Lost a 6 Line Wrasse?

Literally just put a 6 line in after we got it from the LFS today. After I put this fish in I started working on the percula and went back to look for the wrasse and literally can't find it anywhere. Moved around rocks, looked all around the tank and in the back chambers of the biocube. Nowhere to be seen. 

Mine stays buried for days. I wouldn't worry about it.

Crazy, my sand is very fine as well so I'm sure he has no problem burying himself very easily. Still have yet to see any sign of him... 

Scratch that, it's dead. Sometime yesterday something happened to it so it possibly was smushed? I found it lodged into the back of a rock in the back this afternoon. Sucks!

He was lodged in there pretty good when I was trying to pull him out so it is very likely. I guess that's the downside of having rock like mine but who knows. 

Oh no, he was dead. Already starting to rot so I'm assuming it happened yesterday. 

bfisher88 wrote: He was lodged in there pretty good when I was trying to pull him out so it is very likely. I guess that's the downside of having rock like mine but who knows.

When fish are dieing they often go through a series of involuntary convulsions. They have no control so they get swept by the current, often ending up lodged tight between the rocks by their own convulsions.

Yours is a new tank without the massive number of bugs and worms that inhabit an older more established reef aquarium. In mature tanks, dead fish disappear overnight, entirely eaten by the unseen clean up warriors.

It's an unfortunate fact that, on average, about one of every four fish we add to our tanks dies within 2 weeks. This average mortality is much higher for newer hobbyists. In 1993-95, back before this club and it's awesome forum, we knew only a small fraction of what we know today, I'm embarrassed to say, but it's important to reveal that during '93-'95 I lost $2000 worth of livestock. Here is a quick story of just one tiny part of my troubles in those days: Ugly Green haired Mermaid

That said, there is a discussion here that can help you to improve survivability. Look in the WMAS Reefkeeping Tips below for the Tip called "Secrets of adding new fish, fish training and the miracle of Garlic Oil." That thread discusses how to prepare a tank for the different types of fish, Carnivores, Herbivores or Omnivores, and how to reduce the 'fish killing stress' in a new tank environment.

Please feel free to let us know what other fish were in this tank and share with us a pic as well. It could help us help you.

Enjoy



Edited by Mark Peterson - June 26 2012 at 10:28am

Please post a pic of the tank and tell us more about it, so we can give you accurate advice.
Tank age?
Filtration?
Light
Description or pic showing what's in it.