Disappearing fish

[69bird]

Hi, has anyone ever had a fish just disappear? Just had a 5 inch fat healthy scopa tang just disappear on Friday. Last remember seeing it on last Monday. Took rock apart and did not find it. It cant get into my sump. Only 2 sides of tank are open, other two have walls against the tank. The visible sides are high traffic areas so I would have seen it on the floor. I have 1 cleaner shrimp and about a dozen blue leg hermit crabs. Is it possible they could devour it that fast? How would they catch it? I don't get it.

 

[Betta132]

Do you have pets that walk around on the ground instead of living in a tank? Dogs, cats, etc?

 

[69bird]

No other pets. It was swimming normally and appeared to be healthy. No signs of aggression between tank mates either. Thats what confuses me. How does a perfectly healthy fish disappear.

 

[o2manyfish]

In 5 days in a healthy tank a large fish like that could easily get devoured. Can you look into your overflow box all the way to the bottom?

Dave B

 

[69bird]

I did look in the overflow. Shut the pumps off to check. Just wonder how it could have been dinner if thats the case. It was swimming and healthy. It never had any issues with the other fish. It was also the second largest fish in the tank. One of three tangs, a koran angel, some dwarf angels, clownfish, damsels and 2 newly added pajama cardinals. What a shame.

 

[ryanremle]

I've had a couple fish occasionally disappear- I always think the crabs clean them out quick

 

[69bird]

I hope they enjoyed the meal. I'd like to know what happened to it but I guess I never will. Wondering if it got into a fight with the other tangs and didnt fair very well leaving it easy prey for the crabs and shrimp.

 

[ryanremle]

Still kinda frustrating not knowing what it was.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

I've had three fish disappear; yellow Coris Wrasse; Helfrichi Firefish and an Accessor. The most frustrating was the ORA Accessor. Waited so long to get him. He was so beautiful and was doing so well. He was great for months. He was always out and about. Then one day he was just gone. It's frustrating not knowing what happened.

 

[Coelli]

My third fish, a firefish, disappeared 2 days after we put him in. He seemed fine and was out and about all the time and eatng; the royal gramma (about the same size, a young one) was posturing a lot but not attacking him. He was there one morning and gone when we came home that evening. Never saw him again. I have a full hood; he didn't jump. Whatever happened to him happened in the tank and the cleanup crew must have made short work of the remains.