disapearing blue throat...?

falco · #1 08/15/2006, 06:10 PM

Ok, so my blue throat trigger is missing. I have had him for about 3 months. Normally he hangs out in this half cave thing he constructed, but I have not seen him for 3 days. The tank is a 180, other inhabitants are
1 purple tang
1 sailfin tang
1 magnificent foxface
1 neon goby
1 purple firefish
2 Solomon Island true percs
1 diamond goby
1 cucumber
1 tuxedo urchin
2 cleaner shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp
bunch of snails and hermits

My last fish added was the purple tang, he went into the display about 1 week ago. At first I thought he was intimidated by the purple tang because the purple tang is about 5" round and the blue throat is about 3 1/2" across. So after not seeing him come out to eat 2 days in a row I moved the peice of rock that he hangs by and nothing but clean sand. I also moved some other rocks and no peices, no nothing. I tested my water and no detectible nitrites, nitrates or ammonia. I also have egg crate on the top of the tank. If someone can help me solve the case of the missing blue throat I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Jack

2fishy · #2 08/15/2006, 06:17 PM

If you have an overflow in your aquarium, have you looked in there? Sometimes if you don't think they can make it in there, they still do.

jpslickorocks · #3 08/15/2006, 06:19 PM

how much rock do you have? what kind of cleaning crew do you have? (hermits, snails etc...) My guess is he is probbably hiding really well. they are pretty shy from what I have been reading about them. A friend of mine bought one and did not see it for almost 2 weeks.

falco · #4 08/15/2006, 08:07 PM

jpslickorocks-I have about 200lbs of rock a mix of tonga branch and deep water. I have about 10 hermits left and they are a mix between scarlet reef and dwarf blue leg. The snails are 3 zebra turbo, ~10 cerith,~10 astraea, ~5 nassarus, 1 queen conch and 1 serpent star and 1 blue linckia.

2fishy-I do not have overflows on this tank.

nathan_unsane · #5 08/15/2006, 09:01 PM

once i saw my clown what looked like he was pinned under a rock... it was weird laying in the sand under a rock i really looked like he was stuck...

but then he came out

thor32766 · #6 08/15/2006, 09:05 PM

you know is crazy is that in my 220 i had a blue throat dissappear about two weeks ago. I cant find him, my levels are what they are always at. it was wierd to read this.

jnb · #7 08/18/2006, 12:06 PM

so - has he showed up yet?

TKByrnes · #8 08/18/2006, 12:17 PM

they can hide really well. I had 1 that pulled that trick on me and i didnt see him for about 3-4 days. then he came back out.

Ne0eN · #9 08/18/2006, 01:05 PM

My gf has a pair of Blue Throat Triggers in her 260g reef. They have never hidden in the rocks. Actually they are the first in line when anyone approaches the tank. Always hungry, always begging for food. Pigs...

jpslickorocks · #10 08/18/2006, 01:37 PM

if he died your crew would make short work of him and you would never see him again. I would not be surprized if he is just hiding really well. They are very hardy and fairly skittish when first introduced to the tank. I am about a month and a half away from getting my pair.

falco · #11 08/18/2006, 08:39 PM

Just to give an update, I still have not found nor seen the blue throat. I've been checking the water for a ammonia, nitrite or nitrate reading every other day and still nothing. At this point I really do not know what to think.

swimboy123 · #12 08/18/2006, 08:52 PM

well, if you have a pretty established tank there is a chance there may be no change to your levels at all. If you have loads of hermits, stars, etc he might be gone forever

swimboy123 · #13 08/18/2006, 08:53 PM

or he might pop out one day

falco · #14 08/18/2006, 09:28 PM

yeah I know right now the odds are in favor that he is gone. It is just so much easier the grasp when a fish dies becasue of a disease or he jumps out of the tank. When the fish just vanishes with not a trace left behind it is fustrating.