The Disappearing Flame Angel

[pfritzbelly]

I purchased a flame angel at the beginning of July. It was to share a tank with two percula clowns and a scooter blenny. The angel stayed out briefly, but soon retired to the rocks piled in my 40-gallon tank. I have not seen her since.

I have tried to peer into every crevice that I can access, and early on, I could spot a flash of blue and red and I knew that it was just being shy. In the meantime, any and all hair algae growth has been curtailed, so I am wondering if it is wandering out at night to feed.

Nothing in the tank chemistry would lead me to believe that it has keeled over, but I fear the worst. There have been no ammonia spikes, no nitrates, no smells, no remnants. I imagine that the brittle stars and the emerald crab COULD have cleaned up the remains if the fish went belly up, but so far there has been NO sign of a dead fish. I really do NOT want to unpile all of the rock in the tank to search the fish out, although that is looking more and more likely. The other fish are all lively and spry.

I know that some of you have mentioned that you have had fish hide for prolonged lengths of time.

This leads me to the question: What is the longest absence you guys have seen prior to a fish re-emerging?

 

[zman676]

Try to look behind things that may be hanging on the back if you have any such things. I had a coral beauty angelfish die and I found it hiding in the mounting of my HQI HOB Light fixture. It didn't smell or spike my perams until I pulled it out of the water, and then it let me know what a decaying fish smelled like, and it wasnt roses...

Just a thought...

 

[blind1993]

if u have a camera hook it up at night and see if the fish comes out. just a thought.

 

[pfritzbelly]

I might have to start a night vigil.... I still fear the worst, though.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Flames are not that big of a hider... they are grazers and thus they come out readily once they get used to your tank. I fear for the worse!

 

[linda lee]

We found a potters angel that had been reclusive for 3-4 days.

Well, we found a skelleton.

 

[bobz]

My Flame Angel rules the tank. It is constantly swiming around the tank so I would have to agree that this is not normal behavior. Hope yours is the exception and still alive and hiding. I didn't see my Yellow Watchman Goby for the first 10 days I had it in my tank, it moved in under some live rock and now sits and watches for me to approach the tank. Of course, that's a goby...
Bob

 

[jgoal55]

my flame angel died last night while I was doing a water change.....completely suicidal fish.....

apparently it got stuck on a rock as the water drained out and never flopped itself back into the water.....what kind of fish doesn't swim with the drop in water level?.....I have never seen that happen.....dumb fish.....I am so not happy.....I fed it about 10 minutes befroe the water change......ahhh! it was my favortie fish.....

anyway, I hope your flame ends up better than mine.....gluck.....

but yeah, likle brandon said.....mine was always out and about......if it died a lobg time ago and you have crabs in the tank there is probably nothing left....