Yellow Tang disappeared

[hawkinsrgk]

Hello Everybody

I have just started stocking my tank and my yellow tang has disappeared wanted. This started off as working on a fix for the green hair algae problem. Im not sure how much of the information below is needed, but wanted to add it just in case

Week 1 - Added 6 Astraea snails
Week 2 - Added 15 Turbo Snails
Week 3 - Added 1 small yellow tang
Week 4 - Added Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa to the refugium
Week 5 - Added a lawnmower blenny

Lighting - 4 T5 460NM 39W Actinic lights
- 3 MH 250W 14k lights
- 85W 6700K Refugium Light

Lighting Schedule - 9AM Actinic lights turn on
- 10AM - The center 250W MH turns on day1
The two outer 250W MH turns on day2 and this rotates
Too much current is drawn for the reefkeeper to have all at the same time. Extension socket to be purchased later.
- 8PM - MH turns off
- 9PM - Actinic lights turn off
- 9PM - Refugium light turns on
- 9AM - Refugium light turns off

ATO runs from 6:00 to 6:30PM Daily

Temperature - 76 degrees and below - Heater is on
76.5 degrees and above - Cheap fan is on

Temperature range is 75-80 degrees. Going to buy another fan to try to get the temp a little more stable. The Tank is 180G with a 65G Sump and approximately 30G used for the refugium

So here is the question.

The Yellow Tang seemed to be doing good and was happy. He would eat the green hair algae but not very much of it. This went on for around a week. Then I added a lawnmower blenny and I didnt see the yellow tang for 3 days. When I finally did see him his fins looked as if it was a tasty lunch. After that night I have not seen the yellow tang since. I have turned off all water pumps trying to find him and have spent probably a total of 5 hours looking.

Has anybody seen a lawnmower blenny attack a yellow tang or have a fish die and not be able to find him? Also note that I do not have any crabs in the tank. Just the stock mentioned above.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks
Randy

 

[jaytizzle]

I have had several fish that disappeared and I never found them. One thing that I am missing in your details is how big is the tank?

 

[hawkinsrgk]

The Tank is 180G with a 65G Sump and approximately 30G used for the refugium

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[meisen]

I have never heard or seen a lawnmower going after a tang with any real intent, especially in a larger tank like that its surprising he would do any damage. Did you seem him actually attacking him or just the torn fins? Could be other things if it wasn't the lawnmower.
Anyway, the lost dead fish thing definitely happens with reef tanks...the combination of the temps and all the scavengers often means finding a body is tough. Back when I was servicing tanks I had a client who lost a tang and insisted I remove all 400 lbs of his liverock to find it. He wouldn't listen to me that in a 300 G established system it would be OK, that the worms would consume it fairly quickly. The customer is always right to the tune of $300 in this case . We did find the 3/4 eaten tang after 6+ hours of work.

I would watch for potential fish eating animals in your rock as well (mantis, crabs, predatory worms) just to be on the safe side. But a likely scenario is the fish died in the rockwork somewhere and was/is being fairly rapidly consumed by scavengers.

Its always possible he's just hiding but not very likely at this point.

 

[jaytizzle]

Meisen pretty much has it. Not much you can do and it just happens sometimes.

 

[saigon]

find him yet?

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks Meisen

I did not see the the lawnmower blenny bother the tang. To me it made more since to blame the blenny than to blame the Astraea or Turbo Snails.

 

[blankenship76]

Look in your overflow with a flashlight, I have lost mine in there at least 3 times. I have also lost one due to jumping out of the tank.

 

[jordan3548]

I had a sailfin tang go M.I.A sometimes it just happens I think it might have got wedged in a rock in the back of my tank and couldnt get out. Thats the only thing I have noticed other than my pair of B/W clowns getting preety moody around their Torch Coral lol. But I dont think they killed it