How long is too long for a fish to hide.

CanesReef · Jul 31, 2019

Afternoon yall,

So i recently inherited a Royal Gramma about a week and a half ago from a buddy that got out of the hobby. The fish was in perfect health and ate like a pig in his system. Now i know that fish take a while to acclimate and get used to their new environments but ive never been in the situation where i havent seen a fish for over a week/ almost 2. Hes not coming out during feeding and i know he isnt getting any of the food im dropping in. Now my question is when should i go in and look for it. I really dont want to have a dead fish inside of my rock work where i cant get it out. Any advice on what to do will be greatly appreciated !!

BadFish619 · Jul 31, 2019

Do you have a clean up crew? Maybe he's alive and finding food. If he's not your clean up crew will get him. What size tank? How old?

CanesReef · Jul 31, 2019

BadFish619 said:
Do you have a clean up crew? Maybe he's alive and finding food. If he's not your clean up crew will get him. What size tank? How old?

Yea i have a clean up crew (Hermits, Nas snails, Turbos, Trochus). The tank is 34 gals and has been up for about 10-11 months now, parameters are stable and corals growing nicely. I have two clowns and a midas blenny in there with him. I hope he doesnt pass that'd be a bummer.

BadFish619 · Jul 31, 2019

I wouldn't worry about ripping your entire tank apart for him. Small fish, cleanup crew should be sufficient if he is dead

JumboShrimp · Jul 31, 2019

I agree. If he shows back up in two weeks-- pleasant surprise. If not, your clean up crew will have given him a 'burial at sea.'

Flexstone2k · Jul 31, 2019

CanesReef said:
Afternoon yall,

So i recently inherited a Royal Gramma about a week and a half ago from a buddy that got out of the hobby. The fish was in perfect health and ate like a pig in his system. Now i know that fish take a while to acclimate and get used to their new environments but ive never been in the situation where i havent seen a fish for over a week/ almost 2. Hes not coming out during feeding and i know he isnt getting any of the food im dropping in. Now my question is when should i go in and look for it. I really dont want to have a dead fish inside of my rock work where i cant get it out. Any advice on what to do will be greatly appreciated !!

Is your tank covered? They can jump out. If not check around tank. I found by 6 line wrasse on the floor this afternoon

vetteguy53081 · Jul 31, 2019

2 weeks Not unusual. Anything more than that may cause concern.
Don't take my statement, but in My experience, grammas generally are out in 1-3 days but if food is reaching it where it hides, may take longer especially if intimidated by another tank mate

LilElroyJetson · Jul 31, 2019

vetteguy53081 said:
2 weeks Not unusual. Anything more than that may cause concern.
Don't take my statement, but in My experience, grammas generally are out in 1-3 days but if food is reaching it where it hides, may take longer especially if intimidated by another tank mate

I agree with this. I’ve had fish hide for 2 weeks and then one day just be out and about. With two territorial clowns in the tank, I wouldn’t be surprised but as others have said, if unfortunately he passed, the cleanup crew has probably already made quick work of his carcass. Maybe with the next fish you introduce, try it with the lights off to reduce stress and give him an opportunity to find a spot to get comfortable in (maybe even an acclimation box). Keep us posted!

vetteguy53081 · Jul 31, 2019

LilElroyJetson said:
I agree with this. I’ve had fish hide for 2 weeks and then one day just be out and about. With two territorial clowns in the tank, I wouldn’t be surprised but as others have said, if unfortunately he passed, the cleanup crew has probably already made quick work of his carcass. Maybe with the next fish you introduce, try it with the lights off to reduce stress and give him an opportunity to find a spot to get comfortable in (maybe even an acclimation box). Keep us posted!

My record is:

Bought a dart fish at LFS because it was pretty and Cheap in price. Released into tank and never after 2 weeks saw it.
Hmmm. . . . Looked all around floor and, no jumper ? Bought another a week later..... same thing. Never saw it and started to wonder who my tank killer could be, but theyre too small, so likely not. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER I CALLED IN TO WORK AND RIGHT BEFORE LIGHTS OUT (which I'm gone for work before lights out), I SEE THE TWO DARTS LOOKING FOR ANYTHING TO NIBBLE ON - WHAT ?????
SO MY RECORD IS NEARLY TWO MONTHS !!

CanesReef · Jul 31, 2019

vetteguy53081 said:
My record is:

Bought a dart fish at LFS because it was pretty and Cheap in price. Released into tank and never after 2 weeks saw it.
Hmmm. . . . Looked all around floor and, no jumper ? Bought another a week later..... same thing. Never saw it and started to wonder who my tank killer could be, but theyre too small, so likely not. ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER I CALLED IN TO WORK AND RIGHT BEFORE LIGHTS OUT (which I'm gone for work before lights out), I SEE THE TWO DARTS LOOKING FOR ANYTHING TO NIBBLE ON - WHAT ?????
SO MY RECORD IS NEARLY TWO MONTHS !!

That’s actually wild [emoji23]

jd371 · Aug 1, 2019

I no longer have my Firefish but he would go into hiding quite often, the longest was 1 month. He was the first fish and when I started adding more fish to the tank he would hide when introducing certain fish. When I added the Copperband is when he hid for a straight month. I thought for sure he must of starved to death but a month later he was out and about with a big belly so all this time hiding he was still getting food.

roberthu526 · Aug 1, 2019

A year or so

Coralreefer1 · Aug 1, 2019

I have a Royal Gramma in my Nano Tank. I have had it for about 6 months now. When I first bought it, I would not see it very often as it would hide in my rock work. Then it would dart out to get a passing mysis shrimp and be right back in the rocks. I now see my Gramma constantly as it has become comfortable in its surroundings.
They are very skiddish. You might want to see if it jumped. If their are other fish that are intimidating they will seek shelter more so than not.

CanesReef · Aug 1, 2019

Coralreefer1 said:
I have a Royal Gramma in my Nano Tank. I have had it for about 6 months now. When I first bought it, I would not see it very often as it would hide in my rock work. Then it would dart out to get a passing mysis shrimp and be right back in the rocks. I now see my Gramma constantly as it has become comfortable in its surroundings.
They are very skiddish. You might want to see if it jumped. If their are other fish that are intimidating they will seek shelter more so than not.

It definitely hasn’t jumped I looked all around the tank, it’s in there whether it be alive or not. I’m guessing the clowns are being territorial. Oh well I hope one day I’ll see the little guy swim around the tank.

Entz · Aug 1, 2019

Another place to check is the overflow box if you have one. I used to have a watchman that would take vacations in there...

CanesReef · Aug 1, 2019

Entz said:
Another place to check is the overflow box if you have one. I used to have a watchman that would take vacations in there...

Honestly I didn’t think to look into the back filtration, I’ll check it out when I get home later tonight. I have a RSM 130 it’s an all in one tank.

CanesReef · Aug 7, 2019

So I finally saw him this morning, I walked into the room and saw a purple and yellow flash in the tank. It disappeared into the rock work as soon as it saw movement in the room. I’ve been looking for him for a while and I started to notice that some of my cleanup crew was getting picked off (specifically my blue leg hermits). Their bodies bitten in half and drifting in the current. So he’s been eating. Just sucks that I’m gunna have a fish that I’ll never see LOL

4FordFamily · Aug 7, 2019

That's uncommon for a gramma to hide that long, but I am glad you saw it! Perhaps it will become more comfortable over time.

Do you have any other pseudochromis/dottybacks or wrasse that may be bullying/chasing it? Damsels? Angels? Tangs?

CanesReef · Aug 7, 2019

4FordFamily said:
That's uncommon for a gramma to hide that much, but I am glad you saw it! Perhaps it will become more comfortable over time.

Do you have any other pseudochromis/dottybacks or wrasse that may be bullying/chasing it? Damsels? Angels? Tangs?

Yea I have two clowns in with him. But he was out and about when I walked into the room so seems he’s just scared of me.