Missing McCoskers

[greenmonkey51]

My McCoskers must have heard me asking about LFS getting any more. I can't find my male. I looked everywhere. Couldn't find it in my overflow or sump. I have an open backed canopy, but couldn't find him outside of the tank. Have you guys had flashers go missing for a few days and then just show up.

[snorvich]

They are proficient jumpers so that would be my first guess. McCoskers are light sensitive; how did you acclimate?

[greenmonkey51]

I've had him for close to a year, and I moved him down to my 40g bdr 5 months ago. He's been great since the move. My first instinct was the overflow, but I searched it high and low and couldn't find it in there. I've looked everywhere around the tank and can't find any fish fries. I don't have any dogs or cats that would of ate it. Nothing in the tank could of eaten him. All I have is snails, SPS, and a peppermint shrimp. The only thing different is the female did come down with popeye recently, but I think that's from hitting a rock. As they aren't very graceful.

[Chooch1]

I have had this problem too. I've lost 2 McCoskers and a Blue Flasher in the last several months. They are doing great one day and gone with no trace the next. Just make sure that you don't have a hitchhiker crab, predatory bristleworm or something like that. Check your tank with a flashlight at night to verify that there are no suprise critters in there. I would highly recommend putting screening on the back of your canopy to fully eliminate the possibility of jumping.

[Natterjak]

I had a Labouti wrasse that just recently disappeared as well. Had it for probably a year and a half. Happened right around when we added a small school of green chromis. Checked everywhere, and no sign of a body or anything in the tank. It was never a shy fish, so I don't know if the chromis had something to do with it, or if it was just coincidental. Real bummer.

[greenmonkey51]

I know it sounds callous, but I really don't care if the fish died or not. I just want to know why and find a body.

[Natterjak]

From reading through this forum a bit, it seems like this isn't an unusual occurance with fairy/flasher wrasses - they just disappear one day without a trace. I know how you feel, after mine disappeared I was obsessed with trying to find it or a body. I wonder, given that they seem to like to hide in small crevices/holes in rocks, that if they died there, they'd likely decompose without you ever seeing anything in the tank.

[Chooch1]

Natterjak,

I think your hypothesis is as good as any and is probably what happens in many instances. My only issue is that the fish at issue for me were in apparent perfect health, swimming about normally and eating well. I could understand an ailing fish crawling in a hole to die but a perfectly healthy one I just don't get. Nevertheless it appears this is exactly what happens quite often with fairy and flasher wrasses. Definitely frustrating and perplexing.