Houdini fish

[RedNeil]

Hi all Reefers,

INFO NEEDED ASAP PLEASE. I have a fluval 52l marine tank, but with all the media in its about 47l and its been running now for 9 months. I did a 2 month nitrogen cycle then slowly started to add fish and coral. I HAD 2 clowns, 1 blue star damsel and a peacock wrasse. I have 2 purple tip enemies, 2 blue leg hermits, 3 snails 1 cleaner shrimp and a sand sifting starfish.
I check my water parameters aswell as a water change every Sunday. The water parameters have never changed since cycling the tank, pH 8.2 KH 8, NH4 0.05, NO2 0.025, NO3 3/5 (on JBL test kit), PO4 0.02, Ca 440, Mg 1480.
From Sunday night to Monday night my 2 clowns vanished (looked everywhere) and from Tuesday morning to Tuesday afternoon my damsel has now vanished leaving only my peacock wasse.
I have checked my water quality again and all is still the same.
IM HOPING SOMEONE CAN HELP ME WITH THESE HOUDINI FISH or am I missing something out.

 

[Chef Mateo]

Do you have anemones in the back there? They may have eaten the fish at night although I doubt they would eat clownfish.

Do you have a lid (It looks like you do just not 100% sure if you do)? Or a hole where the clowns are damsels can fit through. They are very good at going through smaller spaces so they may have escaped that way.

Just maybe check you sump or filtration

Also slightly unrelated but that's a really nice wrasse!

 

[Starkrost]

Can't help you with Houdini but that's a very, very nice aquascape. I have the same tank

 

[RedNeil]

Do you have anemones in the back there? They may have eaten the fish at night although I doubt they would eat clownfish.

Do you have a lid (It looks like you do just not 100% sure if you do)? Or a hole where the clowns are damsels can fit through. They are very good at going through smaller spaces so they may have escaped that way.

Just maybe check you sump or filtration

Also slightly unrelated but that's a really nice wrasse!

I have 2 purple tip enemies. It has a lid with a 3cm x 5cm hole for lifting the lid. I have checked all around unit aswell and no sign of them. My filters are built into the back of the tank, checked them aswell. Just don't know where they are.

 

[RedNeil]

Can't help you with Houdini but that's a very, very nice aquascape. I have the same tank

Thanks

 

[Chef Mateo]

I have 2 purple tip enemies. It has a lid with a 3cm x 5cm hole for lifting the lid. I have checked all around unit aswell and no sign of them. My filters are built into the back of the tank, checked them aswell. Just don't know where they are.

Do you maybe have a pet that would have snatched them up. Or maybe the fish bounced around somewhere farther away in the house? I'm truly not sure seems weird for all 3 to jump or disappear... They could be just hiding in the rock work really well but doubt it.

 

[RedNeil]

Do you maybe have a pet that would have snatched them up. Or maybe the fish bounced around somewhere farther away in the house? I'm truly not sure seems weird for all 3 to jump or disappear... They could be just hiding in the rock work really well but doubt it.

I have a dog but can't see him eating them. I did lift some of the rocks up to have a look but no sign of fish remains. I will also have look further afield.
Thanks

 

[Chef Mateo]

I have a dog but can't see him eating them. I did lift some of the rocks up to have a look but no sign of fish remains. I will also have look further afield.
Thanks

I really hope you find them, I really hate losing fish. Good luck with them!

 

[Rickybobby]

I lost. Clown a few months ago to velvet but anyway it was dying and dissappeared over night the cuc went to town on him fast

 

[Scubafrog]

Are they in the rear sump compartments? My clowns (2 separate AIO aquariums) have jumped over the false wall into the filtration compartments.

 

[RedNeil]

I really hope you find them, I really hate losing fish. Good luck with them!

It would be nice to know if I have something in my tank that can eat fish in hours and leave no remains. I do have some bristle worms?

 

[Chef Mateo]

It would be nice to know if I have something in my tank that can eat fish in hours and leave no remains. I do have some bristle worms?

Hermit crabs can definitely devour a body very quickly. My only thing with that is how could the clowns and damsel died so quickly? They are much more hardy than a peacock's wrasse.

 

[Scubafrog]

Are your rocks glued together? I actually had a Banggai cardinalfish disappear only to find it squished between two rocks at the top of my aquarium. Almost as if it lifted the rock and then it fell on it in the same place. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Weirdest thing and of course it was in my daughter's aquarium.

 

[RedNeil]

Hermit crabs can definitely devour a body very quickly. My only thing with that is how could the clowns and damsel died so quickly? They are much more hardy than a peacock's wrasse.

Yeah I know so if they was a problem with the water quality, you would think the wrasse would die first. I just can't work it out

 

[Hugh Mann]

Following because I want to know if these fish are found.

Most anything I could add has already been said though.
Jumpers, search all around the tank I'd say a good 10 feet to be sure, checking under stands and furniture. Dog may have made off with it.
CuC eating them overnight. Though why the hardy fish are dying and the less so are alive is a mystery.
Anenome ate them.
Hidden deep within aquascape, alive or dead.
Check the compartments in the back, have heard of many fish getting in there and hiding.

Did you buy live rock to start with? Is there a possibility of a mantis shrimp or bobbit worm skulking around?

 

[RedNeil]

Following because I want to know if these fish are found.

Most anything I could add has already been said though.
Jumpers, search all around the tank I'd say a good 10 feet to be sure, checking under stands and furniture. Dog may have made off with it.
CuC eating them overnight. Though why the hardy fish are dying and the less so are alive is a mystery.
Anenome ate them.
Hidden deep within aquascape, alive or dead.
Check the compartments in the back, have heard of many fish getting in there and hiding.

Did you buy live rock to start with? Is there a possibility of a mantis shrimp or bobbit worm skulking around?

Yes it was live rock, haven't seen a mantis shrimp but will reaserch about bobbit worms. Thanks

 

[Hugh Mann]

Yes it was live rock, haven't seen a mantis shrimp but will reaserch about bobbit worms. Thanks

You won't know they are there until they are a problem. Live off detritus until they are big enough to hunt. Read numerous stories of people taking down tanks and finding a 2' bobbit.

I myself recently discovered a tiny mantis in the one piece of live rock I bought in February. By tiny I mean 1" or smaller. Give it a couple years and it could totally take down fish.

 

[reef_ninja]

Since were bringing up mantis shrimp, ever notice any clicking noises at night?

Thought I lost my lawnmower blenny a few weeks ago, couldn't find him anywhere, even took all the rocks out. After I put everything back, he popped right out of the rocks.

 

[reef_ninja]

You won't know they are there until they are a problem. Live off detritus until they are big enough to hunt. Read numerous stories of people taking down tanks and finding a 2' bobbit.

I myself recently discovered a tiny mantis in the one piece of live rock I bought in February. By tiny I mean 1" or smaller. Give it a couple years and it could totally take down fish.

Absolutely

 

[RedNeil]

You won't know they are there until they are a problem. Live off detritus until they are big enough to hunt. Read numerous stories of people taking down tanks and finding a 2' bobbit.

I myself recently discovered a tiny mantis in the one piece of live rock I bought in February. By tiny I mean 1" or smaller. Give it a couple years and it could totally take down fish.

Thanks will keep an eye out for them