Mindflux Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My firefish went MIA the day I scooped my clown out for QT. Chances are he's just hiding in a rock or burrowed in somewhere since that's what they seem to do. How long should I wait before becoming concerned with the possibility of death? One thing I've noticed is a lot of my nassarius snails are also MIA. I can't help but think to myself perhaps they too are in that rock/burrow munching on a firefish corpse, but without pulling all my rock work out I have no way to be sure which way it went. Should I just wait it out? He hasn't even come out to eat that I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyk Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I hope he just hiding somewhere but firefish are known to be jumpers. I would do a thorough sweep all around your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 I hope he just hiding somewhere but firefish are known to be jumpers. I would do a thorough sweep all around your tank. I've got some egg crate on my tank, put it up the day I brought the firefish home. There's been nothing around the tank that I've seen unless the dog got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Nassarius snails usually live in the sand bed. I never see mine until I start feeding the tank then the sandbed is crawling with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 I know, normally that's the case here too. But not so the last few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteorflower Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I'd second that you should look around your tank. I'm not sure eggcrate is enough to keep a firefish in, especially if it got a lucky jump. I had one jump through the slit of a closed biocube lid that was no more than a quarter inch wide, and if I hadn't actually watched him do it, I would never have believed it. Also, he may just be intimidated by the new clowns. Firefish can hide for days. My current red one hid for two weeks without me ever seeing him when I had to move him into a 35 gallon with my pygmy angel and royal gramma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Fish isn't anywhere I can find him in/around the tank without tearing my rock apart. I checked the back compartments of my Solana to see if he somehow made it back there with no luck. I guess I'll just keep an eye out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteorflower Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I was sure mine was dead, then he turned up two weeks ago. Keep hope alive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+etannert Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 IMHO you're worrying about something over which you have no control. If he's hiding, you hanging out around the tank hoping to catch a glimpse will likely only spook him more. If he died - of the brook or anything else - by now the clean up crew has long since consumed his carcass. If he dies in the next few days, that's what will happen anyway, and a firefish dying in a tank your size that is fully cycled is not going to hit the params much if at all. My money is on him jumping, if only because I've seen that happen so many times (they're hard to spot when they're dried out - look for the flash of red amongst the tangle behind the tank, they always seem to manage to land in the power cords), but he could easily show up in a week none the worse for wear. If it gives you heart I thought my skunk clown had died while I was out of town a couple weeks ago, but yesterday I was doing a water change and thought to check the return chamber in my Nanocube, and there he was, fit as a fiddle. He even jumped back over the back wall into the main tank when I stuck the net next to him. Anyway, your firefish will either show up or not, but there's not a lot you can do about it either way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 IMHO you're worrying about something over which you have no control. If he's hiding, you hanging out around the tank hoping to catch a glimpse will likely only spook him more. If he died - of the brook or anything else - by now the clean up crew has long since consumed his carcass. If he dies in the next few days, that's what will happen anyway, and a firefish dying in a tank your size that is fully cycled is not going to hit the params much if at all. My money is on him jumping, if only because I've seen that happen so many times (they're hard to spot when they're dried out - look for the flash of red amongst the tangle behind the tank, they always seem to manage to land in the power cords), but he could easily show up in a week none the worse for wear. If it gives you heart I thought my skunk clown had died while I was out of town a couple weeks ago, but yesterday I was doing a water change and thought to check the return chamber in my Nanocube, and there he was, fit as a fiddle. He even jumped back over the back wall into the main tank when I stuck the net next to him. Anyway, your firefish will either show up or not, but there's not a lot you can do about it either way. You're right there's nothing I can do. That doesn't stop me from wondering/worrying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa1tx Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 +1 etannert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Maybe this confirms whom was nipping the clown, chomp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dena Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 My Helfrichi fire fish jumped through the egg crate last year when I was on vacation. My house sitter found it and I was really hoping she was describing the purple one and not the expensive one. I've also had them hide for days...mine hid for a week. I was moving some rocks to a new tank and it was in one of the rocks. It didn't come out for literally a week after being in the new tank. Now it pokes it's head out briefly for food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 So my primary reason for concern is if it is dead and he's decomposing I obviously don't want my tank to crash. Is this a non issue to begin with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad and Jen May Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 My firefish is RARELY seen. I went two weeks before without seeing one glimpse of the turd. Its too bad too, cause they are really interesting to watch. Occasionally the firefish (aka: "Flamer") makes an appearance, my 5 year old gets super excited, and then he goes right back into hiding. Sooo......I agree with previous replies. I wouldnt worry about your fish. Its most likely hiding cause he got spooked when you were chasing your clown.......and if he is dead, they are small enough to not cause a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I added a firefish to a tank once and it looked pretty sickly. It floated to the bottom and disappeared. I didn't see the thing for 4 weeks after that and just assumed that it died after being added to the tank and was eaten by whatever was in the tank. Finally I spotted it once and then after that it slowly became more confident and open. Ya never know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 I added a firefish to a tank once and it looked pretty sickly. It floated to the bottom and disappeared. I didn't see the thing for 4 weeks after that and just assumed that it died after being added to the tank and was eaten by whatever was in the tank. Finally I spotted it once and then after that it slowly became more confident and open. Ya never know... I had always read they were skittish but the one I picked up was out in the open almost all the time the first week I got it. I thought perhaps I got "lucky" and got a fish that didn't want to hide all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Check your ammonia levels if they are rising that is a good indications something has died. If the levels remain the same then the fish is hiding. Do the tests it sure beats tearing the rock apart. JMHO Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kkiel02 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Also eggcrate is no match for a firefish. Try 1/8" netting it works much better and doesn't block your light like eggcrate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Also eggcrate is no match for a firefish. Try 1/8" netting it works much better and doesn't block your light like eggcrate. Yeah this is just temporary until I get some netting going. I still haven't seen the fish in the tank (or the floor), so unless the dog got to it I'm going to have to assume it's in the tank... dead or alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afgun Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 We have lost some firefish. Probably nailed by the 2+ Mantis shrimp that are still hiding in the rocks. They've taken out 4 firefish, a hawkfish and 6 chromis.; also driven 2 zebra striped bar gobies to carpet surf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflux Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 Ammonia is between 0.1 and 0.3 according to my Hagen test kit. It's hard to tell precisely, so I just chose a color that it WASN'T (0.4) and decided it was within the range mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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