scuba-al
12/21/2011, 04:22 PM
5 days ago I noticed a white mark on my royal gramma, like its scales were pulled off. It has been eating since then.
24 hours ago: it was missing a pectoral fin; its caudal (tail) and dorsal fins were very frayed; it had more mysterious white marks; but it was eating. I knew it was going to die so I left it to do that.
Today I couldn't find it. Expecting to be able to peel away just 17 pounds of rockwork and find a body, I just slaved over looking for its body for an hour. Nowhere to be found. ANYWHERE.
What the hell...
I run a skimmerless 28 gallon system. Weekly 15% water changes. Also are 1 small rock each of zoanthids and palythoas. I have a peppermint shrimp and ~20 small (3/4 - 1" across maximum) brittle stars. There's also 1 small watchman goby and 20 or so cerith snails. (No nassarius, if it matters.)
Could the shrimp and brittle stars have polished off a 2" fish off in 24 hours? I have looked everywhere. Should I be doing large water changes? The body is gone, I am SURE.
What do I do? I'm about to take water in for testing, I'll report back in a few hours.
24 hours ago: it was missing a pectoral fin; its caudal (tail) and dorsal fins were very frayed; it had more mysterious white marks; but it was eating. I knew it was going to die so I left it to do that.
Today I couldn't find it. Expecting to be able to peel away just 17 pounds of rockwork and find a body, I just slaved over looking for its body for an hour. Nowhere to be found. ANYWHERE.
What the hell...
I run a skimmerless 28 gallon system. Weekly 15% water changes. Also are 1 small rock each of zoanthids and palythoas. I have a peppermint shrimp and ~20 small (3/4 - 1" across maximum) brittle stars. There's also 1 small watchman goby and 20 or so cerith snails. (No nassarius, if it matters.)
Could the shrimp and brittle stars have polished off a 2" fish off in 24 hours? I have looked everywhere. Should I be doing large water changes? The body is gone, I am SURE.
What do I do? I'm about to take water in for testing, I'll report back in a few hours.