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Ever had a fish go missing?

3116 Views 17 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  ShortFin
So I picked up this used tank....already had 5 fish in it.

Woke up one morning and 3 small fish were dead (like tetra size) and 1 was missing (like young angel fish at your LFS size)

Figured maybe he was hiding (not much to hide behind).

Well it's been two days, I have rooted around....and no fish to be found. Looked around my tank to see if he jumped out....nothing.

Only thing I can think of is the bigger one died....the three little ones ate him bone and all and subsequently died from eating him....all in a 12 hour period! lol

Anyhow....its driving me crazy
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I only see my one catfish a few times a week. Still not sure where he hides out as theyre arent really any caves in my tank. I lost 4 Black Neon Tetras to some Ich a while back but I never found those either... So yeah, fish disappear sometimes. Its weird but Ive seen it many time.
I have "lost" three tetras in a day... They all dissapeared and I found no remains. I even took the entire setup apart (it being repaced by a bigger tank) and found nothing. So, it happens!
I lost a pygmy cory... but those things are tiny.
I found my missing goldfish two years later behind my dresser. :( I felt real bad...
A male endler disappeared a couple weeks ago on me. Haven't found a trace of him. I only have 2 other males for breeding, so I was a little worried. Til the 2nd batch of fry were born 3 days ago. At this rate, I'll be posting in the swap n' shop very soon.......
I had a white cloud mountain minnow go missing this Sunday; I looked around and found him in the bucket of water that was sitting next to the tank for a water change! One lucky fish. Later that same day ANOTHER minnow jumped out, and luckily I noticed soon enough to find him behind the tank and put him back in. Don't know what was up with them that day (water params were fine . . .)
Not fish but shrimp. I remember when I took down my picotope couple of months ago I just dumped the water out of my filter and left the media to dry out. Weeks later as I'm now setting up my new 2.5, I found 3 dried up cherries in my old HOB.

To the OP:
Have you checked your filter for fish remains?
Yeah looked in there, also it was a hob but the fish wouldn't of made it into the intake except for in tiny bits and pieces.

Glad to hear I am not alone.
It's happened to me quite often - at first I used to tear the tank apart determined to find the missing fish, but eventually just realized that these things happen.
It's happened to me quite often - at first I used to tear the tank apart determined to find the missing fish, but eventually just realized that these things happen.
Saw this string and was not going to post but can't help it LOL.

I've lost several Kuhli loaches for easily over a year. Then when the wild hair of change grew and I drained the tank to really stir things up cleaning the gravel found two huge ones living under the UG filter plates.

Panda Cory's that for weeks at feeding time I see only three consistently then one night there are five eating algae pellets.

I ordered a dozen baby albino plecos placing them in a planted 20g long, I lost four. Found one dead in a cave made of petrified wood pieces but never saw the other three. These were approx. 1/2 - 3/4" arriving from the seller. After a month in quarantine I removed the remaining eight and divided them into three tanks.

A couple of weeks after that I ordered six gold Dojo loaches and while prepping the 20g quarantine I found the remaining lost three plecos in the HOB I use to filter that tank. They must have swam up the discharge into the filter.

I've lost I don't know how many pre-dime angels in planted aquariums only to see the fish count change after a WC/plant trim.

Had Briggs snails crawl 1/2 way across the room away from the tanks too finding them in a bubble puddle the next morning.

And, like you had fish abducted by aliens never to be seen again.:eek:

Somehow it just happens.
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I found my missing goldfish two years later behind my dresser. :( I felt real bad...
Did you really? Didnt it smell? How did it get there? Cat perhaps?

Swan
Did you really? Didnt it smell? How did it get there? Cat perhaps?

Swan

I guess it jumped. The cat wouldn't have been able to get up to that tank and no it didn't smell. I should have took a picture I was so proud of it I showed everyone in my house. :p
So Friday one of my ghost shrimp, in my office tank, molted. I came in this morning and its no where to be found so I can only guess that because he was vulnerable the other shrimp and the two guppies ate him.
I've had tetras disappear, but just assumed the snails finished them off before I noticed. I did find a fossilized sunset platy a year after his disappearance when I moved the table under the tank. Best I can tell, he jumped and then flopped his way underneath.
Maybe the snails dispose of his body?
I didn't know if you were referring to my post or not, but I don't have snails. Just two guppies and two other shrimp.
I was referring to the OP. I guess I didn't make it clear.
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