Where do dead fish go?!?

[Dj City]

Where do dead fish go?

I'ts a mystery to many reefers. One day you see all your fish then the next day one goes missing.

You search your tank and can't find it.
You check your clean up crew to see if they all are eating in the same area but they are spread out in their usual hangouts.

You check the floor around your tank but no fish jumped out.

You check your overflow but all that's in the are pipes and water.

Where do dead fish go?


I recently had two fish die? I know my scopia tang died. He just vanished without a trace.
No bones, no remains at all anywhere.

I purchased a 5 inch bluethroat trigger. I put him in the tank and my 3 stripe damsel attacked!
I saw the trigger cowering in a corner of the tank before I went to bed. He was scared but alive.
I have not seen him since.

It's a mystery I would love to solve.
I can see my clean up crew making short work of the tank but a 5 inch trigger???

Where did they go?

 

[Paul B]

Fish Heaven?? :rolleyes:

 

[Yates273]

In the belly of live fish

 

[norfolkgarden]

Where do dead fish go?

I'ts a mystery to many reefers. One day you see all your fish then the next day one goes missing.

You search your tank and can't find it.
You check your clean up crew to see if they all are eating in the same area but they are spread out in their usual hangouts.

You check the floor around your tank but no fish jumped out.

You check your overflow but all that's in the are pipes and water.

Where do dead fish go?


I recently had two fish die? I know my scopia tang died. He just vanished without a trace.
No bones, no remains at all anywhere.

I purchased a 5 inch bluethroat trigger. I put him in the tank and my 3 stripe damsel attacked!
I saw the trigger cowering in a corner of the tank before I went to bed. He was scared but alive.
I have not seen him since.

It's a mystery I would love to solve.
I can see my clean up crew making short work of the tank but a 5 inch trigger???

Where did they go?

You don't mention the size of your system but the scopas and a 5" fish probably shouldn't just disappear magically.

So nearly all of your fish will sleep at night and they will disappear into the rockwork.

Just like an injured dog or cat or rabbit or whatever when you're Fish are injured they will go somewhere to hide and hope that it works itself out.
Usually the same type of places that they will sleep at night.

With dead fish that size I would check for an ammonia spike and I would keep an ammonia badge in the tank for at least a few weeks.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Even peaceful fish wont pass up a free meal. I have guppies in my planted. When one dies (they only live 18-36m) its only around a few hours before my “community fish” bring it to a tiny bones.

Your clean up crew also have great sense of taste(smell) and almost instantly pop out and start moving to the dead fish.

 

[miPapareef]

Fish Heaven?? :rolleyes:

 

[Dj City]

You don't mention the size of your system but the scopas and a 5" fish probably shouldn't just disappear magically.

So nearly all of your fish will sleep at night and they will disappear into the rockwork.

Just like an injured dog or cat or rabbit or whatever when you're Fish are injured they will go somewhere to hide and hope that it works itself out.
Usually the same type of places that they will sleep at night.

With dead fish that size I would check for an ammonia spike and I would keep an ammonia badge in the tank for at least a few weeks.

I have 110gal display.
I agree. A 5inch trigger should not magically disappear.
No ammonia spike, no higher than usual nutrients, no nothing but missing fish.

 

[Dj City]

I don't even think the trigger got a chance to find a sleeping hideaway. If he did, he's still the and has not come out or he died there and my bacteria is working mad overtime.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

when fish die and you didn't QT them, they are all waiting for you when you die. They are about 200x normal size and will taunt you for eternity.

If you did QT and they died of natural causes, when you die they will be drinking buddies with you.

if they die while you are QTing.... nobody knows what happens to those fish.

 

[ca1ore]

Is it really that much of a mystery? A dying fish will frequently wedge itself behind or even under a rock. If you were to remove all the rocks you'd probably find some remains. CUC, including the things that folks seem to forget about like bacteria, will reduce a carcass surprisingly quickly leaving very little forensic evidence. If you have cats, or even a dog, carpet surfers become a snack.

 

[KrisReef]

I'm always glad when the tank vanishes the carcass. The ones I find generally stink enough to stimulate the involuntary vomiting reflex as I net their rotting soup-like flesh out of the tank.

 

[jordan9095]

down the toilet

 

[NS Mike D]

The Chuck Cunningham syndrome. And the other fish will never speak of missing one.

 

[Muttley000]

Into my carpet nem if I find them in time!

 

[norfolkgarden]

down the toilet

Nope, in the trash in a ziplock bag. Don't need to be plunging a dead fish...

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

I’m really glad I normally don’t find mine, because they always remind me of gremlins when they are exposed to sunlight. Soooooo gross.

 

[Dj City]

I'm wondering if he really dissipated or is he simply hiding.

How long can a hardy triggerfish stay in hiding?
How long can it go without food? Will he come out when he gets hungry enough?
Is it possible that he will one day soon simply "pop up"

OR...

Will he hide until he dies in his hiding spot if he is not dead already?

 

[88471]

I've wondered myself. Only had one go missing but it was a 4" melanurus wrasse and the largest fish in the tank. Part of me is hoping he's hiding somewhere and will pop up but after 2 months I kinda doubt it.

 

[Dj City]

I've wondered myself. Only had one go missing but it was a 4" melanurus wrasse and the largest fish in the tank. Part of me is hoping he's hiding somewhere and will pop up but after 2 months I kinda doubt it.

If he pops up after two months that would be kinda spooky.

 

[88471]

If he pops up after two months that would be kinda spooky.

There are MANY caves in my scape, but yeah I don't think it's likely.