Where the helanarus is my melanarus?

Eel Steve · Aug 27, 2015

So Saturday evening I got a melanarus, drip acclimated it for 40 mins, temperature floated for like 5, then put it in. It went down by a rock, then I just saw some substrate go poof and haven't seen it since. I can't see it from under the tank. I can't see it from the sides. I'm concerned about it not eating! Is there ANY thing I can do to get it out without stressing it out too much, or do I really just have to sit and wait?

Should I like, try feeding daily to lure it out?

And I've looked at night, haven't seen it yet then either.

water params are all fine, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 8.3 ph, 78.6 degrees F, 5-10 nitrates.

kacrocorals581 · Aug 27, 2015

Think mine stayed in the sand for close to a week. Just give him time he well come out when he feels comfortable

spectra · Aug 27, 2015

I had the same thing happen years ago. But had a different experience and found a skeleton........Hopefully all works out for you they are an amazing fish!

Cment · Aug 27, 2015

leave it be, dont disturb the sand and it should come out when it feels safe.

Waters · Aug 28, 2015

As everyone else stated, they can sometimes remain buried for weeks at a time when they are first introduced. He will eventually come out. On another note, I vote best title for a thread lol.

TheEngineer · Aug 28, 2015

Also check your overflows. When mine got spooked it somehow always founds its way in there. I think everyone else is right though, probably just hanging out in the sand still.

dbl · Aug 28, 2015

Waters said:
As everyone else stated, they can sometimes remain buried for weeks at a time when they are first introduced. He will eventually come out. On another note, I vote best title for a thread lol.

Agreed, on both the fact of giving him time (mine stayed buried for nearly a week) and this being the best thread title!

Eel Steve · Aug 28, 2015

I'm still freaking out about this. Day 6, nothing when I turned on the light in the 30 mins before work. I'll look again when I go home for lunch.

Someone else told me they can get stuck under rocks and stuff when they burrow.

I think I just have to wait and see if my ammonia spikes :/

I don't like putting a fish in, not seeing it for a week, and then it just dying. At all. Makes me just wanna do damsels

Waters · Aug 28, 2015

My Leopard hid for almost 14 days. He appeared one morning and swam around like he had been in the tank for years. Never hid again. Just have to be patient

-Logzor · Aug 28, 2015

Do you have a top on the aquarium? Make sure it's not dried out fish-jerky behind the stand. This is how i lost mine! A sad day.

ca2or · Aug 28, 2015

yep. As already stated, my melanarus hid for over 2 weeks....I was certain it was gone, in fact I actually forgot I had it till one day it came out and after that it only hid at night...and by hide I mean kick up a sandstorm as it buried itself.

dbl · Aug 28, 2015

ca2or said:
...and by hide I mean kick up a sandstorm as it buried itself.

Had a guest over just the other evening when "poof", it looked like a bomb went off. Freaked out my guest, and I had to explain it was just one of the residents hitting the sack for the evening. Stay the course, if it hasn't jumped or gone in to the overflow box as described above (which we all hope is not the case), it's likely just getting used to its new home. Best of luck as they really are very cool creatures.

Eel Steve · Aug 28, 2015

-Logzor said:
Do you have a top on the aquarium? Make sure it's not dried out fish-jerky behind the stand. This is how i lost mine! A sad day.

Glass hood, fairly weighty, no cracks in it except near the overflow, and even there not even snails get out. So I doubt the melanarus did.

If it DID jump out, my siberian husky has shown in the past he loves salmon, I bet wrasse isn't far off....

I *really* don't think it jumped out though.

It definitely didn't go through the overflow, cuz the overflow goes directly into a filter sock, and I'd have found him dead in there.

So. On we wait.

ca2or · Aug 28, 2015

Worse thing you can do is start sifting your sand to find him, if you do find him you will just make him/her even more timid. Remember, reefing is where nothing good happens fast.

Eel Steve · Aug 28, 2015

Wellanarus, it happened. remember how I said I was gonna check on lunch?

IT CAME OUT!!!

ca2or · Aug 28, 2015

Happy to see

Eel Steve · Aug 28, 2015

She was eating immediately and acting like she owned that cave. Saw her even peck at a few hermit crabs! Idk if for fun, aggression, but it was funny honestly. And I was just glad to see her.

"Family photo" from my GF while at work