J
jtrusnik
Guest
A few months ago, a blue-green chromis stopped coming to the surface when it was time to eat. His health and appetite had been well. I checked all around the tank in case he had jumped out, but could not locate the body. I also couldn't see the body anywhere in the tank, and the filter intakes are screened, so he couldn't have slipped up there.
The tank readings I perform regularly never indicated that something died (no spikes in ammonia, for example). I disregarded the phenomenon, and left him for dead...an unexplained phenomenon.
Yesterday, this happened again: another chromis that I've had for several months--in excellent health with an excellent appetite--inexplicably disappeared. Again, no body in or out of the tank. I had last seen him in the morning before I left for work. He was aware of my presence and swimming among the rockwork like he normally does.
I do have two cats, but they're kept locked out of the room that this tank sits in at all times without exception.
The tank currently has some astrea snails, a Pacific cleaner shrimp (skunk shrimp), a couple Nassarius snails, a feather duster, two tiny red legged hermit crabs and a Lawnmower Blenny---nothing that would have harmed the chromis.
While it isn't impossible for a hitchiker that I haven't seen to be killing my fish (and the tank's scavengers eating the body within a few hours), I should at least get a quick spike in ammonia if either fish had died in the tank...but in both cases, my test kits never registered any ammonia at all (I know I might not be able to detect this in the most recent fish death, but that still wouldn't explain the first death). I know the kits work because they still register trace amounts in my municipal water supply.
Any ideas on what's happening here?
The tank readings I perform regularly never indicated that something died (no spikes in ammonia, for example). I disregarded the phenomenon, and left him for dead...an unexplained phenomenon.
Yesterday, this happened again: another chromis that I've had for several months--in excellent health with an excellent appetite--inexplicably disappeared. Again, no body in or out of the tank. I had last seen him in the morning before I left for work. He was aware of my presence and swimming among the rockwork like he normally does.
I do have two cats, but they're kept locked out of the room that this tank sits in at all times without exception.
The tank currently has some astrea snails, a Pacific cleaner shrimp (skunk shrimp), a couple Nassarius snails, a feather duster, two tiny red legged hermit crabs and a Lawnmower Blenny---nothing that would have harmed the chromis.
While it isn't impossible for a hitchiker that I haven't seen to be killing my fish (and the tank's scavengers eating the body within a few hours), I should at least get a quick spike in ammonia if either fish had died in the tank...but in both cases, my test kits never registered any ammonia at all (I know I might not be able to detect this in the most recent fish death, but that still wouldn't explain the first death). I know the kits work because they still register trace amounts in my municipal water supply.
Any ideas on what's happening here?