dead fish

[FallChinook]

Question for you all....I have a RSM 130 and have about 35 lbs live rock, live sand, refugium, cuc, 2 clownfish, and an assortment of corals.......but the question is this:
I have a 3 inch yellow watchman goby that has died in a precarious spot under some rockwork (been hiding for 3 days, not sure why....). He's not gilling anymore, and not sure how to pull him out of there. Can I leave him for the crabs and snails or do I need to pull apart my rockscape?
Thanks!
Monica

 

[Cloudburst2000]

I would pull apart the rockwork, otherwise the decomposing fish is likely to play havoc on your water parameters, thus putting your other livestock in danger.

 

[Eric]

Metal hangers work wonders in situations like this. I honestly think in a 135 it's really not going to effect much but better safe than sorry. I have lost fish that I had no idea where they were at in 100lbs + of live rock and I wasn't tearing apart the rock to find out, depending that would/could disturb the water parameters just as much as a rotting fish.

Eric

 

[bekindtoyurbuds]

If you have a good clean up crew I would let them take care of it, there's nothing worse than moving rock and trying to get it back into the same spot you have had it before. Your crabs and snails will smell it dying and take care of it, I have had a few fish dye over the past few years and my clean up crew took care of them with no ill effects. (this is what they are there for)

let them take care of it.

 

[r2d2]

I had same problem about 1 month ago. My goby wasnt as active as always and he hides almost all day. One day I notece an unussual hermit meeting is back of tank, they were eating my death goby.
Two or three days latter I made a water change and try to siphon that area.
Thats it....
Sorry about your Goby!

Greetings

 

[Frankie]

I agree. Try to siphon it out after a while and let the clean up crew have at it for a bit.
Be sure to set your skimmer to a wet skim instead of a dry one. You will pull out a lot of organic's this way.

 

[Frankie]

Metal hangers work wonders in situations like this.
Eric

Very disturbing vision! LOL This is not a bad idea either. Much better then pulling rock out.

 

[FallChinook]

Thanks everyone!