Stupid Goby : /

[tulkas71]

I guess this qualifies as a stupid mistake.
Since Ive converted to LS I decided to get a Sifting fish as part of my cleaning crew. Its about 3.5 inches deep so i guess its almost a DSB. but I have plenty of LR(about 70lbs) so all in all things were looking good.

I asked the LFS about a good goby and came home with a Diamond Goby. I was told he might be a jumper, so I put my glass top back on.

Well, He proceded to dig himself a cave. I leveled out the intrance when he was done. well days do by and I havent seen him anymore.
I found no body on the floor of the house or in the tank.
After another week I started seeing some light brown hair alge (not much but enough to notice)

So im like Crap, stupid fish dug up under a rock a died. tested my Nitrates which resulted in a value about 100. crap crap crap.

Theres no way i can find him without tearing the whole thing down.

Ive already did a 25% water change and plan to do a few more ever few days and change my carbon in filter.

Well lesson learned. going to start building by my brand new Nassarius(sp) snail population : /

I only have 4 right now. I would have bought more had i realized that there mostly under the bed.
Maybe ill add another 5 and call it even. (55gal tank)

 

[RLMainers]

Sorry to hear that. I recommend 1 snail per gallon in tanks. That's what I have. Yes, 125 snails. And, when we find empty shells, we buy more.

 

[daisymoonbeam]

This sounds sort of like my present problem. My royal gramma has gone into a rock where I don't think I will be able to get him out, hasn't eaten for four days and I am pretty sure he is dying.

The LFS says that if he does indeed die since there isn't anything I really can do I should not take the tank apart just for the one fish, that just that one shouldn't upset the water chemistry. I figured it would. He also says that the 3 crabs that I have will take care of his remains (I know, it's awful, I hate this).

 

[tulkas71]

I made an attempt to find the goby...well i did find a dead turbo snail. Oh well.
I dont have enough experience to know the effect on water with an un-located rotting fish. I didn't have any nitrates before the incident and before the water change it was 110. Im going to do another change Wensday (making water tonight) and take another measurement.

The fish seem happy. I asume my regal would be the 1st to show any signs. I have a 1/2 dead grass poylp, colt and a zoo and they never looked better. Go figure.

I think im in the clear, i just dont want a alge bloom.

 

[Rockhead21564]

Well, I lost a large coral beauty and couldn't find the body ( the perfect crime). I figured everything would eat it, WRONG! 5 fish in one day before I could do water cahnge and tear apart the LR - 350#'s of it, and find not onlt the CB, bust a firefish that I didn't even know about. Keep trying to get at him, could save you lots.

 

[daisymoonbeam]

My fish did indeed die, up inside his rock cave. Didn't have the heart to leave him in there. Also didn't want to deal with purple and yellow fish parts and whatever those consequences would be water wise. So, I dug him out. It wasn't a pretty thing, but I felt it had to be done. Only had to take out about 1/3 of the rock so not too bad on that part.

So now, no fishes in my sea. I will wait for a few days testing the water and then begin again with something that doesn't hide all the time so I can tell what is going on with them.

 

[tulkas71]

That goby could be anywhere under the sand......

ok ok tommorow ill make a consertive effort to dig him out.
Besides i just checked and my nitrates are like 160 now:eek1:

Crap, i wished i had went ahead and got a RO/DI unit. Gonna have to try almost 50% water change.
Sorry about your royal gramma, Daisy.

ACK, storm is getting bad here, better submit before the power goes out!