Lost Niger Trigger in Tank, when cleaning

[femmeartist51]

Hi, I have done so me changes to my tank. I did move some rocks. Didn't realize that toxins get trapped under rocks and you can release them. I had to rearrange them, because they did topple over and crushed my Blue Hippo Tang, it was sad. So I did stabalize the rocks better, which I will come to that question later in my questions.

Since the moving of the rocks, I cannot find my Niger Trigger. The pet store said that they can hide in the rocks or that I couldn't put a rock where it cannot get out. So into the tank again to check if this fish is hidden or dead under a rock. They said I should have an ammonia spike, my ammonia isn't that high but it isn't 0, I will recheck as I write this note. So my question is this: If I cannot continue to remove rocks, because of toxins how do I find this fish. I might have put a rock on top of it. I don't want it dead in my tank. My other thought was if they can get stuck onto rocks, I had put some rocks in the dirty water that I used to put some rocks in, it was salt water from my tank. I had just finished a 25% water change and used that water to clean off some rocks. Don't get me wrong I didn't do a major rock cleaning. I know that is a no no. So how do I remove the rocks, other rocks without causing toxins in my tank???

Ok down to the other question that I mentioned before. I cannot seem to get my rocks stable, I want to add more rocks and stack them. I cannot find rocks to do that. Do some people use a glue that is safe for salt water.

Fish left are Lion Fish who doubled in Size, Yellow Tang who loves to eat the stuff on the rocks. Two Cinnamon Clowns, 1 Majestic. I have one bubble anemone, and one other coral, don't know name will have to research it.

90 gallon tank, setup 2 yrs ago
PH 8.2-8.4
Ammonia did spike from 0 to .50
Nitrite 0

How do you check for other things like oxygen???
Salinity 1.025

 

[deejeff442]

they sell a 2 part epoxy puddy .it works great it dries under water and hardens it dont hurt the water at all.i use it to place corals.i had a blue throat trigger that would hide for days in the rock.sometimes they hide very good.
i have moved rock around plenty of times without a problem.but i always moved them around then did a water change.usually when i was stuffing another coral in the tank and making room for it.

 

[femmeartist51]

So maybe I didn't crush it or put rocks where it couldn't come out. He was bad always ate any cleaner shrimp or crabs, Didn't even stop to thank you for dinner. It was beautiful though. OK thanks for advice. No more moving rocks around until I am doing a water change. I will have to find that 2 part epoxy so I can get rocks to stay in place. Thanks again for advice.

 

[flower]

Hi,

In over 14 years of keeping a reef tank, I never glued, puttied or stabilized a rock with PVC. Never had a rock slide either.

The rocks have nooks and crannies...when you stack a rock on top of another, twist it and turn it until you feel it lock into place, it takes a little patience but it will eventually find the perfect spot to lock to the other, you will be able to wiggle it and it won't budge. if you do that with each rock, you won't have rock slides.

...You can't build on shifting sand, push the sand to one side, build the rock on the bare bottom of the tank, and then push the sand back around it.

A tank under 1 year old should not have trapped toxins, it takes time to build up that kind of poison. Running some carbon will help to remove any small amount that may have built up.

When you move rock around, you are changing the entire world to your fish, your trigger may be hiding, terrified the world has come to an end. If you leave things alone, the critter will come back out when he feels it's safe. It's quite hard to trap a fish in the rock, they move out of the way quite well, it has happened, but even seahorses know how to evade the rock moving around...it's the slides that are deadly.

 

[femmeartist51]

Well if it comes out I might trade him to the store. He eats all my crabs I put in, didn't eat my horseshoe. He is a beautiful fish. Can't keep corals or anemone with him around. He has been gone for days. So I wonder about him. What you said is true, it would of swam away if I was about to put a rock on him.
My tank is over a year old it is almost 2 years old. So could toxins build up that fast?? I run carbon in the hang on filter. So me say do not use that type of filter but I have run it since beginning of salt water. Don't c a problem running it
Well the trigers world has certainly changed lol. I plan on leaving things alone for now.
Oh have a new light, has all the bells and whistles. thanks for advice. Oh yes the slides are horrible. Had a slide that killed my Blue hippo tang. It was about 6-7". She was beautiful. The rocks had stayed forever and one day it didn't stay and she was under it. Sad still looking for one again thanks alot

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by femmeartist51 http:///t/396767/lost-niger-trigger-in-tank-when-cleaning#post_3535122
Well if it comes out I might trade him to the store. He eats all my crabs I put in, didn't eat my horseshoe. He is a beautiful fish. Can't keep corals or anemone with him around. He has been gone for days. So I wonder about him. What you said is true, it would of swam away if I was about to put a rock on him.
My tank is over a year old it is almost 2 years old. So could toxins build up that fast?? I run carbon in the hang on filter. So me say do not use that type of filter but I have run it since beginning of salt water. Don't c a problem running it
Well the trigers world has certainly changed lol. I plan on leaving things alone for now.
Oh have a new light, has all the bells and whistles. thanks for advice. Oh yes the slides are horrible. Had a slide that killed my Blue hippo tang. It was about 6-7". She was beautiful. The rocks had stayed forever and one day it didn't stay and she was under it. Sad still looking for one again thanks alot

Hi,

Two years undisturbed...yes toxins will build in the under layers, carbon always helps when toxins are there, but not instantly, and sadly, fish die real fast when poisoned.. I don't think (not positive), that you can keep corals or anemones with a horseshoe crab either. All I know about them, is that they are marked as not reef safe.

 

[femmeartist51]

Well it never shows itself. It is usually under the sand. Do they swim. Not sure but other day it got caught up in the power heads moving water. He was swimming then. Thought he was eaten by the niger trigger, but it is still around. Gotten bigger since I put it in the tank. Well been days since I moved the rocks and fish are still swimming. I have carbon in my filter system, so I guess they r ok.