Dead Fish In The Reef !! Please Help

I just got home and I realized that my Kole Tang "that was not doing well" is nowhere to be found. My cleaner shrimp who is always out in front of the tank is barely visible through some gaps in the rocks. He is in there with some of my 30+ hermit crabs and one of my Sea Stars. I have (3) other Sea stars (1) other cleaner shrimp (4) emerald crabs (1) big sally crab and a reef lobster . I listed all those guys because here is my question there is no way to get the dead fish out will they devour enough of the fish that my water will not be messed up? Should I be concerned ? Should I wait a week and do a water change ? The Tank is 120 gallons with a 20 gallon sump I have 180+ pounds of live rock and another 10+ pounds in the sump.

 

If everything is in balance besides the dead fellow, you'll probably at least have a diatom bloom. I don't know if I would say that it will get any worse than that, but with the addition of all that ammonia in the water diatoms are almost guaranteed. A water change certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

The reaper.

Sorry for the loss. There might be some controversy on this suggestion but it has worked very well for me. I bought a tan not green brittle star about a year ago. The greens are known as "green death". Anyway, it has left every one else alone but when the grim reaper inevitably makes his appearance, the tan brittle moves right in and all is well again. Karma for the loss.

 

Sorry for your loss, Crabby...karma to you...

 

Could you use a turkey baster and possibly push the fish out that way? New to the saltwater hobby and this was suggested to me with a freshwater tank. I don't know if it would work for you but it may be worth a try.

 

It won't cause any problem the crabs and other fish will clean it up.. You will disturb more trying then it will just letting nature do its job. Crabs call that a bonus I never would or have dug them out I can tanks have so many rocks it just can't be done . Now if they are right up front on the sand then I would . Hell people cycle tanks like this and if a healthy established system can't handle a single dead fish then you are on shacky ground anyways best fine it out sooner I would think..

 

Hand full of hermits.

Keep eye on water params next few days.

Be prepared for water changes if necessary.

As tangster said, be prepared for some algae.

Sorry about loss.

 

Sorry for your loss, they are hard working fish. I dont know if its good or bad, but I have never taken out anything that dies. Esp. fish, all the crabs act like little piranas and nothing is left, not even the bones. Krama, Luna

 

sorry for the loss. i have a kole tang as well that i absolutely love and would hate to loose. i wouldn't worry about the tank as long as its matured a while. your "cleanup crew" should do just that, clean up the mess. sorry for the loss.

 

sorry to hear.i doubt it will in any way effect your tank.it'll likely be gone in a couple days at most.just watch your tank for changes just in case.