hang as a group out in the open, then recently started getting shy, bullied by the tangs I suspect.  Now they've semi-permanently retreated to the rockwork and I have only seen 2 at a time for weeks.)

What have you got for a CUC?  I've got over a hundred snails and countless bristleworms.  Used to have a large crab as well but I caught and removed it.

 

[walshliam]

if your fish was \"laying\" on a rock it was already dying and on its way out.. it died.. then the anemone ate the remains.

Thats the only fish disappearing that made sense, the others appeared perfectly fine until one day they were gone.

 

[walshliam]

Could be that the clean up crew took care of the fish too.  I have had several fish disappear in my system over the past year:

-Yellow Tang (It was a rescue, was sick and dying when I added it... evidently it was too far gone.)
-Lyretail Anthias (Was happy and eating at first, then started getting shy and hiding behind rocks, then completely gone)
-Longspine Cardinal (again just started by getting shy - more so than normal - and then poof gone)
-Blue/green Chromis (I had three, they used to hang as a group out in the open, then recently started getting shy, bullied by the tangs I suspect.  Now they've semi-permanently retreated to the rockwork and I have only seen 2 at a time for weeks.)

What have you got for a CUC?  I've got over a hundred snails and countless bristleworms.  Used to have a large crab as well but I caught and removed it.

The CUC is actually fairly small, about a dozen snails and a cleaner shrimp. I need to add more, I'm sure it would help with my algae issues. Feel like selling any snails? I can't justify $3 a snail at the LFS, it just seems ridiculous. It's possible the fish have died and settled behind the rocks where I can't see them.

 

[Salty Cracker]

I had a monster serpent star that would eat fish at night, but that monster was 24" tip to tip lol.

 

[DerekL]

I had a purple reef lobster who now resides in my sump that made meals out of a mandarin gobie and 4 purple firefish. I thought I would never get it out I my dt either as it only came out at night and hid under my live rock. Then one day it came strolling out and I was able to grab it up haven't lost a fish since.

 

[curiousphil]

I had a purple reef lobster who now resides in my sump that made meals out of a mandarin gobie and 4 purple firefish. I thought I would never get it out I my dt either as it only came out at night and hid under my live rock. Then one day it came strolling out and I was able to grab it up haven't lost a fish since.

Oh dang!!  I thought reef lobsters were supposed to be safe for some reason.

 

[reeffreak]

Anything with claws will attempt to eat the fish at some point in a boxed aquarium

 

[benzzz]

[quote author=DerekL link=topic=8343.msg89149#msg89149 date=1396996871]
I had a purple reef lobster who now resides in my sump that made meals out of a mandarin gobie and 4 purple firefish. I thought I would never get it out I my dt either as it only came out at night and hid under my live rock. Then one day it came strolling out and I was able to grab it up haven't lost a fish since.

Oh dang!!  I thought reef lobsters were supposed to be safe for some reason.
[/quote]


Reef safe.... but maybe not fish safe  ;D

 

[Jewel]

I thought Serpents cleaned the remains of Dead or dieing fish, Not kill them and eat them. I bought a Black Serpent Star Fish awhile ago, Reef safe but it's always under the rocks, I believe the Lobster to be an opportunist, so not really Reef safe. You say 3 bucks is a waste of money for a snail. I bought for Mexican Turbos last Sept and these guys are machines, Yes they mow down the odd Coral but they are so efficient, Worth the money for sure.

 

[Poseidon]

Anything with claws will attempt to eat the fish at some point in a boxed aquarium

Sweet I have a bowfront I'm good!
haha jk

 

[walshliam]

I thought Serpents cleaned the remains of Dead or dieing fish, Not kill them and eat them. I bought a Black Serpent Star Fish awhile ago, Reef safe but it's always under the rocks, I believe the Lobster to be an opportunist, so not really Reef safe. You say 3 bucks is a waste of money for a snail. I bought for Mexican Turbos last Sept and these guys are machines, Yes they mow down the odd Coral but they are so efficient, Worth the money for sure.

k, not a waste of money, but overpriced. Big Al's were selling them for a $1 each on boxing day, I'm  sure they were still making money as well.

 

[Big_Als_London]

[quote author=Jewel link=topic=8343.msg89271#msg89271 date=1397055772]
I thought Serpents cleaned the remains of Dead or dieing fish, Not kill them and eat them. I bought a Black Serpent Star Fish awhile ago, Reef safe but it's always under the rocks, I believe the Lobster to be an opportunist, so not really Reef safe. You say 3 bucks is a waste of money for a snail. I bought for Mexican Turbos last Sept and these guys are machines, Yes they mow down the odd Coral but they are so efficient, Worth the money for sure.

k, not a waste of money, but overpriced. Big Al's were selling them for a $1 each on boxing day, I'm  sure they were still making money as well.
[/quote]Mexican turbos weren't $1 here at boxing week. The regular turbos might have been but not the big ones. They are usually about 3.50 and worth every penny. They know how to flip themselves over when they fall so they don't die this way. They usually only die when they run out of food.

 

[reeffreak]

I thought Serpents cleaned the remains of Dead or dieing fish, Not kill them and eat them. I bought a Black Serpent Star Fish awhile ago, Reef safe but it's always under the rocks, I believe the Lobster to be an opportunist, so not really Reef safe. You say 3 bucks is a waste of money for a snail. I bought for Mexican Turbos last Sept and these guys are machines, Yes they mow down the odd Coral but they are so efficient, Worth the money for sure.

Serpent stars are notorious for hiding under rocks and then Falling onto unsuspected  victims.