sailfin goes missing

[polarpooch]

This one has me stumped. My sailfin is just GONE. Earlier today he was swimming around-- tonight, he's gone. I checked everywhere. If he'd lept out (which I think is next to impossible, given the way the tank is set up--and besides, it's a sailfin), I would have found him. I checked under rocks, moved around my corals and NOTHING. Not in the overflow. Not in the refugium.
I don't have any fish that would prey on him...and he was king of the tank anyway.
I don't have any weird sponges or slugs in the tank. Water parameters are perfect. All other fishes and my corals are fine.
It makes me mad...he was a perfect specimen and a fun fish to watch. I'm guessing something awful happened, he died suddenly, and my purple lobster made short order of the remains. I cannot think of any other explanation.
Anyone EVER have this happen with a sailfin or similar fish?

 

[aarone]

im sure there would be a sign of it dead somewhere. do you have a cat?
aaron

 

[thomas712]

I hate to say this for the mental image this could bring up, not to mention the smell but did you check your lights? canopy and surounding edges?
Thomas

 

[polarpooch]

Thomas, I checked everywhere. No canopy, and he's not stuck under the lighting ballast.
Aaron, I don't have a cat. I have a huksy (aka "Fish Eating Dog"), but she was in a kennel while I was gone, so while I'd like to blame her, I can't.
I found the lobster, but no backbone. I moved my rocks and corals around a bit (just to look in the crevices) to see if I could find something--but really the fish just vanished.
I did NH3 tests every couple of hours yesterday to see if I could find a spike...but nothing. Nothing this morning. Then again, I can't remember the last time I got an NH3 spike in that tank. I thought I might see something, though. I'm going to keep testing the water today and see what shows up. I do know there is no fish body in there anywhere, because I searched.:notsure:
I have to think it's the lobster, but I agree that I should have seen some sort of remnants of the fish. Bones or a fin or something.
:nervous:

 

[tyr-sog]

how big is/was the tang?:notsure:

 

[ross]

Don't give up! I always hear about peoples fish dissapearing for days, then they suddenly come back. If he wasn't too big he could be hiding in a rock.

 

[polarpooch]

how big is/was the tang
He was about 3" with his fins flared. Here's a pic...the thing was beautiful
Don't give up! I always hear about peoples fish dissapearing for days, then they suddenly come back
That would be great...but I'm not optimistic

 

[polarpooch]

Just got an ammonia spike in the tank (my pulsating xenias started to wilt, so I did a fast check). Damnit. No finding him now, I guess.

 

[ty_05_f]

Sorry to hear that

 

[buzz]

Well, if you got an ammonia spike, the fish is still in the tank somewhere. Keep looking.

 

[polarpooch]

Well, if you got an ammonia spike, the fish is still in the tank somewhere. Keep looking
UGH! I have looked and looked AGAIN...still can't find his remains. Must just be chunks now or something

 

[buzz]

OK...you have an overflow. Do you have a standpipe? Could it possibly be lodged in the standpipe or the tubing going into your sump? Do you have a filter bag in the sump? Did you check there?
Any large holes in your LR that it could be in?

 

[polarpooch]

Could it possibly be lodged in the standpipe or the tubing going into your sump?
Ding ding! And it was nasty. Good thing I read this post!

 

[dugan]

Oh man... so sorry for the sad ending to this story!!
Katie

 

[velocity]

i had a yellow tail tamarin wrasse that died in a similar way. He had just been in the tank for 4 hours, he just got acquainted and became friends with the percula and the damsel and then on new years evee i was out partying and when i returned i couldnt find him. Turns out he was sucked up the powerhead and trapped there and died. That night the same thing happened, only this time to my peppermint shrimp. So i said screw this powerhead and took it out.