Gulf live rock - fish missing, help!

[Futuretotm]

So I’ve had my tank set up for four months now, two mollies in it without issue and live rock from the Gulf of Mexico. Yesterday added two clowns and this morning one is missing.

Anyone with possible culprits? What can eat a small clown whole, there are zero signs of him. I know there are pistol shrimps in there as well.

 

[ButteMTDIY]

Yikes! I've received a couple orders from Gulf Live Rock and the worst I got was a few bristleworms. Curious about the culprit. Best of luck.

 

[fishguy242]

checked all overflows,socks??

 

[Variant]

In case you haven't already...

1. Check your sump in case it somehow got down there
2. Check around your tank in case it jumped out (if you have a pet, could it have been eaten)
3. Isopods attacked it, got weak, died, and CuC started to eat it?
4. gorilla crab?
5. Wedged between sand and rock?

 

[Timfish]

When I loose a fish that fast I'm thinking it already had a problem. One reason I like using a quarintine tank is it helps reduce some of the quess work about mysterious fish deaths.

 

[Sump Crab]

I highly doubt it was a critter who killed it, if it is in fact dead. Most likely died due to stress and was consumed by CUC or pistol shrimps.

 

[Futuretotm]

checked all overflows,socks??

Yes, my first thought too, thanks

In case you haven't already...

1. Check your sump in case it somehow got down there
2. Check around your tank in case it jumped out (if you have a pet, could it have been eaten)
3. Isopods attacked it, got weak, died, and CuC started to eat it?
4. gorilla crab?
5. Wedged between sand and rock?

Thank you for the detailed list, I did all of them, the only one I didn’t check is the forbidden territory of the pistol shrimp under the largest rock in my DT

When I loose a fish that fast I'm thinking it already had a problem. One reason I like using a quarintine tank is it helps reduce some of the quess work about mysterious fish deaths.

Thank you, they fed vigorously in the store and when I set them in the DT, but my tank does have more flow

I highly doubt it was a critter who killed it, if it is in fact dead. Most likely died due to stress and was consumed by CUC or pistol shrimps.

Thank you, probably eaten by the cuc

 

[Futuretotm]

Yikes! I've received a couple orders from Gulf Live Rock and the worst I got was a few bristleworms. Curious about the culprit. Best of luck.

Thanks again, not saying gulf LR is bad, could just be a conicident.... they came from calm tank to my much more flow tank

 

[xxkenny90xx]

What kind of pistol shrimp? Got a picture? Honestly if there was a killer in there I would think it would get the molly first. Those are the most clueless fish I've ever seen. They will swim right up to a predator and say HI!

 

[madweazl]

You likely received mantis vs pistol shrimp with the rock. With that said, you likely got a small smasher species that doesnt go after fish so the probability of any shrimp killing the fish is small. What is your salinity? What was the salinity of the water your new fish arrived in? How did you acclimate said fish? Most shops keep the salinity very low (25ppt) and most reefers keep it considerably higher (35ppt). Without a good acclimation protocol, that can kill a fish in short order.

 

[Futuretotm]

What kind of pistol shrimp? Got a picture? Honestly if there was a killer in there I would think it would get the molly first. Those are the most clueless fish I've ever seen. They will swim right up to a predator and say HI!

Wish I had a pic for you, I have acquired long pickups and will offer food and trap him at the entrance of his cave. That did come to mind but I guess perhaps the clowns are much smaller than the mollies.

You likely received mantis vs pistol shrimp with the rock. With that said, you likely got a small smasher species that doesnt go after fish so the probability of any shrimp killing the fish is small. What is your salinity? What was the salinity of the water your new fish arrived in? How did you acclimate said fish? Most shops keep the salinity very low (25ppt) and most reefers keep it considerably higher (35ppt). Without a good acclimation protocol, that can kill a fish in short order.

30min+ drip acclimated, the pair did well yesterday, they were exploring the tank and did ate flakes as well as live brine, ones vanished and the other is happy as a clam, life can’t be too easy...

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Wish I had a pic for you, I have acquired long pickups and will offer food and trap him at the entrance of his cave. That did come to mind but I guess perhaps the clowns are much smaller than the mollies.



30min+ drip acclimated, the pair did well yesterday, they were exploring the tank and did ate flakes as well as live brine, ones vanished and the other is happy as a clam, life can’t be too easy...

I would try to snap a picture before trapping it, most pistol shrimp are harmless (but LOUD)

 

[malacoda]

I highly doubt it was a critter who killed it, if it is in fact dead. Most likely died due to stress and was consumed by CUC or pistol shrimps.

+1

IMO the rock (or potential pests it may or may not contain) is the least likely probability. Check floor, under the stand, overflow, sump, to make sure it didn't jump or go down an overflow etc.

Also, is it possible one clown is either still a little shook up by the move ... or hiding in the rock from the other clown?

BTW - the pistol shrimp on your gulf live rock are harmless. I had several on my rock from TBS. They're no bigger than a randali (aka candy cane pistol shrimp ... 1" at most) and they rarely ever come out of hiding from the nooks or crannies they live in. (they also do NOT bond with gobies).

And while a mischeivous mantis may be a possiblity, the likelihood you have one is probably low as you would have probably seen it by now ... and I would think that the likelihood it would've ambushed a new clown yet never have gone after the mollies is even lower.

 

[Futuretotm]

So I setup some cams at night and the only thing of note is this. Part of a LR, thought it was a rock, has tube feeders and other things growing on it,YET IT MOVES!!

any idea what this could be? A clam?
Here are some Normal light pics:

 

[fishguy242]

yep some sort of!! cool bonus ,filterfeeder,highly doubt anything to do w missing clown though

 

[TriggerFinger]

Awesome hitchicker. Agree it’s not the responsible for your missing fish though. Off topic but Did you get this rock recently? Their website requires me to make an account to purchase rock but I can’t find where to make an account! Cool hitchhikers like this make me want some even more!

 

[Futuretotm]

Awesome hitchicker. Agree it’s not the responsible for your missing fish though. Off topic but Did you get this rock recently? Their website requires me to make an account to purchase rock but I can’t find where to make an account! Cool hitchhikers like this make me want some even more!

got mine from salty bottom, they dive for their own and for rich (Tbs) sometimes as well.

I liked SB more as it is more bahama limestone rather than Walt smith which is more so solid concrete

I was able to hand select my pieces as I work very close to them and saw/compared tbs vs sb in person

 

[Timfish]

Pretty cool stuff on that rock. My guess is a clam that's been overgrown with some corals.

 

[samnaz]

That looks like some good live rock!

 

[dadnjesse]

I bought rock from them a few months ago, while cycling I found lots of Aiptaisa. I would keep an eye out, they are pretty sneeky. When you shine a light or make a vibration they shrivel up to where you can't see them.