Where did all my fish go?

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm stuck with the biggest mystery I have ever experienced in my 10 years as a reefer.
This morning I woke up to find that not one, not two, but three fish are missing!
A six line wrasse and two blue green chromis. All have been in the tank for well over a year and none have jumped before.
I have checked the floor. I have checked the sump. I have checked the overflow and the skimmer. I have checked all powerheads. And I have searched high and low in the tank. I vacuumed yesterday and I checked the bag there too. Nothing. Not a trace.
My tank doesn't have a whole lot of hiding spots. The only other livestock I have is a coral banded shrimp and a Bartletts Anthias. They are still in the tank and happy as can be.

1589207136873.png


Seriously strange.
Any ideas? Do Chromis even jump???
 

Sosuke

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,081
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any fish can jump, my boxfish for example, how heavy is your CUC maybe the fish died and they came over right away. Check behind the tank too and also try feeding your tank
 

Cell

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
14,353
Reaction score
22,029
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I mean, chromis going missing isn't a great surprise or cause for concern, but 2 at the same time along with a six line is certainly strange and concerning. CUC might have cleaned them up, but that does not address why 3 fish died simultaneously.
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any fish can jump, my boxfish for example, how heavy is your CUC maybe the fish died and they came over right away. Check behind the tank too and also try feeding your tank
Yup! Checked behind the tank. Nothing. I also tried feeding. My clean up crew isnt that heavy. I run a pretty low nutrient tank and dont have a sand bed. It is a real mystery.
 

Sosuke

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,081
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any crevices or holes in the rocks? Changes in lighting may spook them
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any crevices or holes in the rocks? Changes in lighting may spook them
Some. But it is only a 30 gallon and I can pretty well see around all the rocks. Below is a FTS. I did change the lighting about three days ago to have about a 45 min longer period on the down ramp to go along with the longer summer days.

IMG_4266.jpg
 

Cell

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
14,353
Reaction score
22,029
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yep, not sure how 3 fish could go missing in that tank. Add any new live rock lately? Doesn't look like it.
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yep, not sure how 3 fish could go missing in that tank. Add any new live rock lately? Doesn't look like it.
Nope. No new rock. I will update if anything turns up. I thought I would ask the community if there was something I was just missing. Doesn' t seem like it. :(
 

Sosuke

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,081
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thats odd, do you have any plumbing under the tank? Though I'm not sure 3 fish could coordinate that
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thats odd, do you have any plumbing under the tank? Though I'm not sure 3 fish could coordinate that
Nope it is an AIO tank with the Sump/Overflow in the back. I removed everything from the back, searched all the intakes, searched all the compartments, searched all the socks. No complex or strange plumbing.
 

josvanmeer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2020
Messages
539
Reaction score
444
Location
Abilene, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I bought a diamond goby to clean the sand in my tank few weeks ago, it was a happy camper for 3 days then it just was gone. I do not have a lid on the tank since all my other fish are not jumpers and I suspect my dog ate it when it went carpet surfing. If you have a dog that has access to the floor around the tank, it is a possibility.
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Very odd indeed. Do you have a cat? Kids that like seafood raw? I do not see how they can hide. Pipes?
I do have a cat! But.... He is exonerated with this one. He is locked in the living room at night because he keeps the whole house awake. last night, I locked him out, fed the fish ( everyone was present and accounted for ) and went to bed.
This morning I went over to the tank as the lights were coming up and noticed all the fishy friends were missing.
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I do have a cat! But.... He is exonerated with this one. He is locked in the living room at night because he keeps the whole house awake. last night, I locked him out, fed the fish ( everyone was present and accounted for ) and went to bed.
This morning I went over to the tank as the lights were coming up and noticed all the fishy friends were missing.
This was before the cat was allowed back into the room.
 

Sosuke

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Messages
1,061
Reaction score
1,081
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I do have a cat! But.... He is exonerated with this one. He is locked in the living room at night because he keeps the whole house awake. last night, I locked him out, fed the fish ( everyone was present and accounted for ) and went to bed.
This morning I went over to the tank as the lights were coming up and noticed all the fishy friends were missing.

I had a pufferfish that was doing fine for months, went to go to sleep on his rock and was never found, no body in the tank nothing on the floor my cat and dog weren't allowed in the room. When I took down the tank a month later there was nothing still
 

DeniseAndy

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
7,802
Reaction score
10,678
Location
Milford, Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yep, I just lost my 2.5" Kole tang overnight. Although, my clean up crew could have handled it overnight. I think it played in the malu carpet and then perished. Silly fish.
 

Eaglepenguinz

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 26, 2020
Messages
31
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm stuck with the biggest mystery I have ever experienced in my 10 years as a reefer.
This morning I woke up to find that not one, not two, but three fish are missing!
A six line wrasse and two blue green chromis. All have been in the tank for well over a year and none have jumped before.
I have checked the floor. I have checked the sump. I have checked the overflow and the skimmer. I have checked all powerheads. And I have searched high and low in the tank. I vacuumed yesterday and I checked the bag there too. Nothing. Not a trace.
My tank doesn't have a whole lot of hiding spots. The only other livestock I have is a coral banded shrimp and a Bartletts Anthias. They are still in the tank and happy as can be.

1589207136873.png


Seriously strange.
Any ideas? Do Chromis even jump???
I have no clue where your fish are, but I’ve had the same issue with cleaner shrimp. I had one that was DOA, but my last two have disappeared about two weeks apart from each other and haven’t come back since. I’m assuming it jolted and the hermit crabs just decided it was snack time. No clue, but they’re expensive so it sucks like...a lot.
 
OP
OP
CaptainCooke

CaptainCooke

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
151
Reaction score
87
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can only think this is a Finding Nemo escape plot and that maybe they are halfway across the Pacific by now.
 
Back
Top