I don't know what to do

[kass03]

I bought a jawfish locally on Wed. for my 12 gal. nano.

It was huddled in a corner so I did'nt get a good look at it at the lfs but they had it for a few weeks now. I had been eyeing it up on other visits.
When I got it home I noticed it's eye looked injured and on the same side it had a red fin and gill but only on that side.
Well I was hoping it would be ok as Ive cured fish before but I watched it go behind my rocks in the back and have'nt seen it since.
I look for it constantly with a flashlight and dunno if it died or is just hiding. Ive had them hide in my 150 before and turn up weeks later but did'nt think I could lose one in my 12 gal lol.

I know it did'nt jump out cuz Ive searched the floor but also kept the cover on the tank cuz theyre known jumpers.
Ive also searched the sump numerous times.

Other than ripping that whole tank apart which I don't wanna do cuz I have umteen corals in it already I just don't know if it's alive and it's bugging the crap outa me.

I should have waited for the livestock order but didnt know they were gonna order somewhere with jawfish.
I just know if I order another one it will still be alive lol and you can't have 2 together.
If I don't order one it will be dead.
Oh woah is me lol.

Sucks when you pay good money for a fish and see it for 5 minutes.

kass

 

[kass03]

Yeah yeah yeah,
I could'nt stand it anymore and ripped apart my whole tank.
Did'nt find the fish and spent hours trying to put everything back.
I hate the way it looks now and knew I should'nt do it.

kass

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

oh Kass that sucks, I'm sorry!

 

[Limpit]

Kass,
Any idea on where it went? Did you ckeck the filter area of the tank? Maybe somehow it got behind in there.
For what its worth, I bought a Fire Shrimp, put it in the tank and it was never to be seen again. What a waste of $35 that was.
Ron

 

[Bri Guy]

Though bristles and crabs and such can make quick work of "food" in the tank!

One night one of my damsels was not looking good, the next morning all I found was a fish head conected to a spine.

 

[iceman5]

it prob dug a hole or jumped out?

 

[nellie54914]

Maybe it's still in there and alive, maybe it was inside a hole in your rock when you took it apart? Just an idea since we had that blenny show up with our LR, that had to be burrowed deep in the rock.

Just seems weird that you wouldn't even find a carcass!

 

[gooch]

When I ripped apart my wifes tank In january a few years ago we lost a purple firefish. Couldn't find it anywhere. I had taken the rock out of the tank and kept it dry in totes for transporting(in January). After about a six hour adventure of a move I had the rock back in the tank. The next day the firefish was out swimming in the tank.

Anything can happen and probably will with this hobby. But it kinda sounds like your pearly met the fish gods.

Sorry to hear.

 

[kass03]

I looked everywhere including the floor and sump many times and can't find it. It is possible it could be in a hole in the rock but with Jawfish you can usually see where they dig and there is'nt anywhere.
I think there is like an inch of space in the sump under where the pump goes that I can't see.
Being that tank was all setup already I don't really know what the sump is like besides looking with a flashlight. I thought it was just 4 chambers but they have pieces of plastic in some of them.

It bothers me that it looked injured when I got it and I'm thinking it most likely died but I did think I'd find bones in such a small tank. I do have bristel worms and hermits in there so they could have eaten the remains if it died.
My water pars are pristine in that tank and I don't lose fish very often so it ticks me off lol.

It's a live and learn lesson to look at the fish better when you buy. I must have only saw the good side. I usually inspect them pretty good but did'nt plan on getting it that day and it was in a corner where I couldnt see.

Thanks everyone I just had to get it off my chest lol.
I have had it happen before in my 150 but that tank is so big it's easy to lose something.

kass

 

[Limpit]

Kass,
If it helps you out any I can take a look at one of the Aquapods I got and let you know what it looks like on the filter side of the wall. No water in either of them right now.
Ron

 

[kass03]

Thanks Ron for offering but thats ok,
I took the pump and everything out today to look.
They have plastic pieces in the 2nd 2 chambers for like a false bottom. I dunno why. So in the last pump chamber theres an inch or 2 on the bottom that runs underneath those other 2 chambers and the plastic is black in those chambers so you can't see whats under them. Prolly wont make sense unless youd look at it.
If it did jump back there that's where it would be and I have no way of knowing or getting it out if I did see it in the pump part without emptying the tank cuz it could go right back under there.
I even tried to pull those pieces off lol but they're glued on too tight.
If the plastic was clear I'd be able to see in there.
If I saw it I would prolly rip the whole tank apart and get it out lol.
I'll keep watching in the pump part for it.
I wish I knew if it actually did jump back there cuz if it did it wouldnt pay to get another one.

When I redid my rock I tried to get more of it off the sand so I can see underneath better and I highly doubt it's in the tank.
It prolly just died.

kass