Fairy wrasse missing?

[jadedog]

I've had my fairy wrasse for a few months he was adult size when I got him(Fully quarantined) . Yesterday he was out just like usual but after about 1pm I haven't seen him since. I fed the tank at 3pm yesterday and 8pm and he still didn't come out. I have a lid on my tank and looked all around it with a flashlight I do not see him. Honestly I'm not super sad because he's kind of a pain in the butt but what on earth would cause this? I didn't do anything to the tank yesterday expect feed. So either he is dead or he is in the rocks hiding? I even checked the sump and overflow baffle but even that has a lid! Can a fish just disappear and die like that?

 

[higher99]

I heard wrasses can bury themselves in a thick sand bed. Do you happen to have a deep sandbed by chance?

 

[jadedog]

I heard wrasses can bury themselves in a thick sand bed. Do you happen to have a deep sandbed by chance?

He is a blue chin fairy this type doesn't bury into the sand. He does go into the rocks to sleep though but never for this long. Also there is a turbo snail outside his usual cave which might mean bad news.

 

[DCR]

Check your overflow (assuming you one). They will jump into them. Having said that, I almost never find dead wrasses in my tank. If I forget to cover the tank, I may find one on the floor, but often they just disappear one day - like you describe. They are not the hardiest of fishes.

 

[higher99]

Check your overflow (assuming you one). They will jump into them. Having said that, I almost never find dead wrasses in my tank. If I forget to cover the tank, I may find one on the floor, but often they just disappear one day - like you describe. They are not the hardiest of fishes.

Yeah I heard they're really that hardy too. Have you had any experience with a banana wrasse before? I'm debating getting one for my nano reef !

 

[jadedog]

Check your overflow (assuming you one). They will jump into them. Having said that, I almost never find dead wrasses in my tank. If I forget to cover the tank, I may find one on the floor, but often they just disappear one day - like you describe. They are not the hardiest of fishes.

Ill check my overflow when I get home but my overflow has a lid so im 99% sure its not possible. I think he must've just went into his cave and died. Thanks for the comment!

 

[DCR]

Yeah I heard they're really that hardy too. Have you had any experience with a banana wrasse before? I'm debating getting one for my nano reef !

That is Halichoeres Leucoxanthus. Beautiful wrasse. Never kept one. Always kept H. Chrysus instead which is similar. Grows to 5" which could be an issue for a nano. I would want to have at least a 3 ft long tank but once acclimated they are hardy. Make sure you do not order a Thalassoma Lutescens which is commonly called the Banana Wrasse and is extremely large and aggressive.

 

[jadedog]

Update so after about 3 days he randomly reappeared. He has some marks on him which is strange. He was definitely not bullied hes the alpha of the tank for sure so im not sure what happened.

 

[BigDangler]

Update so after about 3 days he randomly reappeared. He has some marks on him which is strange. He was definitely not bullied hes the alpha of the tank for sure so im not sure what happened.

Fish be weird bruhhh.. or whatever kids say these days... Had a green clown goby in the tank go missing for a week.. Next morning he at the glass sitting on the sandbed like.. Hey man...