Disapearing Neon

[Fishyfishman]

Hi,
 
I have a fish tank with 4 cherry shrimp, 3 phantom tetras, 1 fancy tail guppy and 2 neon tetras. There were 3 until a few days ago.
 
All fish and shrimp and about an inch in size if not a little smaller.
 
I have had them all for about 7 months.
 
A few days ago I noticed that one of the Neons was missing. Vanished without a trace. I had last seen it the previous day. The fish was looking a little worse for wear compared to the others as his fins were a bit bitty. He ate normally the last time I fed him and other than the appearance the only other abnormality was that he was a bit of a loner.
 
Anyway gone without a trace, no evidence at all. I vacuumed the gravel and still found no evidence of it.
 
There is a lid on the tank and I have checked all around for evidence that it jumped out. Found none.
 
Is it possible it could have died and been eaten in the space of a day without leaving any evidence whatsoever? Could the shrimp be the culprits? Surely they would leave bones?
 
Alien abduction is the only thing I can think of.
 
Any explanations?
 
Thanks in advance. 
 
 

 

[This Old Spouse]

Shrimp are very good little scavengers. It's possible they got rid of the body overnight. It could've been one of the phantoms that did him in.
 
You should have at least 6 of each kind of tetra. I'd say the same for the guppies, but this all depends on what size your tank is. 

 

[Blitz]

Check inside the filter. People freak out all the time when their fish go missing without a trace. Like, how can that possible happen? D: 
Sometimes, the fish (especially if it's that small) gets sucked up in the filter and the remains are either almost inside the filter pad or the remains of the fish is just in the stuck in the filter. By this time, the body is already starting to decompose. There's barely anything left. The fish has probably lost coloration by now. And also, if the fish is that small and it got sucked up in the filter, you probably won't find it. It's body has probably already decomposed and is now part of the yucky stuff in the filter pad. 
 
Do you have a hood or canopy on your tank? SOme fish love to jump and can be jumpers. Check all around the floors and behind the tank. 
 
A lot of plants? IF you have a lot of plants, the fish might have died and is now somewhere hidden between plants and decorations. 

And you never know... your fish might've died and it's body has broken down to the point where it's almost invisible and it's in the gravel/sand. 
 
Some ideas that i thought of...