Anyone had a fish get stuck in rock?

[kgwklee]

I just bought my first fish, a royal gramma, and as soon as I let him out in the tank he disappeared in the rockwork. After about 3 days I started to worry and began looking around in there with my flashlight and found him stuck in a hole in my rock, dead. I couldn't even blow him out with the turkey baster. So my question is I guess, is this common? I hate to keep spending $20 a fish for this. If so, is there anything I can do about it? Thanks!

[Cammed_02]

Get some wire cutters and chip away at the rock to enlarge the hole. Never heard of this happening, sorry for the loss, but at least now you can rectify the problem.

[FireWater]

I have had a tang do this to me before. I was cleaning the tank and spooked it - found it 4 days later wedged in between 2 rocks.

How did you let the fish go in the aquarium? Just dump it in after acclimation or set it in? I usually acclimate new fish in a bucket then move them into a breeder box or box similar to what they use in the fish store to bag fish. After a while I let it go into the tank by submerging the box and letting the fish swim out. That is a little over board or anal, but I have not lost one yet while releasing them.

[jroescher]

Your clean up crew should have taken care of that problem by now. My crabs and snails will eliminate a dead animal in minutes.

[ErikH]

I had a firefish try and dart for it's hole once. It missed ever so slightly, and killed itself by smashing into a rock headfirst.

[ErikH]

Oh, and it was a Helfrichi firefish to make matters worse/expensive.

[Europhyllia]

wow never had that happen. if I did it takes my clean up crew only a day to dispose of it

[CoryDude]

Oh, and it was a Helfrichi firefish to make matters worse/expensive.

Yikes! That bites!

I had a ruby head wrasse get himself wedged in a cave and died the same way.

[Europhyllia]

too many tanks with tangs... what can I say. ;)

[kgwklee]

So I guess it just happens some times. My cleanup crew is supposed to get here any day now. I guess next time my fish will just disappear. FireWater I'm gonna try what you said when I release the next one. After I acclimated the royal gramma he went strait for the rocks. Maybe keeping him in the breeder box will get them used to being out. Thanks everyone!

[FireWater]

Just remember to keep a screen or cover on the box. You don't want to go through all that work just to have them leap out of the container right before entering the tank.