Banggai Cardinalfish MIA

[+SChrisEV]

I picked up three Cardinalfish (along with a number of other goodies) this weekend from RCA, this morning I saw all three of them. I just got home, and now... only one. I have a good bit of rock work, and lots of little caves, but I figured I'd see them some place. I was told that they breed easily when paired, is it possible they are just... "looking for some privacy"?... kidding about that, but do they go in hiding during, after etc? Or do i need to work on that I'm going to tell my daughter? She picked them out.

[victoly]

Give it some time, don't tear up your tank just yet. Unfortunately IME, bangaii's (I'm assuming bangaii) are a little more sensitive than they are billed as, especially if they are wild caught. They are also exceptionally hard to see looking at head on if they're mixed in with rock work. Check at night with a flashlight, their eyes are pretty reflecty.

[+KimP]

I have one and I can't find it at least half the time. I don't know if it's shy or picky about flow since I move the mp10 around sometimes. Moving it seems to make it hide more or mostly brings it out for a while. In a big tank like yours though I'm sure they're not hiding from flow but just not hanging out in front.

[+Mlaw]

I picked up some pajama cardinals at the same sale and have had one go missing for a bit. They're both out now. Needed some time to adjust. My diamond watchman goby is doing the same thing. Hung out all day sunday and now MIA.

[+SChrisEV]

Well the three of them have pretty much hung out in a group either in a cove area of the corner of the tank, until this afternoon. We'll see I'll keep an eye out for them and hope they show up, maybe with a brood.

I also got a goby/pistol pair this weekend from RCA, until last night we has acting pretty sporadic, but now seems to have settled in.

[+Grog]

Mines been missing for months...

I suspect the condy 'hid' it.

Never found a body.

[+SChrisEV]

Yep, mine seems to be gone as well. Not sure what got them is the odd part. I've seen nothing being aggressiveness toward them, during the day or the little bit I've watch at night. I've been reading about the coral banded shrimp, some posts say they are, or and be aggressive toward smaller fish. These cardinal's are smaller and they are slow swimmers. Has anyone here had that experience with the coral banded shrimp? Not sure it maybe he's taken them. The coral banded shrimp is actually pretty small also, and if it was him, two in about a 12 hour period? Seems like a stretch.

[George Monnat Jr]

Mines been missing for months...

I suspect the condy 'hid' it.

Never found a body.

Yep, mine seems to be gone as well. Not sure what got them is the odd part. I've seen nothing being aggressiveness toward them, during the day or the little bit I've watch at night. I've been reading about the coral banded shrimp, some posts say they are, or and be aggressive toward smaller fish. These cardinal's are smaller and they are slow swimmers. Has anyone here had that experience with the coral banded shrimp? Not sure it maybe he's taken them. The coral banded shrimp is actually pretty small also, and if it was him, two in about a 12 hour period? Seems like a stretch.

Do you have anemones? Have you heard clicking in your tank?

[+SChrisEV]

No anemone, yet. Have not heard any clicking.

[mrshall1027]

My coral banded shrimp leaves everything alone, even the tiny peppermint shrimp. All my fish come out of hiding when I fed them; have you fed since they've been missing?

[George Monnat Jr]

No anemone, yet. Have not heard any clicking.

That's good. If you hear clicking or popping you may have a hitchhiker mantis shrimp or pistol shrimp. I think that's pretty rare, though.

[+SChrisEV]

So.... I do have a pistol shrimp, or at least I added one, I have not seen him pretty much since the day after I added it. It was a very small one that was paired with a watchman goby. When I say small I'd say about 1/4". That being said, I have not heard any clicking, given 3/4" glass in 92 gallons of water, and that small a shrimp would I even hear it? Better question is; would that shrimp be my killer, either now or in the future? I was under the impression that the Tiger Snapping Shrimp as shown here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148 was a safe addition to my tank.

[+Grog]

"Do you have anemones? Have you heard clicking in your tank?"

Mantis is in a different tank by himself.

[George Monnat Jr]

So.... I do have a pistol shrimp, or at least I added one, I have not seen him pretty much since the day after I added it. It was a very small one that was paired with a watchman goby. When I say small I'd say about 1/4". That being said, I have not heard any clicking, given 3/4" glass in 92 gallons of water, and that small a shrimp would I even hear it? Better question is; would that shrimp be my killer, either now or in the future? I was under the impression that the Tiger Snapping Shrimp as shown here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148 was a safe addition to my tank.

I have a Tiger Pistol Shrimp that's now about 2" long. Pretty big. I have lots of little Sexy Shrimp at about 1/2" each and a Yellow Clown Goby that's about 3/4". I'm pretty sure my pistol shrimp hasn't bothered any of them. I can hear mine clicking/firing almost every day, especially in the evenings after I've fed. I wouldn't think a shrimp that small could be the cause, but who knows what does and does not look like food to a pistol shrimp?

[mFrame]

So.... I do have a pistol shrimp, or at least I added one, I have not seen him pretty much since the day after I added it. It was a very small one that was paired with a watchman goby. When I say small I'd say about 1/4". That being said, I have not heard any clicking, given 3/4" glass in 92 gallons of water, and that small a shrimp would I even hear it? Better question is; would that shrimp be my killer, either now or in the future? I was under the impression that the Tiger Snapping Shrimp as shown here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148 was a safe addition to my tank.

I would assume the shrimp is alive and still in the tank. Within two weeks it should have dug its tunnels and started staking out the entrances to "hunt". You'll definitely be able to hear it assuming it's still alive, I've had several and they've all been as loud as someone snapping their fingers. They're primarily nocturnal, so you'll most often hear them at night. And yes, they should be a safe addition to your tank.

[+SChrisEV]

So.... I do have a pistol shrimp, or at least I added one, I have not seen him pretty much since the day after I added it. It was a very small one that was paired with a watchman goby. When I say small I'd say about 1/4". That being said, I have not heard any clicking, given 3/4" glass in 92 gallons of water, and that small a shrimp would I even hear it? Better question is; would that shrimp be my killer, either now or in the future? I was under the impression that the Tiger Snapping Shrimp as shown here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148 was a safe addition to my tank.

I would assume the shrimp is alive and still in the tank. Within two weeks it should have dug its tunnels and started staking out the entrances to "hunt". You'll definitely be able to hear it assuming it's still alive, I've had several and they've all been as loud as someone snapping their fingers. They're primarily nocturnal, so you'll most often hear them at night. And yes, they should be a safe addition to your tank.

There are tunnels appearing every where, was not sure if they were him or the goby, probably both of them.

[+Jakedoza]

I lost everything I got from RCA the next day.. except the food, snails and crabs. oh well..

[George Monnat Jr]

I lost everything I got from RCA the next day.. except the food, snails and crabs. oh well..

That sucks. What was it? Fish, coral, clams, or all of the above?

[+Jakedoza]

small naso tang and 2 firefish..

[+SChrisEV]

And then there were none.... My wife messaged me earlier today saying that she did not see the last Cardinal fish when I got home I look as well, did not come out for food, and now with the lights out for a while, it's not sleeping in the spot they have been in for quite some time. Now I just need to find out who the predictor is... and, who's next? I've been sitting here next to the tank for a while now, and so far no clicking, using a low beam flash light I don't see anything, but with the rock work the way it is that is not too surprising.

[George Monnat Jr]

Sorry to read that. You can use red light or an IR camera at night to see. They don't respond to red and IR. I'd try putting a bottle trap with bait in it overnight and seeing if you get something.

[PeeperKeeper]

I have a PJ Card who has been in my tank for about 10 years. He used to have buddies and they frequently went missing, or I would just see one for a while. Originally there were 3, but the first one disappeared in the first year or two. It's been two for the past 8 years or so, but now I'm pretty sure it really is just the one left because before I stopped seeing the second one, it was having swimbladder issues. But there were a good several months that I was just sure there was only one Cardinal in my tank and then I moved the tank to my new office and found they were both still there. They looked so similar that I guess sometimes I would see one of them and sometimes the other, but they were rarely together.

That being said, since they are new additions to your tank, chances are probably that something happened to them, but you might just be surprised one day to see a "resurrection."