Uh oh.. Missing clownfish!

Andi · Apr 27, 2016

Hi there! New to the saltwater world (hurray!) and have a cycled 14g BioCube with liverock and sand, some mushrooms and zoas, three snails, and what used to be two baby clownfish.

The problem is this: despite the fish being around for a three days, we awoke this morning to find that one of our clownfish mysteriously went missing. I searched through forums and, with the suggestions:
1) sifted the sand through my fingers, but no fish
2) took everything out of chambers 1 and 2, but no fish
3) removed the "false floor" of chamber 1, but no fish

It's driving me crazy! What happened to my fish? Did he somehow die and get eaten up by the snails within a 12 hours? Did he manage to jump out of the cord openings and get eaten by my cat? Please help. I'm scared that clown #2 is somehow also going to disappear...

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions!

KorL · Apr 27, 2016

So many things could have happened. Try checking the return pump, and see if it's stuck on the pump. Or check in the rock maybe it's hiding from the other clown. Could have been a meal for a hitchhiker crab. Or sometimes they like to hang out at the very top corners of the tank.

But if there's no sign of the fish in the next couples days, I'd say its a goner. They usually swim out in the open. Good luck.

Piranhapat · Apr 27, 2016

Did you check the intake pumps good. Look good in LR, they do jump out when scared but if you have a top most likely still in tank. Check behind the heater and chambers again.

garra671 · Apr 27, 2016

Andi said:
Hi there! New to the saltwater world (hurray!) and have a cycled 14g BioCube with liverock and sand, some mushrooms and zoas, three snails, and what used to be two baby clownfish.

The problem is this: despite the fish being around for a three days, we awoke this morning to find that one of our clownfish mysteriously went missing. I searched through forums and, with the suggestions:
1) sifted the sand through my fingers, but no fish
2) took everything out of chambers 1 and 2, but no fish
3) removed the "false floor" of chamber 1, but no fish

It's driving me crazy! What happened to my fish? Did he somehow die and get eaten up by the snails within a 12 hours? Did he manage to jump out of the cord openings and get eaten by my cat? Please help. I'm scared that clown #2 is somehow also going to disappear...

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions!

So 98% of the time I had a fish go missing (dead) it was still in the tank; between some rocks or something where it died at. Unless you have nassarius snails; the fish is still in the tank dead somewhere.

hybridazn · Apr 27, 2016

First, welcome to R2R!

Sorry to hear about your fish, but you have done just about everything I would think to check. If anything I would check everything again, they can be pretty good hiders.

I hope you find him!

Andi · Apr 27, 2016

We do have nassarius snails - three of 'em. Sounds like perhaps they had a nice snack...

Thanks for all the feedback!

garra671 said:
So 98% of the time I had a fish go missing (dead) it was still in the tank; between some rocks or something where it died at. Unless you have nassarius snails; the fish is still in the tank dead somewhere.

FlyinBryan · Apr 27, 2016

I found one of mine at the bottom of my top off water, I run my 29g bc open top.
Also they just die and the other fish and CUC just make a free meal of him in no time!

dbl · Apr 27, 2016

Welcome to R2R. Sorry your first post is about this issue. As others said, sounds like you've looked everywhere. If it's small, they can hide pretty well so maybe you'll get lucky.

garra671 · Apr 27, 2016

Andi said:
We do have nassarius snails - three of 'em. Sounds like perhaps they had a nice snack...

Thanks for all the feedback!

Yeah nassarius snails will destroy anything dead.

FishOfHex · Apr 27, 2016

Andi said:
Hi there! New to the saltwater world (hurray!) and have a cycled 14g BioCube with liverock and sand, some mushrooms and zoas, three snails, and what used to be two baby clownfish.

The problem is this: despite the fish being around for a three days, we awoke this morning to find that one of our clownfish mysteriously went missing. I searched through forums and, with the suggestions:
1) sifted the sand through my fingers, but no fish
2) took everything out of chambers 1 and 2, but no fish
3) removed the "false floor" of chamber 1, but no fish

It's driving me crazy! What happened to my fish? Did he somehow die and get eaten up by the snails within a 12 hours? Did he manage to jump out of the cord openings and get eaten by my cat? Please help. I'm scared that clown #2 is somehow also going to disappear...

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions!

This is very common for baby clownfish one day they are fine and the next missing to never be found again. I try to stay away from baby clowns as this has happen to me a couple times. Best of luck i hope you find him/her.