Missing firefish

Fryman · 02/09/2011, 04:16 PM

I have a 55 gallon w/ lota of live rock. I bought 2 firefish a couple of months ago but for the past week I can't find one.

There's a lot of hiding places, so it wasn't uncommon actually for at least one of these guys to be hidden, but usually they come out at feeding time & for the past week its been just one I'm really bummed about losing my pet, but also not sure how to handle he practical side of finding/removing thw corpse...

I haven't been able to find the 2nd firefish, but figure he died somewhere in the tank. It wpuld be a major operation to really search the tank thoroughly for his body. The ammonia, nitrites &nitrates still measure 0, but Im concerned about just leaving him...

If a fish disappears do you usually search until you find the body, or is it ok to just let it be? Id imagine eventually the snails, crabs & bacteria would take care of it but have no idea how long that would take.

thegrun · 02/09/2011, 04:24 PM

If you have hermit crabs (well, any crab), there wouldn't be anything left after three days. No need to run a search and rescue at this point!

arentspowell · 02/09/2011, 04:27 PM

Yeah he will just get eaten and not effect anything. Have you looked behind and around the tank though? He could have jumped maybe.

Thisseemsfishy · 02/09/2011, 05:46 PM

I had two also, one went missing the day I brought them home, the other was a happy guy for 6 months then POOF, He was gone. Im guessing my shrimp got him at night, I couldnt find any proof outside the tank he had jumped out.

Great fish tho, very interesting fish

jbax · 02/09/2011, 06:09 PM

have you added any new fish recently?

heckfire · 02/09/2011, 06:21 PM

they are jumpers,, you looked hard around the tank??

alexwbush · 02/14/2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

If you have hermit crabs (well, any crab), there wouldn't be anything left after three days. No need to run a search and rescue at this point!

Interesting you should say this. I just took a couple fish from a friend that was breaking down his tank because he didn't have time for it. The fish look stressed out to start with and after a 2 hr drive, definately was stressed. I come home for lunch today and he's being in the middle of a tug-a-war between 2 hermits chowing down.

MBryant · 02/14/2011, 10:10 PM

both of mine hopped out the same day

xReefGx · 02/14/2011, 11:57 PM

I had two but one got stuck under a rock and the other jumped out so id look around the tank or look at the bottom of rocks

mike_cmu04 · 02/15/2011, 10:48 AM

Dont give up. I once thought one of mine died and 2 months later it came out

BiOcUbE 14 · 02/15/2011, 04:35 PM

they are major jumpers u should build a wall up to 6 inches off the side of the tank to prevent them from getting out i had this happen but luckily i was at home

Ilovesalt · 02/15/2011, 09:52 PM

you may have to expand your search out for a little distance around your tank. i had one disappear and i just wanted some sort of answer to what happened. 2 months later we were moving furniture around and i found it under the corner of the couch almost 4 ft. away. you have the initial leap and then the flopping after.

C0rp · 02/15/2011, 10:25 PM

why do people put jumpers into tanks that will not contain them? Amazes me.

Ketchup · 02/16/2011, 12:59 AM

If I am not wrong, you should not have kept more than 1 firefish anyway. They are usually agressive to each other and one may have succumb to stress or jumped.

mgoblue · 02/16/2011, 04:01 PM

Ketchup - my two firefish get along just peachy, although I won't rule out possible aggression amongst the species. I'm just sharing my experience.

02/09/2011, 04:16 PM	#1
Fryman Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Belmont, CA Posts: 337	Missing firefish I have a 55 gallon w/ lota of live rock. I bought 2 firefish a couple of months ago but for the past week I can't find one. There's a lot of hiding places, so it wasn't uncommon actually for at least one of these guys to be hidden, but usually they come out at feeding time & for the past week its been just one I'm really bummed about losing my pet, but also not sure how to handle he practical side of finding/removing thw corpse... I haven't been able to find the 2nd firefish, but figure he died somewhere in the tank. It wpuld be a major operation to really search the tank thoroughly for his body. The ammonia, nitrites &nitrates still measure 0, but Im concerned about just leaving him... If a fish disappears do you usually search until you find the body, or is it ok to just let it be? Id imagine eventually the snails, crabs & bacteria would take care of it but have no idea how long that would take.

02/09/2011, 04:27 PM	#3
arentspowell Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 296	Yeah he will just get eaten and not effect anything. Have you looked behind and around the tank though? He could have jumped maybe. __________________ Innovative Marine Nuvo 10g AIO Mixed Reef AI Prime Black with Hanging Kit // Vortech MP10QD // InTank Media Basket // Innovative Marine Ghost Skimmer // Tunze 1073.008 Return Pump // AutoAqua ATO

02/09/2011, 06:09 PM	#5
jbax Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: palm harbor Posts: 1,425	have you added any new fish recently? __________________ 75%er 120g 4x2, dart pump, i-tech 100, tunze ato, apex controller & lunar simulator. Current Tank Info: 120g, 54 corner

02/15/2011, 10:48 AM	#10
mike_cmu04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Shepherd, Mi Posts: 2,348	Dont give up. I once thought one of mine died and 2 months later it came out __________________ 92 Gallon corner tank, 2-radion gen 2 led lights, 2 mp40's Current Tank Info: 92 Gallon Corner Tank

02/15/2011, 09:52 PM	#12
Ilovesalt Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: nomadic at times Posts: 35	you may have to expand your search out for a little distance around your tank. i had one disappear and i just wanted some sort of answer to what happened. 2 months later we were moving furniture around and i found it under the corner of the couch almost 4 ft. away. you have the initial leap and then the flopping after. __________________ beware the hobby that eats (Ben Franklin)

02/09/2011, 04:24 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	If you have hermit crabs (well, any crab), there wouldn't be anything left after three days. No need to run a search and rescue at this point!

02/09/2011, 05:46 PM	#4
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	I had two also, one went missing the day I brought them home, the other was a happy guy for 6 months then POOF, He was gone. Im guessing my shrimp got him at night, I couldnt find any proof outside the tank he had jumped out. Great fish tho, very interesting fish

02/09/2011, 06:21 PM	#6
heckfire Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 331	they are jumpers,, you looked hard around the tank??

02/14/2011, 10:10 PM	#8
MBryant Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Edmond Posts: 257	both of mine hopped out the same day

02/14/2011, 11:57 PM	#9
xReefGx Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: nw suburbs Posts: 90	I had two but one got stuck under a rock and the other jumped out so id look around the tank or look at the bottom of rocks

02/15/2011, 04:35 PM	#11
BiOcUbE 14 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 2	they are major jumpers u should build a wall up to 6 inches off the side of the tank to prevent them from getting out i had this happen but luckily i was at home

02/15/2011, 10:25 PM	#13
C0rp Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: West Lafayette, IN Posts: 431	why do people put jumpers into tanks that will not contain them? Amazes me.

02/16/2011, 12:59 AM	#14
Ketchup Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 71	If I am not wrong, you should not have kept more than 1 firefish anyway. They are usually agressive to each other and one may have succumb to stress or jumped.

02/16/2011, 04:01 PM	#15
mgoblue Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Grand Junction, MI Posts: 149	Ketchup - my two firefish get along just peachy, although I won't rule out possible aggression amongst the species. I'm just sharing my experience. __________________ 1 kenya,1 toadstool, 1 branching frogspawn, 1 very small candycane, sinularia, GSP, Xenia, 2 firefish, pair of perculas. Current Tank Info: 75g, 20g sump, 15g fuge, 80# sand, 60# rock, 6x54w Aquaticlife T5HO, Oct 110-DNWB, Mag 9.5, 2xKoralia 1050, JBJ 300W htr, GFO reactor, grnd probe

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