Hi...I got about 75% done posting this and it disappeared...not unlike my fish... so let's try again.
I'm back. It's been 5-ish plus years, but here I am. I recently bought an established tank, sand, live rock, etc. from a member here and he moved everything over to my house and set it up for me (thank you!) and things were going fine, CUC living, params OK, so 2 weeks ago I decided it was time for fish. I got a smallish Lawnmower Blenny, a teeny yellow clown goby, all seemed well.
However last week when I decided to add more fish things have been mysteriously missing. No dead bodies, no skeleton, no chunks floating around, no fish jerky on the floor...
Missing Fish 1- 9 days ago I bought 2 teeny tiny clowns, 2 days later one was gone. I had added a new skimmer, a Reef Octopus HOB 1,000 - and the intake grate seems a little big...I figured that he must have gotten sucked up. I bought a filter sponge and cut it to fit, no one is getting sucked in there now unless they are a feeder brine shrimp.
Missing Fish 2- 7 days ago I bought a smallish Diamond Goby. He immediately disappeared into the rocks and I haven't seen him since. I actually thought he was probably still living in the tank. There's several inches of sand and TONS of rocks, so I figured he was just doing his thing in the back where I couldn't see him. But after last night I'm not so sure.
Missing Fish 3 - Last night I decided that the remaining clown was lonely so I bought them a friend. I watched him swimming around, eating, looking happy. The lights went out, and I went upstairs for 15-20 minutes. I came back down and he was GONE. 20 minutes. Same thing, dead bodies, no skeleton, no chunks floating around, no fish jerky on the floor/hood/cabinet/etc.
WTH is in my tank that is taking down a frisky clown in a few minutes time?
I only have 2 ideas.
I have a pink brittle star. It seems pretty docile, the teeny tiny yellow clown goby sleeps near it and is still accounted for, and so is my Lawnmower Blenny.
There was a HUGE GIANT bristle worm in a rock. I have no idea how long/big, but I have caught a glimpse of at least 4 inches out of the hole in the rock, I have no idea how much of it was still in the rock.
Other than that, I can't think of anything. So after last night I am thinking that Missing Fishes 1 & 2 might have also been taken down by whatever this is instead of my first thoughts.
Any ideas anyone? I don't hear any mantis clicking, I haven't seen any weird things when I am stalking with the red light other than the big bristle worm...???
I don't have it in front of me, but I believe my params last water change a few days ago were:
Salinity- 1.023-24
PH 8.1 (too low, I know, working on it)
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 30 (I know, I know)
Temp- 80ish
Any ideas? Thanks
I'm back. It's been 5-ish plus years, but here I am. I recently bought an established tank, sand, live rock, etc. from a member here and he moved everything over to my house and set it up for me (thank you!) and things were going fine, CUC living, params OK, so 2 weeks ago I decided it was time for fish. I got a smallish Lawnmower Blenny, a teeny yellow clown goby, all seemed well.
However last week when I decided to add more fish things have been mysteriously missing. No dead bodies, no skeleton, no chunks floating around, no fish jerky on the floor...
Missing Fish 1- 9 days ago I bought 2 teeny tiny clowns, 2 days later one was gone. I had added a new skimmer, a Reef Octopus HOB 1,000 - and the intake grate seems a little big...I figured that he must have gotten sucked up. I bought a filter sponge and cut it to fit, no one is getting sucked in there now unless they are a feeder brine shrimp.
Missing Fish 2- 7 days ago I bought a smallish Diamond Goby. He immediately disappeared into the rocks and I haven't seen him since. I actually thought he was probably still living in the tank. There's several inches of sand and TONS of rocks, so I figured he was just doing his thing in the back where I couldn't see him. But after last night I'm not so sure.
Missing Fish 3 - Last night I decided that the remaining clown was lonely so I bought them a friend. I watched him swimming around, eating, looking happy. The lights went out, and I went upstairs for 15-20 minutes. I came back down and he was GONE. 20 minutes. Same thing, dead bodies, no skeleton, no chunks floating around, no fish jerky on the floor/hood/cabinet/etc.
WTH is in my tank that is taking down a frisky clown in a few minutes time?
I only have 2 ideas.
I have a pink brittle star. It seems pretty docile, the teeny tiny yellow clown goby sleeps near it and is still accounted for, and so is my Lawnmower Blenny.
There was a HUGE GIANT bristle worm in a rock. I have no idea how long/big, but I have caught a glimpse of at least 4 inches out of the hole in the rock, I have no idea how much of it was still in the rock.
Other than that, I can't think of anything. So after last night I am thinking that Missing Fishes 1 & 2 might have also been taken down by whatever this is instead of my first thoughts.
Any ideas anyone? I don't hear any mantis clicking, I haven't seen any weird things when I am stalking with the red light other than the big bristle worm...???
I don't have it in front of me, but I believe my params last water change a few days ago were:
Salinity- 1.023-24
PH 8.1 (too low, I know, working on it)
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 30 (I know, I know)
Temp- 80ish
Any ideas? Thanks