Dissappearing fish.

[silentcivilian]

Has anyone ever had a case of fish that vanish without a trace??

When I was at a lfs a couple weeks ago, he had some cleaner wrasse that didnt look too good, so he gave me a discount on them (they werent sick so much as just looking blah...), and well, they spiked to life in my tank, and were doing fantastic, cleaning fish, rock, eating flakes and even some brine. Then 2 days before I moved, one of them dissappeared, I assumed when I finished cleaning out the apartment I would find him somewhere.. but no... didnt find him, so one down, one hanging in, he was happy as could be. I had my new 120 brewing getting ready for the 55 gallon transfer, so yesterday, being sunday july 25th, I swap the tanks over to the 120, move all the rocks to tubs of water, corals, then swap my sand over, then I swapped my rocks in, then my fish is, and when the water cleared, setup my corals... but... when I was collecting my fish from the 55 to the holding tubs.. cleaner wrasse was gone?!? So with everything swapped over, still hasnt reappeared.. my lawn mower has popped back out, and I know I didnt transfer him, he was hiding in some rock some where, but is out and about and seemingly happy... any ideas?? will they come out... or should i start assuming they are gone and hope my clean up crew finds them and cleans them up nice..

I dont like when a fish dies.. I like even less when they vanish without a trace

[Milad]

i bought two six line wrasses once (i have a receipt i bought them), im almost positive i put both into the tank and I never saw two at the same time in the tank. I have no idea where the second one went. no body, nothing, my clean up crew must be doing good job, lol

[naesco]

Has anyone ever had a case of fish that vanish without a trace??

When I was at a lfs a couple weeks ago, he had some cleaner wrasse that didnt look too good, so he gave me a discount on them (they werent sick so much as just looking blah...), and well, they spiked to life in my tank, and were doing fantastic, cleaning fish, rock, eating flakes and even some brine. Then 2 days before I moved, one of them dissappeared, I assumed when I finished cleaning out the apartment I would find him somewhere.. but no... didnt find him, so one down, one hanging in, he was happy as could be. I had my new 120 brewing getting ready for the 55 gallon transfer, so yesterday, being sunday july 25th, I swap the tanks over to the 120, move all the rocks to tubs of water, corals, then swap my sand over, then I swapped my rocks in, then my fish is, and when the water cleared, setup my corals... but... when I was collecting my fish from the 55 to the holding tubs.. cleaner wrasse was gone?!? So with everything swapped over, still hasnt reappeared.. my lawn mower has popped back out, and I know I didnt transfer him, he was hiding in some rock some where, but is out and about and seemingly happy... any ideas?? will they come out... or should i start assuming they are gone and hope my clean up crew finds them and cleans them up nice..

I dont like when a fish dies.. I like even less when they vanish without a trace

Cleaner wrasse rarely live in hobbyist tanks. Your LFS knows this but orders them in anyway as people get hooked on the hobby when they see a cleaner wrasse doing its job in front of them.
They should not be imported and should be left in the ocean to do the great job they do.

Go back to the LFS get a credit for the money you paid for them. If they refuse change LFS and while you are there give them a polite but firm scolding not to import them again.

[DiverDude]

This happens sometimes. I've got a sea hare somewhere (dead) in my tank. I've done everything short of taking the rock out of the tank to find him and I can't.

*shrug*

Naesco is right though, cleaners belong on the reef where they get a steady diet of parasites. Any LFS stocking them is harming a reef somewhere.

[Rogue951]

It's probably hiding in a hole in a rock. Mine was in a rock and when I pulled the rock out it stayed inside even out of water.
you may have trapped it in whatever hole it hid in. or accidentally crushed it.

[Milad]

i do have to admit, my cleaner wrasse is probably one of my favorite fish. its a fatty though, it eats anything and everything.

[silentcivilian]

Ill admit, I love the little buggers in my tank, they keep the fish stress down, and they do well, I got mine at discount cause they werent going to survive in the LFS store, so if they die in his tank or thrive in mine.. im sorry, regardless of what impact they have in the wild, ill have them thrive in my tank vs die in the shop. I realise this, and id never order them in specific to complete my tank.. but if they are in the shop, its a little to late to stop it.. cant really ship them back and have them dropped back in the ocean.

But.. sidenote:
Sorry to hear about everyone elses dissappearing fish, though it is a relief to know that it isnt uncommon for them to entirely dissappear without trace.

[naesco]

Ill admit, I love the little buggers in my tank, they keep the fish stress down, and they do well, I got mine at discount cause they werent going to survive in the LFS store, so if they die in his tank or thrive in mine.. im sorry, regardless of what impact they have in the wild, ill have them thrive in my tank vs die in the shop. I realise this, and id never order them in specific to complete my tank.. but if they are in the shop, its a little to late to stop it.. cant really ship them back and have them dropped back in the ocean.

But.. sidenote:
Sorry to hear about everyone elses dissappearing fish, though it is a relief to know that it isnt uncommon for them to entirely dissappear without trace.

It is never a good idea to 'rescue' a weak or dying fish from a LFS especially when it is one of the species known to have a poor track record.
If it dies in the LFS the store will think twice about ordering one in again.
If it is sold there is no reason why the LFS wont order one in again.
It is therefore always better to allow it to die at the LFS.

[silentcivilian]

Ok, well, to each his own. I feel a swiming fish is better than a dead one. LFS will always order in cleaner wrasse, and why, cause they can sell them as a tank aid to people starting up tanks.

As a sidenote -- 36hours later, its out and about. Happy as can be. 1 Cleaner Wrasse found.

[TheKid]

Never a fish but I have a missing urchin, it's been about a month since I've seen it and I have never found a shell or needle anywhere. So I Don't know

[Gizzy]

My cleaner dissapeared for 4 days and then showed up again. Fish die and get eaten quickly by crabs and Nassarius snails. Never buy a sick fish

[Wayne]

In my freshwater tanks I started out with 16 Black Skirt Tetras... I pulled out 4 dead bodies... I have 5 now... My math isn't adding this correctly :lol:

I never found bones or body parts, they never looked sick or stopped eating... 7 just disappeared :question:

[trilinearmipmap]

I bought a tiger tail cuke maybe 4 years ago. After a while I never saw him again. Two years later I found him in my sump/refugium and put him back in the main tank. Haven't seen him since then.

[reefwars]

I believe about them not living long in tanks I've had mine for almost a year and he was the most active and healthiest fish I "had" the other day he died just like that right in front of me alive one sec dead the next ... Nice fish very beneficial going to keep my eyes out for some and get a few more:)

[silentcivilian]

I hear the good, I hear the bad about them, I hear about there out of the blue for no reason deaths.. but in truth, they do alot of good for the tank, and help all the other fish out alot. So if they live for a year, they make that year better for every other fish in the tank..Once they are in a LFS shop, since there is that arguement, regardless what anyone says, id sooner they die in my tank then die in the LFS tank or end up in someones tank where they will die suddenly just the same.

[reefwars]

be careful on that thinking it would suck to introduce disease to your tank by feeling sorry for a fish at the lfs even though they are cleaners they can still get ich, velvet etc and that stuff is alot easier to prevent then remove:)

[daniella3d]

Mine disapear in the sand totaly around 6:30 pm and only reappear around 9:00 am when the light turn on. They like to completely burry under the sand.

I don't know if cleaner wrasse burry but a lot of wrasse do that, especialy when scared. I heard of some staying hidden for days.

Has anyone ever had a case of fish that vanish without a trace??

When I was at a lfs a couple weeks ago, he had some cleaner wrasse that didnt look too good, so he gave me a discount on them (they werent sick so much as just looking blah...), and well, they spiked to life in my tank, and were doing fantastic, cleaning fish, rock, eating flakes and even some brine. Then 2 days before I moved, one of them dissappeared, I assumed when I finished cleaning out the apartment I would find him somewhere.. but no... didnt find him, so one down, one hanging in, he was happy as could be. I had my new 120 brewing getting ready for the 55 gallon transfer, so yesterday, being sunday july 25th, I swap the tanks over to the 120, move all the rocks to tubs of water, corals, then swap my sand over, then I swapped my rocks in, then my fish is, and when the water cleared, setup my corals... but... when I was collecting my fish from the 55 to the holding tubs.. cleaner wrasse was gone?!? So with everything swapped over, still hasnt reappeared.. my lawn mower has popped back out, and I know I didnt transfer him, he was hiding in some rock some where, but is out and about and seemingly happy... any ideas?? will they come out... or should i start assuming they are gone and hope my clean up crew finds them and cleans them up nice..

I dont like when a fish dies.. I like even less when they vanish without a trace