Alright guys I have been doing the reef thing for a good 5 to 6 yrs know so I know a good amount of stuff about keeping the tanks going but for some reason I just lost my firefish about a week ago and cant figure out for the life of me what happened to him,I diddnt notice anything wrong with him no tattered fins,he was eating fine and the just out of no where he disappeared I know that sometimes these guys will jump out of the tank but that didnt happen,maybe an internal parasite but that couldnt be it either because he was gaining weight and looked very healty,I have been adding some seachem reef builder for the last 2 weeks or so because my alkalinity is very low,and I was wondering if maybe this might have caused a problem but I dont see why because all the other fish are doing great still and are not showing any odd behavior this has happened before with my hippo that I had for 2yrs and she up and died so I just chalked it up as a loss,but after u lose another fish the same way it kinda gets a little agervating all params are fine salinity at 1.023,ph is at 8.3,nitrates at 0,gh 8,kh gets a colorchange at 5 to 6 drops,and calcium is low that is why I have been adding the reefbuilder to get the alkalinity right so I can build up my calcium level and the temp stays at 78degress, so if any of u guys can think of anything let me know.
lost a fish question?
- Thread starter jdubb1316
- Start date
I think for most seasoned fishkeepers, at some point or another, most of us have experienced the "MIA" syndrome, where a loved fish is there one day, and gone the next.
Sometimes it can be a case of jumping, so before you write that off, make sure to do a really thorough check of the perimeter of the tank. Other times the animal may get stuck in between crevices of live rock within the tank. When that happens, if they aren't located and freed, they eventually starve to death, die from injuries from being stuck and struggling, or are preyed upon by more aggressive tank mates.
Other times, it's simply cut and dry predation by another tank mate.
When this happens, there is no warning, and usually no evidence left behind.
If you don't house anything aggressive, or known to be a bully, then perhaps your vanished resident has managed to wedge themselves somewhere within the live rock or other structures. Also, check your filters, as intakes are infamous for eliminating the unsuspecting resident. Even one's who have resided in a tank for years have been polished off by coming to close to a powerfull intake.
If you don't have intake covers, look inside the filter it's self for any evidence of foul play.
But also note that sometimes, when stressed, injured or sick, fish take to hiding, and some, especially of the smaller species, are excellent at hiding when needed. Give it a few days, and look over all the things I mentioned to see if you can find any indication that this was less than alien abduction
Hopefully you will locate the little guy, but if not, give your tank and residents a quick once-over to ensure maximum potential for safety and harmony in the future.
Sometimes it can be a case of jumping, so before you write that off, make sure to do a really thorough check of the perimeter of the tank. Other times the animal may get stuck in between crevices of live rock within the tank. When that happens, if they aren't located and freed, they eventually starve to death, die from injuries from being stuck and struggling, or are preyed upon by more aggressive tank mates.
Other times, it's simply cut and dry predation by another tank mate.
When this happens, there is no warning, and usually no evidence left behind.
If you don't house anything aggressive, or known to be a bully, then perhaps your vanished resident has managed to wedge themselves somewhere within the live rock or other structures. Also, check your filters, as intakes are infamous for eliminating the unsuspecting resident. Even one's who have resided in a tank for years have been polished off by coming to close to a powerfull intake.
If you don't have intake covers, look inside the filter it's self for any evidence of foul play.
But also note that sometimes, when stressed, injured or sick, fish take to hiding, and some, especially of the smaller species, are excellent at hiding when needed. Give it a few days, and look over all the things I mentioned to see if you can find any indication that this was less than alien abduction
Hopefully you will locate the little guy, but if not, give your tank and residents a quick once-over to ensure maximum potential for safety and harmony in the future.
