New fish missing, how long to wait

[Denst]

Morning All,

I brought a Pink Streaked Wrasse online from a company I have had a fish delivered from before, when it arrived the fish looked dead (bottom of the bag on its side not responding to stimulus) so I took pictures and contacted the company.
They wanted more evidence so I took more photos and a video and sent off, still looking dead so left the bagged fish in the polystyrene box and carried on working, after a few hours they contacted me to say that the fish may be playing dead so I checked again and saw some very small movements so rushed home and floating the bag for 5 minutes then added a cup of my tank water 3 times every couple of minutes then netted and added (the LFS said that the fish had been quarantined with no SG and copper).

it went straight to the rocks, and I had to go back to work, I checked the rock work for the next 4 days but never saw the fish again; I then went on holiday where someone stayed at my house and fed my fish daily; after 2 weeks I came back with still no sign of the fish.

I recently changed my protein skimmer so checked the back of my tank but no sign there either.
I'm pretty sure that the wrasse is an expensive snack for my Nasarius but do you guys think there's any chance it's still in there?

I would like to order another (but from a store this time not shipped so I can examine)

Many Thanks
Sard

 

[Fish Fan]

Sorry to hear about your wrasse!

This is a tough situation, I think it's possible that he is alright and may show himself soon. On the other hand, you had a problem on delivery, and perhaps he is a snack for your Nessarius snails.

Did you get a response for the vendor?

 

[Denst]

yeah they said it's possible he's in the sand but I didn't think these wrasse were sand dwellers, its only a 30g cube with a tail spot blenny in so I can see most of the tank.
The problematic start has me thinking snail food but the blenny has changed his behavior and starting hanging in a nook looking over the back of the tank?
I'm 80% he's a goner :(

 

[Fish Fan]

You'd be surprised, fish can hide really well, especially when they are new, but unfortunately you might be right.

Was the vendor able to offer any help with this?

 

[immaman2011]

Those possom wrasses are all very shy fish, almost no fight or flight response at all. They just shake in their boots for a while. The smaller the specimen the more skittish i find them to be.

 

[immaman2011]

yeah they said it's possible he's in the sand but I didn't think these wrasse were sand dwellers, its only a 30g cube with a tail spot blenny in so I can see most of the tank.
The problematic start has me thinking snail food but the blenny has changed his behavior and starting hanging in a nook looking over the back of the tank?
I'm 80% he's a goner :(

I had one about 2 1/2 years ago, hed slightly change his body color and would meld on the bottom of a rock. Its like trying to complete one of those newspaper brain teaser puzzles trying to find them lol. And yes if they dont like the spaces in your rockwork they will dart into the sand.

 

[Denst]

Ah ok thanks for getting back to me guys!
So I may be imagining things but my tank was absolutely crawling with amphipods and copepods before holiday but there seem to be markedly less but the blenny has now started eating pods off the bank of the tank which he didn't do before....

 

[immaman2011]

Ah ok thanks for getting back to me guys!
So I may be imagining things but my tank was absolutely crawling with amphipods and copepods before holiday but there seem to be markedly less but the blenny has now started eating pods off the bank of the tank which he didn't do before....

All fish will eat pods if they are available, just some fish prefer them more then any other food you'd try to feed them. Possum wrasse love pods, but some of them eat frozen food as well.

 

[Denst]

I might order another and see if it Houdinis, Pink Striped can be kept in small groups I believe? if the first turns up happy days :) if not then at least I know?

 

[immaman2011]

I might order another and see if it Houdinis, Pink Striped can be kept in small groups I believe? if the first turns up happy days :) if not then at least I know?

It wouldnt hurt to add another one, but try to get it from a local LFS, leaving it in a bag for an extended period after shipping will most likely lead to ammonia poison and burning the gills, and that will cause a multitude of problems for the fish. If you order online, acclimate immediately after receiving try not to wait any longer then you have to.

 

[Denst]

It wouldnt hurt to add another one, but try to get it from a local LFS, leaving it in a bag for an extended period after shipping will most likely lead to ammonia poison and burning the gills, and that will cause a multitude of problems for the fish. If you order online, acclimate immediately after receiving try not to wait any longer then you have to.

thanks dude,

This is what I'm thinking too, I have reached out to my local shop for one so I can make the whole experience as stress free as possible

 

[immaman2011]

It wouldnt hurt to add another one, but try to get it from a local LFS, leaving it in a bag for an extended period after shipping will most likely lead to ammonia poison and burning the gills, and that will cause a multitude of problems for the fish. If you order online, acclimate immediately after receiving try not to wait any longer then you have to.

thanks dude,

This is what I'm thinking too, I have reached out to my local shop for one so I can make the whole experience as stress free as possible

Of course! Also watch out for ammonia spikes, if you notice after a few weeks the other wrasse doesnt show itself, i would expect the worst. Just keep an eye on water parameters every once in a while.

 

[Denst]

Thanks again, I've been testing weekly just not ammonia, phosphates and nitrates have been pretty stable though (if not a little low)

 

[immaman2011]

Thanks again, I've been testing weekly just not ammonia, phosphates and nitrates have been pretty stable though (if not a little low)

Ammonia should always be 0. Even 0.25 ammonia is toxic. Phos is okay around 0.12. Nitrates in a saltwater tank should never be allowed to go above 20ppm. I usually keep mine around 3ppm.

Its good that youre on top of it. I had a lot of learning to do and still am learning stuff. So if you have any questions or concerns please reply back to this or PM me.

 

[CBonito]

yeah they said it's possible he's in the sand but I didn't think these wrasse were sand dwellers, its only a 30g cube with a tail spot blenny in so I can see most of the tank.
The problematic start has me thinking snail food but the blenny has changed his behavior and starting hanging in a nook looking over the back of the tank?
I'm 80% he's a goner :(

I got some new wrasses a few days ago. One was an exquisite fairy and the other a red head solon. The exquisite was immediately a party animal and social as can be. The solon disappeared and yesterday was the first time I saw him. Turns out my melanurus doesnt care for him so every time he comes out, the melanurus charges him.
But he's fine! These wrasses look delicate, but they are surprisingly resilient.

He could be alive and he could be in some little crevice just out of your line of sight. They are good at hiding. They'll find a little groove somewhere and stick themselves in it like glue. They sometimes even look dead because they dull their colors when hiding.

 

[Denst]

I got some new wrasses a few days ago. One was an equisite fairy and the other a red head solon. The exquisite was immediately a party animal and social as can be. The solon disappeared and yesterday was the first time I saw him. Turns out my melanurus doesnt care for him so every time he comes out, the melanurus charges him.
But he's fine! These wrasses look delicate, but they are surprisingly resilient.

He could be alive and he could be in some little crevice just out of your line of sight. They are good at hiding. They'll find a little groove somewhere and stick themselves in it like glue. They sometimes even look dead because they dull their colors when hidiA

And everyone thinks fish tanks are relaxing ><

 

[immaman2011]

I got some new wrasses a few days ago. One was an equisite fairy and the other a red head solon. The exquisite was immediately a party animal and social as can be. The solon disappeared and yesterday was the first time I saw him. Turns out my melanurus doesnt care for him so every time he comes out, the melanurus charges him.
But he's fine! These wrasses look delicate, but they are surprisingly resilient.

He could be alive and he could be in some little crevice just out of your line of sight. They are good at hiding. They'll find a little groove somewhere and stick themselves in it like glue. They sometimes even look dead because they dull their colors when hidiA

And everyone thinks fish tanks are relaxing ><

They really are though. It keeps you on your toes, but its nice to look at when everything is going good.

 

[CBonito]

They really are though. It keeps you on your toes, but its nice to look at when everything is going good.

As a sidenote, some wrasses are super goofy swimmers and may lead you to believe there is something wrong with them by their lazy sort of movements, but they are fine.

I was cracking up watching him swim all weird around the tank in the strong current, then completely smoke my melanurus when he tries to take a nip like a racecar driver. Almost as if he's mocking.

 

[Denst]

As a sidenote, some wrasses are super goofy swimmers and may lead you to believe there is something wrong with them by their lazy sort of movements, but they are fine.

I was cracking up watching him swim all weird around the tank in the strong current, then completely smoke my melanurus when he tries to take a nip like a racecar driver. Almost as if he's mocking.

Love a wrasse just somewhat constrained by my tank size and theres no way I'm ever getting a pyjama wrasse again :P

 

[Fish Fan]

Here's a write up from RHF about ammonia toxicity in reef tanks. It's largely dependent on the pH, and ammonia is not as toxic as often thought:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/ammonia-is-our-friend.1062/
From the above, RHF writes:
"4. Toxic levels of ammonia are just not reached in typical operating reef aquaria. Seeing a measured value of 0.2 ppm, whether real or test error, is not a concern. It may be a benefit."

And many are now dosing ammonia, which increases nitrate in low nutrient systems, and is thought to be directly beneficial to corals:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/
I hope this helps