Fish Disappeared

[TinkL]

Has anyone ever had a fish literally just disappear with no explanation? I've had a mccosker's wrasse for a couple years now and its definitely my favorite fish... but last night I noticed he was nowhere to be found so I checked all the typical sleep spots... my rockwork isnt anything crazy so I know where literally every spot is and I've never NOT been able to find a fish until now, and 1 other time. This same wrasse jumped into the overflow box before but It was really easy to find. This time after noticing something was for sure weird, I checked LITERALLY everywhere and its just nowhere to be found. I tore up my scape lifting rocks, flushed all my drainage pipes, checked the overflox box a good 5 times now and that fish just DOES NOT exist anymore. Nothing in the tank is capable of eating it and the fish is ~3 inches so if it happened to die, I wouldve been able to find it before it got eaten completely by my CUC. I was watching this wrasse with my dad before leaving for about an hour, during that hour SOMETHING happened and this wrasse is legit gone and I'm at a loss for words because I just can't put together what could've possibly happened. My only assumption at this point is it jumped into the overflow box again and went down the main pipe where I have a control valve, and maybe??? even after fully opening it, its not able to fit through so its just stuck in there? IDK the pipe is pretty big and wrasses are quite skinny so I feel like fully opening it should've made it come out if it was in there.

Also to note, I have a tight lid by kraken reef, so the fish couldn't of jumped out of the tank entirely, and no body was ever found.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Has anyone ever had a fish literally just disappear with no explanation? I've had a mccosker's wrasse for a couple years now and its definitely my favorite fish... but last night I noticed he was nowhere to be found so I checked all the typical sleep spots... my rockwork isnt anything crazy so I know where literally every spot is and I've never NOT been able to find a fish until now, and 1 other time. This same wrasse jumped into the overflow box before but It was really easy to find. This time after noticing something was for sure weird, I checked LITERALLY everywhere and its just nowhere to be found. I tore up my scape lifting rocks, flushed all my drainage pipes, checked the overflox box a good 5 times now and that fish just DOES NOT exist anymore. Nothing in the tank is capable of eating it and the fish is ~3 inches so if it happened to die, I wouldve been able to find it before it got eaten completely by my CUC. I was watching this wrasse with my dad before leaving for about an hour, during that hour SOMETHING happened and this wrasse is legit gone and I'm at a loss for words because I just can't put together what could've possibly happened. My only assumption at this point is it jumped into the overflow box again and went down the main pipe where I have a control valve, and maybe??? even after fully opening it, its not able to fit through so its just stuck in there? IDK the pipe is pretty big and wrasses are quite skinny so I feel like fully opening it should've made it come out if it was in there.

Also to note, I have a tight lid by kraken reef, so the fish couldn't of jumped out of the tank entirely, and no body was ever found.

I've found that if a fish dies, there is pretty much nothing left after 48 hours.
The bacteria and other inhabitants make quick work of consuming the remains.

 

[sc50964]

Could he have gotten sucked into a pump?

 

[TinkL]

I've found that if a fish dies, there is pretty much nothing left after 48 hours.
The bacteria and other inhabitants make quick work of consuming the remains.

It's only been about 15 hours at this point and I was looking for him an hour or 2 after I saw it last up until now because I give up searching.... fat and healthy too.

Could he have gotten sucked into a pump?

Nah all my wavemakers have fish guards

 

[RSNJReef]

Honestly with a wrasse, it could have gone anywhere. Gone hiding in your sand, camping out under a rock.crevice, found a 1/2 hole in your lid and jumped out, and is now dry behind your tank. I’ve even had fish end up in the return section of my sump. I’ve also had fish disappear for 6 months then all of a sudden show up cause it’s been hiding and coming out at night.

Just check all of the obvious dangerous spots it could get hurt (which you already did), and give it some time. It may be gone, but hope you find it eventually.

How big is your tank by the way, and do you have a sand bed?

 

[Pistondog]

Mckoskers will hide for weeks, mine did a week or so after introduction.

 

[gbroadbridge]

It's only been about 15 hours at this point and I was looking for him an hour or 2 after I saw it last up until now because I give up searching.... fat and healthy too.

He'll probably magically reappear in a couple of months

 

[Pistondog]

He'll probably magically reappear in a couple of months

And that is always a happy day.

 

[TinkL]

Update for everyone responding.... I just took apart my plumbing and im pretty sure I found it wedged in the control valve. I looked in the bottom and saw a silvery thing with I THINK an eye, and when I opened it a bit it fell back into the pipe. I'm pretty sure that's the fish, it somehow managed to jump back in the overflow perfectly into the drain pipe. It's a red sea tank so it has one of those flow protectors over the drain pipe that sticks out of the water a bit, so that was a lucky shot for the fish to make... unfortunate

 

[Pistondog]

Sorry about that. I have a foam cover over the overflow to prevent this.

 

[TinkL]

Sorry about that. I have a foam cover over the overflow to prevent this.

yeah with an XR30 the overflow lid leaves a ~1.5" gap and I literally have a dremel coming in tomorrow to dremel it out so it fits properly. OF COURSE he decided to do this the day before I got that to fix the issue

 

[gbroadbridge]

He'll probably magically reappear in a couple of months

Or maybe not :-(

I've lost count of the number of fish that have magically been abducted by aliens over the last 50 so years.

 

[TinkL]

Or maybe not :-(

I've lost count of the number of fish that have magically been abducted by aliens over the last 50 so years.

Those dang aliens

 

[Gumbies R Us]

So sorry about your loss!