Bought my first fish....But where the heck is he??

pammy · 06-02-2007, 09:02 PM

Finally bought my first fish, and I was SO excited!! Bought a pygmy possum wrasse and he's SO cute. Very small little guy. Maybe 1" right now. I floated him in his bag in my tank for 30 minutes, then did a drip acclimation for an hour. Put him in the tank, and he immediately went under the rocks, and when I took a peak, he went further in and I couldn't see him any more. That was 24 hours ago.
I HOPE he's still just hiding, but I've searched every nook and cranny for him with a flashlight, and can't find him anywhere. No other fish in the tank, so nothing to tramatize him. I'm about to put some brine shrimp in the tank with garlic in hopes to lure him out of hiding, but I have a feeling that won't work. How do I know if he died, or if he's REALLY hiding? How long was the longest time you put a new fish in your tank and didn't see him again?

Parameters - Ammonia: 0, Nitrites:0, Nitrates:5 PH: 8.0 Salinity 1.026
Tank has been up and running for a month, and I put my first two corals in last week (Mushroom and Zooanthus). Corals are doing great and look beautiful.

Thanks.
Pam

**Phurst** · 06-02-2007, 09:32 PM

I think I didn't see my royal gramma for 2 or 3 days after i put it in. Also small and a good hider.

Besides finding the body, the only way to tell if it has died would be to watch for an ammonia spike.

Good luck, i hope he comes out of hiding soon.

pammy · 06-02-2007, 10:25 PM

Thanks Phurst. That gives me some hope. I knew that the pygmy possum wrasses can hide a lot, which is why I put him in the tank before any other fish, so it would be calm in there from him. What's he hiding from? Nothing in the tank but him. I tried the brine shrimp with 1 drop of garlic extreme, but that didn't draw him out (I watched him eat brine shrimp at the LFS).
Would a small 1" fish cause much of an ammonia spike? I just tested, and ammonia is still 0....so that's good.

Pam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phurst

I think I didn't see my royal gramma for 2 or 3 days after i put it in. Also small and a good hider.

Besides finding the body, the only way to tell if it has died would be to watch for an ammonia spike.

Good luck, i hope he comes out of hiding soon.

**CarmieJo** · 06-02-2007, 11:14 PM

I agree with Phurst, he is probably hiding. I think that in a new tank you would at least see a little ammonia spike even from a small fish.

**Amphibious** · 06-03-2007, 09:13 AM

Pammy,

I know that excitement of the first fish. I've been doing this for many years and still get excited. Certain fish, especially Blennies, Gobies Wrasses and some others will dash into the rocks for safety. You know there is nothing in the tank for them to be afraid of but, they come from a different living scenario where everything bigger than you is trying to eat you. It will take some time for your little Wrasse to get comfortable and expose himself. Just drop a small amount of food every day where you've last seen him. He'll eventually find it and eventually again, begin coming out. Some day you'll write us and tell us how he eats out of your hand. Patience and diligence is key to many successes in this hobby. Good Luck and keep us informed.

Dick

Bluemax4 · 06-03-2007, 02:46 PM

some times you wont see a fish for days. Also when the tank light is off put a moon light out and you might see him scurry around.

Ocelot199 · 06-03-2007, 03:48 PM

I didn't see my lawnmower blenny for probably a month after I bought him. The only way I knew he was in there was I could see his little kissy marks on the glass where I hadn't cleaned it. Now he's one of the more noticeable fish, since he's bigger and not afraid of his own shadow anymore.

Just give him time, I'm sure he's just scared. When he gets hungry, he'll figure out whats up and you'll get to check him out.

pammy · 06-03-2007, 08:05 PM

Thank you all. As much as I've always wanted a saltwater tank, I NEVER would have thought I'd be so concerned over one little fish. It's not the $50 I plucked down for this little guy....I am truly just concerned if he made it or not, since my tank is only a month old. All parameters are good though, and the corals are doing well. I checked yesterday and today for an ammonia spike, but none. I put a little brine shrimp with 1 drop of garlic extreme in yesterday and today. I would think though, that I'd at least be able to spot his tail in one of the holes in the rock. There is a LOT of places where he could hide though....and he is little.

One thing the LFS said to me, is that it might because there's no other fish in the tank, and they're used to a predator in the area if all the fish are hiding.

Bye
Pam

**CarmieJo** · 06-03-2007, 10:17 PM

Hey Pam,

I don't know if you have been told yet that, unless it is enriched, brine shrimp has practically no nutritional value. Baby brine shrimp are the only exception. On rare occasions I give my tank a treat of live brine but that is just so the fish can stalk them, not because they are good for the fish.

pammy · 06-04-2007, 05:51 AM

Hi Carmie. No, I didn't know that at all. I just asked the LFS what I should feed them, and bought what they told me to buy. I'll check to see if it's enriched or not. I bought the formula 2 pellets too, but haven't tried feeding him that yet, because he was eating the brine shrimp at the LFS. Is there any quality flake food that I can use periodically?

Thanks.
Pam

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarmieJo

Hey Pam,

I don't know if you have been told yet that, unless it is enriched, brine shrimp has practically no nutritional value. Baby brine shrimp are the only exception. On rare occasions I give my tank a treat of live brine but that is just so the fish can stalk them, not because they are good for the fish.

BoB_27 · 06-04-2007, 10:17 AM

I didn't see my Wrasse for 5 days. Keep checking and you will find him.

Also

Not to scare you, but did you inspect your rocks really good for a Mantis Shrimp?

pammy · 06-04-2007, 10:28 AM

Thanks Bob. What type of Wrasse did you have that you didn't see for 5 days. Could you not see ANY sign of it hiding somewhere?
I haven't seen any hitchhikers at all on my live rock...I've been looking.

Bye
Pam

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoB_27

I didn't see my Wrasse for 5 days. Keep checking and you will find him.

Also

Not to scare you, but did you inspect your rocks really good for a Mantis Shrimp?

BoB_27 · 06-04-2007, 10:35 AM

I have a Exquisite Fairy Wrasse.

**CarmieJo** · 06-04-2007, 10:59 PM

I use Formula 1 flakes. I also feed frozen mysis, Cyclopeeze, home made fish mush, and DT's Phytoplankton. I soak everything in garlic and vitamins.

pammy · 06-05-2007, 05:26 PM

Hi Carmie. I just checked the package of the brine shrimp I bought, and the package says "bio-encapsulated with multi-vitamins". The maker is "Hikari". Did you mean multi-vitamins when you said enriched? Day 4....no sign of the little possum wrasse...and still ammonia is 0. I've been checking that daily.

Thanks.
Pam

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarmieJo

Hey Pam,

I don't know if you have been told yet that, unless it is enriched, brine shrimp has practically no nutritional value. Baby brine shrimp are the only exception. On rare occasions I give my tank a treat of live brine but that is just so the fish can stalk them, not because they are good for the fish.