Missing Fish-Could be wild fish eating rats?

Weatherboy

Weatherboy

Member
Yep, I have dabbled in to the saltwater world and creating a FOWLR system. Its a 55gal with 10lbs LR and 20 lbs not so live rock, and 50lbs of substrate. All was well Saturday after a cycle and bio juice put in. (Was told too much is never a problem). Tested water at home and LFS. Everything 0. PH was a little low, raised it to 8.2 with powder.

So, got two gold belly damsels and 4 hermits to get the tank going more. All was well Saturday PM-Sunday PM. All ate fine.

This AM up at 3am, no fish. Up at 6am, no fish, just checked again at 7 and looked all around. Can't find the fish, in or outside of the tank. Moved rocks, no fish...nada. My only conclusion is they hopped out, and mice got them. I mean, I am drawing at straws here and hope I don't have wild fish eating rats in the house.

Any idea? I was told I may still have a spike or two in the tank and to check weekly...but that was the only advice, besides wait a week or so to add my clownfish. The two dudes were $35 with tax, so I am a bit bummed as I don't want to add the more expensive ones now.

Thoughts?
 
Weatherboy

Weatherboy

Member
I am confused. The readings below are not ready? Because I am about to storm back into LFS this AM. They told me my water was fine. Also, I have a test kit. Do I have the wrong one?
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 0
PH: 8
Ammonia: 0
Salinity: 1.023ish
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
If your tank cycled you will read nitrates. Very low but u should have some. What your tests show is uncycled water. Your salinity is fine. The bottles of bacteria are worthless in sw tanks.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Readings of 0 for all nitrogenous waste products are possible if the live rock were in perfect "living" condition, but what is "bio juice"? I think we need more details about how you cycled the tank, including timing when things were added.
As for the lost fish, it happens! Depending on what scavengers are present in the tank missing fish could easily be crab food in just a few hours.
 
Weatherboy

Weatherboy

Member
Just 4 tiny hermit crabs.

I started the tank up 2 weeks ago. Got the salt where it needed to be and added the live rock. Waited a week, had high ammonia, but then added API quick start water conditioner with bacteria in it. I was told this would help speed up the cycle process. Waited a couple more days and tested again on Saturday morning after quick, minor water change. Checked again and got the levels above, although at home I measured .20 of ammonia. LFS said that was a freshwater strip I compared to.

He tested the water, said all was fine,, but PH was slightly low. He suggested I get the lesser aggressive gold belly damsel fish in for the bacteria & cycles to continue and really begin to work., He sold me the two damsels and 4 tiny hermit crabs. Then told me to wait. He mentioned I would see some nitrates/ites with fish waste and said test again next Saturday.

I have a marineland 350, heat set to 78, 10lbs of live rock, 20lbs of ready to be live rock. 50lbs of live sand. LED white/blue lamp and a couple of plastic plants. No intention of having coral, just some random fish, a few creepy crawlers and two clowns.

When asked about protein skimmers, sumps, powerheads...I was told for what I am doing, that is not needed till I took a bigger leap or bigger tank.

So now I am confused as most of my advice came from books/online and LFS.

What's my next step.
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
How long did you cycle the tank days? weeks? Did you see spikes in Amm, Nitrite and then readings of nitrate falling to near zero...How did you acclimate your fish and for how long
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Ok so u did see ammonia. Then your cycle did start. You don't want to do water changes during the cycle tho. Sw test kits are best. Api is ok but red sea is a better one. Don't trust most lfs unfortunately
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
Seems like you have been given advise which a LFS would give. Remember they are there to sell fish IMO you rushed a bit to soon to introduce fish Tank should be fully cycled and not to let it cycle thru w/fish. This only causes stress to them and depending on conditions may be fatal. Not finding a dead fish in the tank is common and w/crabs but possible they jumped
 
Weatherboy

Weatherboy

Member
one-fish said:
How long did you cycle the tank days? weeks? Did you see spikes in Amm, Nitrite and then readings of nitrate falling to near zero...How did you acclimate your fish and for how long
Click to expand...
I had it running for a week and a half before I added the fish. Since I added the conditioner and bacteria, I guess I and the LFS assumed all had spiked. As the bottle said it would.
I saw the ammonia, but days after I added the bacteria, I saw all 0s.

As for the fish. He told me not to add the water, but set the bag in the water for 15min and then add the fish. I made sure to ask if I needed to quarantine. He said no.

Besides books, online and LFS...I am running out of places to go. Forums are full of one way or another, but I seem to find this one being better. Thanks!!
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Always qt your fish. The guy is an idiot!!!!!
Ok a power head creates flow. Flow keeps detrius from accumulating. It keeps it in the water column so your filter can remove it.
Floating the bag is not correct either. You need to match temp and salinity
 
Weatherboy

Weatherboy

Member
Wow. Okay, maybe this isn't for me. I have already dumped a lot of money in this. I don't have room for another tank.

Appreciate the help everyone. Thanks
 
iidylii

iidylii

Active Member
as jay said...the tank doesn't have to be a large QT tank...I have a 5 gallon QT tank and a 20 gallon QT...all you really need is a heater an air pump, air line, and air stone...you could probably go to walmart and get all this for maybe $20...doesn't have to be pretty or good quality...all it is used for is housing a fish for 2-4 weeks...

and yes this hobby does cost some money depending how big or small you go...after the initial shock of price for equipment its actually fairly cheap all your doing is spending money on a little food and salt each month really

and if you don't QT your fish all your going to be doing is very likely fighting disease and parasites the whole time...and in the end this is much more costly...you end up buying the same fish over and over 10 times because they keep dying and in the end a $5 fish is now a $50 fish ;)
 
one-fish

one-fish

Active Member
I have found the members here to be pretty straight forward and very helpful Advise is good but it boils down to what you want and decide. Like you, I have a 55g FOWLR tank running now about 9 months I spread out buying equipment out over months as not to be to painful You will not have success in a SW tank if you rush into things Patience here is the Golden Rule...Good Luck
 
S

Shilpan

Member
Just like to add I used to think quarantine was unecesary. Then a Local member lost $3250 of corals and fish in his 300gallon tank and ever since then I quarantine everything. I didn't quarantine my first fish because I didn't have a quarantine tank. But I did after that
 
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