How long do you give a 'missing fish' before declaring KIA?

[shollis2814]

So, I had a bad GHA outbreak in my 20 long. I ended up doing a blackout, massive water change, and rescape so I could take a toothbrush to the weakened algae that was still hanging on. This was followed by daily smaller water changes until things settled down. When I rescaped, my Prawn goby and pistol shrimp were fine, but I did have to remove the roof of their home to rearrange.

I don't want to go messing with rocks again, but I haven't seen either for almost a week now. I know they can be shy, but I put the rocks in such awa that I can look from the side and see behind my rockwork.

As the title states, how long do you give MIA fish before considering replacement?

 

[saintsreturn]

For me, it is usually about 3 days as this is about how long some go without food before they die. (IME) but that said, i have had a small guy missing for a week only to return and say hi when i wasnt expecting it.

 

[Jesterrace]

A major rockscape restructure is stressful on them and they might hide for a while, that said it all depends on the individual fish. Given the fact you haven't seen both of them for a few days I would still suspect hiding. Hopefully they don't do it too long.

 

[eatbreakfast]

For a watchman goby, they can stay unnoticed for a long time. I know that some have thought theirs were dead for up to a year after disturbing the tank only to have them eventually pop up.

 

[shollis2814]

For a watchman goby, they can stay unnoticed for a long time. I know that some have thought theirs were dead for up to a year after disturbing the tank only to have them eventually pop up.

Yeah, I knew gobies can be really secretive and I barely saw the prawn until I added the shrimp. I'll give it a few more days.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I found a Clarkii clown in a tank I inherited when I bought my first house. He had been living in the overflow to the filtration section for probably two years! Unless you've checked everywhere...and I mean EVERYWHERE, I would give it at least a week.

 

[andrewkw]

I once had a yasha goby I didn't see for about 6 months. It was in a 90g though.
If its a free swimming fish and it doesn't come out twice during feeding, I will usually assume it's dead.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I have to admit I misread the first post. I thought he said he had a 120 gallon tank! In a 20 gallon tank, there are just not that many places to hide :/

 

[madweazl]

For a watchman goby, they can stay unnoticed for a long time. I know that some have thought theirs were dead for up to a year after disturbing the tank only to have them eventually pop up.

I had one that was MIA for two-three years in a 40g tank only to pop out when we were tearing the tank down to move. It was 10 or 11 years old at that point.

 

[erdrick80]

My royal Gramma was seen 4days ago, but had ick or velvet used to come out to feed, and was being picked by damsel which I later caught and placed in sump. Anyways haven't seen him since. He usually appears and swims around in my 46bow. I'm pretty sure he's a gonner.

 

[Katrina71]

I hope not

 

[scchase]

I had a Bumblebee goby that I saw a total of 4 times over an 8 year period

 

[Hemmdog]

I found my royal gramma in my sump 6 months after I deemed him missing. And I look in my sump all the time to harvest chaeto, etc. he must of been living off leftover mysis, it was a surprise for sure.

 

[Captain Quint]

Thought I had a wrasse die.

Several months later I had the top off of the tank cleaning everything including OF and there it was just having a big time.

 

[Dom]

Monitor your ammonia. If it has died, you will see an ammonia spike.

When did you last test and what were your numbers?

 

[eatbreakfast]

If it died you won't necassarily see an ammonia spike, especially with a small fish.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Agree, depended on clean up crew, and bioload and size of the fish you might not ever see any ammonia register. But i've seen fish go months without being seen and then one day they magically reappear lol

 

[MrJay]

I had a strawberry dottyback disappear on me. Probably 6 months after the last time I had seen him I swapped from a 120 to a 150. About 2 months into the 150 running I was feeding and Boom! There he was... I figured he was abducted by aliens and they finally decided to return him

 

[Clarinuto]

Awesome thread!! I had a Royal gramma disappear without a trace a couple months ago. This thread gives me hopes that perhaps the little guy will pop back up and surprise us in the future.

 

[erdrick80]

Well... A can assure with certainty my royal gramma is dead. Woke up this morning to look over my tank as usual, and found half he's body stuck to my power head wave maker .

I'm so ticked!!!! Seriously, I liked him alot, he was fun to watch just like Mr. Benny the Blenny. Now I don't know if it was the damnsel or the ick/velvet crap that they always have that killed him. Could it be my emerald crab? Or my peppermint shrimp? I mean... I work where I live. I'm a super at my complex and have my 2 15min break and hour lunch at my apt. So I'm always keeping an eye out at my tank, but I can't see the back of my live rock I wonder if maybe they did something? Frustrating.