dead fish removal

[Mappelbaum37]

My yellow tang died 2 days ago. He's been in the back since. There is no possible way to get the body out unless i take the tank apart, literally. The only reason I see the body is bec. I am looking on the reflection on the back glass using it as a mirror. I'm not even sure if its the body, but I cant find it anywhere else. I hate to say it, but can I stack up on a clean up crew to eat the body? I saw at the LFS that when they get a shipment of a dead fish in, they put it in the snail tank and let them eat it. Is there a certain type of invert that eats other dead animals, or any type?

Thanks for the help...

 

[Holyreefer]

Crabs will usually get to it pretty quick...
Something i usually try is getting a powerhead that pushes anywhere between 500-1300 gph and pushing the body out by pointing the powerhead at the bottom of the tank

 

[BethanyM]

is there any way you can get a hose back there? get some suction going and retrieve it. a starfish may be able to eat it, how big was he?

 

[Mappelbaum37]

The problem with flow, is that the way the rocks are setup, the tang is behind a cave. More flow will probably not even help, and also if it did push the body it would be right against the rocks, instead of on the sand. what type of crabs? hermits, emerald?

Thanks

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I have a serpent star that was actually back there. I am seeing him come out now. I have no idea if the tang was eaten or not bec. I can't see but the starfish was back there. The tang was a medium size of about 4"-5"

Thanks

 

[useskaforevil]

serpent stars will eat dead fish. i have a 100gallon system and i don't bother to take dead things out, usually my CUC as already taken care of it. although it has been awhile since i've had anything die.

 

[MyMonkey]

Even in my little 14 gallon. Had a fish die and never saw him. Crabs ate it up.

 

[demonsp]

Flow is easy to try as you should have some powerheads and trying cant hurt.

I would remove by removeing rock or sticking it with skewer. Why did he die?

 

[enerfin]

it's probably more than half way gone by now, just do a 10 or 20% water change just to be safe and you should be fine. i just recently lost a 7 inch naso tang in my reef and i never saw it's body again. that might have been it in the skimmer though.

 

[mtrull1515]

yeah i have used the skewer method not the most humane but it works

 

[matthewscars]

Watch for an ammonia spike from the decaying fish...

 

[nauticac4]

I lost my tenneti tang last week and I guess fish bones float cause the bare skeleton was sucked up against the intake last night when I got home.

Your clean up crew should take care of the wreckage.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12630671#post12630671 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matthewscars
Watch for an ammonia spike from the decaying fish...

If a single dead fish causes an ammonia spike, your tank is walking a very thin line, and you most likely are drastically underfiltered.