ANYONE ever have a fish totally disappear?

[Ryan Rioux]

I added a regular firefish yesterday to my DT . 2 hours after he was added he disappeared and I haven’t been able to find him since !!!! Checked around entire tank ! Checked overflow . My only thought is he’s hiding in the rocks somewhere .

 

[Ryan Rioux]

Anyone ever have his happen

 

[TangingOut]

Like every reefer to have ever reef

 

[andrewkw]

Many times. In fact my firefish disappeared last week. He was well established too. In fact when most fish die I never see them die.

You just got the fish yesterday? though that's hardly enough time to say he has disappeared. Almost all fish will hide initially even bigger more aggressive fish, let alone something like a firefish. I would give it at least a week before you worry, and at least 2 before you assume he is gone for good. When I got a yasha goby he hid a full 6 months before I saw him (most likely had a borrow at the back where I couldn't see). After those initial 6 months he came out and ate every time I fed for a couple of years.

 

[TangingOut]

Firefishes are pretty timid. 1 day is nothing, some fishes hide for weeks. If you're lucky and there's no aggression towards your firefish, he'll eventually come out.

 

[GSPClown94]

Firefish are notorious for jumping

 

[Ryan Rioux]

Firefish are notorious for jumping

I checked everywhere around the tank , last night , and today .

 

[ca1ore]

LOL ...... pretty common I'm afraid. Fish dies in under the rocks, CUC reduces carcass ...... no trace!

 

[Ryan Rioux]

Firefishes are pretty timid. 1 day is nothing, some fishes hide for weeks. If you're lucky and there's no aggression towards your firefish, he'll eventually come out.

Hopefully . The clowns showed some aggression towards it .

 

[videosilva]

One of the many mysteries of a reef tank. The disappearing fish.

 

[Kayotic5011]

I added a regular firefish yesterday to my DT . 2 hours after he was added he disappeared and I haven’t been able to find him since !!!! Checked around entire tank ! Checked overflow . My only thought is he’s hiding in the rocks somewhere .

Yes, I had a stary blenny completely disappear, no lie. I also had a little orange spotted goby disappear as well......oh oh and this golden head sleeper goby....gone....My fish in tank consisted of one coral beauty, one tomini tang, 2 maroon clowns (pair) and a six line wrasse...so I know nothing ate them out right and they were in a 40 gallon breeder reef tank, I just switched to a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon breeder refugium. In the process of the move I found one very dried up orange spotted goby, but thats it. I have a pistol shrimp named "Clamps" "Gonna give him the clamps boss!" so what I'm guessing is the fish suddenly died then got had by the pistol shrimp before I could notice. The thing is though I look into my tank everyday all day when I can, and noticed the moment they vanished and searched around the tank on the floor for the fish, never found one (except the goby dried as mentioned above months later). Each of these fish were perfectly healthy and showing no signs of illness, so for them to just have up and died when all my other fish were fine is very odd.

 

[Kayotic5011]

and those fish mentioned were all one right after the next, they were never in the tank at the same time. With the other fish yes, but no multiple gobies. Blenny and goby yes, but I didnt have enough room for a sleeper and a orange spot in a 40....oh and dont get a shifter the size of a sleeper for a reef tank, they like to cover it with sand lol, I'm glad the one I had vanished I didnt want it after seeing that lol...Beautiful fish though, great cleaner.

 

[Fallling]

Just had this happen with a female radial filefish. A pair went through 2 months of QT with Prazi, feeding Metroplex, and TTM before being added to the DT. I saw the male several days later but never saw the female again. This was about 2 weeks ago... I pretty much assume she's gone. I'm still very perplexed about happened to her.

 

[Ryan Rioux]

Yes, I had a stary blenny completely disappear, no lie. I also had a little orange spotted goby disappear as well......oh oh and this golden head sleeper goby....gone....My fish in tank consisted of one coral beauty, one tomini tang, 2 maroon clowns (pair) and a six line wrasse...so I know nothing ate them out right and they were in a 40 gallon breeder reef tank, I just switched to a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon breeder refugium. In the process of the move I found one very dried up orange spotted goby, but thats it. I have a pistol shrimp named "Clamps" "Gonna give him the clamps boss!" so what I'm guessing is the fish suddenly died then got had by the pistol shrimp before I could notice. The thing is though I look into my tank everyday all day when I can, and noticed the moment they vanished and searched around the tank on the floor for the fish, never found one (except the goby dried as mentioned above months later). Each of these fish were perfectly healthy and showing no signs of illness, so for them to just have up and died when all my other fish were fine is very odd.

My starry blenny disappeared when I transferred to this tank . Been 4 months haven’t seen anything

 

[BootyPup]

Sixline wrasse. Didn't jump, never found a body, its just gone.

 

[Kayotic5011]

My starry blenny disappeared when I transferred to this tank . Been 4 months haven’t seen anything

lol i know the feeling, when mine disappeared I was really surprised. I said to my self "That was an awful big fish to just vanish in this 40 breeder", so I searched for a good while, even moved a couple rocks the next time I had to go in my tank and nothing, It was also a little to big for the pistol shrimp to have gotten the whole thing without me finding a piece of it. Still dont know what happened to it.

 

[dansreef]

I have had my fair share of fish go carpet surfing. The family cats usually made quick work of them....leaving no trace. I then placed mesh netting over and around the top of the tank and equipment. The fish would then hunt out the only minor gap... and out they would go. They then decided jumping or sliding into an overflow was fun. This usually makes for a challenge retrieval. On my big system.... I had a fish that some how slipped through all measures to only end up in one of the filter socks in the basement sump. He has made the trip at least a dozen times.... The last time I didn't have filter socks on ...and he disappeared into the rock filled sump... I am pretty sure one of the assorted crabs I have exiled there got a treat.

It happens. Sometimes the fish will burry itself in the rock work for a while... and then they will suddenly appear. I hope this is the case for you.

 

[Kayotic5011]

Yes the overflow has been a problem for me, in fact my starry blennt (mentioned above) when he was in my tank would swim up to the over flow and let it suck him to it and he would hang out there. I was like "what the heck is he dead" went to touch him and he swam away all healthy looking. I guess he figured out he had to use no energy to sit high in the tank....smart fish...well was lol. I figured since he was doing that thats where he ended up, but as mentioned above I did not find him.

 

[GSPClown94]

I checked everywhere around the tank , last night , and today .

Now check everywhere not around the tank. One of my first fish was a firefish and of course it jumped but I found it weeks later on the other side of the room on the bottom of a bookshelf. Hopefully it is just playing hide and seek in your tank and not outside of it.

 

[Centurio]

Everyone of us actually.