What to do about a missing fish

Karthalin · 10/07/2011, 04:32 PM

I have a Blue Mandarin from ORA (supposedly eating pellets/frozen food readily) that has been showing signs of malnutrition. I have not seen him for over a week and now I fear the worst. After reading up on this fish it turns out I was not giving him the attention he needed in making sure he was eating properly. When I first got him he would gobble up some of hte pellets that fell around him but I did not seen him eat the last few days leading up to his disappearance. It has been 1 week since I last saw him and it was about 3 weeks after we added our last bottle of Tigger pods to the system. I was adding 1 bottle of Tigger pods to the system a month bue to no refugium. I managed to get my refugium project started 2 months ahead of schedule so it will be up and running mid next week.

I am trying to get my refugium up and I am currently getting bits of pellet food to flow through the rock hard to reach places, in hopes some land close to wherever he is.

My question comes down to, if he has passed on, what should I do to try to retrieve him? Do I let him be eatn by the crabs and what not that is in the tank naturally (worms and things that came with the live rock) or should I start tearing the rock down looking for him to get the body out?

acrohead500ppm · 10/07/2011, 04:36 PM

unless you want to go through tearing through your rocks and upsetting everything else in the tank, the answer is forget about him. It will be taken care of by scavengers, if it were a bigger/ large fish I might go after it so it doesnt cause a nutrient spike.
just my 2 pennies

Dustin1300 · 10/07/2011, 05:19 PM

Leave it and allow it to be eaten

billdogg · 10/07/2011, 05:27 PM

I lost my orange backed wrasse (5" - 6") a couple weeks ago. Before I could get to it my red serpent star, a few bristle worms and a hermit crab devoured it.

Indymann99 · 10/07/2011, 05:47 PM

Sounds like The all you can eat buffet for your CUC.

I would not worry about it. Monitor your ammonia levels but I'm sure your fine.

Karthalin · 10/08/2011, 10:25 AM

Thanks guys for the reassurance. No more fish go into my tank without checking a few online sources from now on. I really thought the ORA mandarin would eat just fine with the food I was proivinding. Turns out there are quite a few threads floating around here that say otherwise.

snorvich · 10/08/2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karthalin

Thanks guys for the reassurance. No more fish go into my tank without checking a few online sources from now on. I really thought the ORA mandarin would eat just fine with the food I was proivinding. Turns out there are quite a few threads floating around here that say otherwise.

Unfortunately true.

10/07/2011, 04:32 PM	#1
Karthalin Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 58	What to do about a missing fish I have a Blue Mandarin from ORA (supposedly eating pellets/frozen food readily) that has been showing signs of malnutrition. I have not seen him for over a week and now I fear the worst. After reading up on this fish it turns out I was not giving him the attention he needed in making sure he was eating properly. When I first got him he would gobble up some of hte pellets that fell around him but I did not seen him eat the last few days leading up to his disappearance. It has been 1 week since I last saw him and it was about 3 weeks after we added our last bottle of Tigger pods to the system. I was adding 1 bottle of Tigger pods to the system a month bue to no refugium. I managed to get my refugium project started 2 months ahead of schedule so it will be up and running mid next week. I am trying to get my refugium up and I am currently getting bits of pellet food to flow through the rock hard to reach places, in hopes some land close to wherever he is. My question comes down to, if he has passed on, what should I do to try to retrieve him? Do I let him be eatn by the crabs and what not that is in the tank naturally (worms and things that came with the live rock) or should I start tearing the rock down looking for him to get the body out? __________________ First salt water aquarium, 92g corner tank. Follow my build here - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2038174 Wish me luck!

10/07/2011, 05:19 PM	#3
Dustin1300 Reefaholic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 5,135	Leave it and allow it to be eaten __________________ INDMAS President Check out my tank in the Large Tank Forums, "A Reefaholic's 1000+ Gallon Mixed Reef System Build"! Current Tank Info: 600 Gallon DT, 140 Gallon Grow Out Tank, 125 Gallon Sump, 90 Gallon Fuge, 200 Gallon Fish QT, 15 Gallon Frag QT

10/07/2011, 05:27 PM	#4
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I lost my orange backed wrasse (5" - 6") a couple weeks ago. Before I could get to it my red serpent star, a few bristle worms and a hermit crab devoured it. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

10/07/2011, 05:47 PM	#5
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	Sounds like The all you can eat buffet for your CUC. I would not worry about it. Monitor your ammonia levels but I'm sure your fine. __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

10/08/2011, 10:25 AM	#6
Karthalin Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 58	Thanks guys for the reassurance. No more fish go into my tank without checking a few online sources from now on. I really thought the ORA mandarin would eat just fine with the food I was proivinding. Turns out there are quite a few threads floating around here that say otherwise. __________________ First salt water aquarium, 92g corner tank. Follow my build here - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2038174 Wish me luck!

10/07/2011, 04:36 PM	#2
acrohead500ppm Moved On Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: No,never,never Posts: 723	unless you want to go through tearing through your rocks and upsetting everything else in the tank, the answer is forget about him. It will be taken care of by scavengers, if it were a bigger/ large fish I might go after it so it doesnt cause a nutrient spike. just my 2 pennies

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