Missing wrasse - do I disturb sand?

Hexabonal · Aug 21, 2019

Hello everyone,

I've had a melanarus wrasse for a couple of weeks now. He emerged after one week and did not look well at all, lying at a funny angle on the bottom. He disappeared again though and I haven't seen him out for another week. I'm scared that if he dies the body will cause my tank to crash. But if he has somehow pulled through then I don't want to harm/disturb him and the other inhabitants by turning the tank upside down. Do you have any recommendations?

reef lover · Aug 21, 2019

Do not search for him. If he made it he will.come out on his own. If he didnt most likely your cuc will take care of him in short time.

vetteguy53081 · Aug 21, 2019

A dead fish will not crash a tank. If CUC doesn’t find him his carcass will float out to the top. Not unusual to be unseen though. Food generally brings them out

CindyKz · Aug 21, 2019

Wrasses are like that sometimes - when stressed they'll lie on the bottom like they are at death's door, only to nonchalantly swim off a few minutes later. As others said, he'll come out or he won't. Either way, digging around to find him will only stress him further.

MichaelReefer · Aug 21, 2019

When I first got my Wrasse, he hid for days. I found him and thought he was dead or dying so removed him into a QT tank, then he magically was fine again. He seems to play dead, hide, and sleep in the weirdest spots. I wouldn't find it odd at all if he just shows up one day. I have found mine laying on my rock, sleeping. Thought he was dead then just woke up and swam around.

328 reef · Aug 26, 2019

My Wrasse disappeared after a year, I looked every where for him (Tommy), I looked on the ground, around the tank. Then one day I saw him in my overflow area. He is Happy and well fed. Cant get him out, so that's his home for the past 4 years!