Disappearing Fish

[bcpatti3]

I picked up 6 neons 4 days ago to add to my 55 gallon tank. Yesterday I noticed one was dead stuck against the filter and one was missing altogether. The one stuck to the filter did not have any discoloration. So when I found it, it was freshly dead.

This morning I saw the other four swimming in a pact. WhenI got home from work, I only saw only THREE in the tank with no sight of any dead fish.

I am wondering if there is a fish in my tank killing off my neons. My water conditions are fine. Ammonia ZERO, NITRITES ZERO, PH 7.2 and NITRATES are close to ZERO.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS?!!!

I have Two RAMS. 4 ZEBRA, 4 Black Phantom Tetra, 6CORY, 3 Guppy, 4 Giant Danios and now only 3 NEONS.

 

[n3ont3tra]

It sounds like they were just weak when you got them. How did you acclimate them?

 

[bcpatti3]

It sounds like they were just weak when you got them. How did you acclimate them?

I placed bag into the water for about 1.5 hours adding water from my tank into the plastic bag every 20 minutes. My question is......................WHERE ARE THE FISH GOING? I am not finding any bodies anywhere. Also the NEONS are not acting wierd. They swim, they eat just fine.


I have NEVER had success with NEONS and I do not mean in this tank I mean never had success with them in many tanks I have maintained.

 

[n3ont3tra]

It's probably the store your getting them from then.

To me, 1.5 hours sounds excessive. Remember, they're sitting in an ammonia filled bag for that long. About the bodies, do you have any bottom feeders? They're probably eating them. If not... make sure they're not floating? I don't know... but keep looking.

Also, thanks for putting your tank stats in the first post. Sooooo many people don't do that, and it's frustrating.

 

[bcpatti3]

It's probably the store your getting them from then.

To me, 1.5 hours sounds excessive. Remember, they're sitting in an ammonia filled bag for that long. About the bodies, do you have any bottom feeders? They're probably eating them. If not... make sure they're not floating? I don't know... but keep looking.

Also, thanks for putting your tank stats in the first post. Sooooo many people don't do that, and it's frustrating.

I actually picked up 6 Cory catfish with my neons. The catfish seem fine. You think they are eating the bodies or they are killing the neons?

Thanks for your comments N3ont3tra

 

[Jimmy Twotimes]

Also always struggled with neons. All other fish are fine but the neons just dont last. I'm guessing as they are so common they arent bred as well as they should be....

Might be wrong but i just cant buy them anymore knowing i'll be fishing them out within months....

 

[CageUK]

To me, 1.5 hours sounds excessive. Remember, they're sitting in an ammonia filled bag for that long. About the bodies, do you have any bottom feeders? They're probably eating them. If not... make sure they're not floating? I don't know... but keep looking.

I would agree that 1.5 hours isn't really necessary.
30mins with a bit of water added every 5 mins or so should do the same job.

I also have never had too much luck with Neons/Cardinals. They do seem to be very delicate. My first batch of Cardinals developed white spot (no other fish in the tank got it) and I just couldn't shift it. They died eventually.
I think that they do prefer a softer more acidic water so maybe they would do better in that environment!

Just a thought.

Cheers

 

[LolaLouie]

Neons are very small, if you have sand perhaps when they die they are becoming burried under the sand i have had fish "dissappear" in this way. Also due to their size it wouldn't take long for you fish to eat their dead bodies!

 

[smmetz]

The cories would not kill the neons, but might munch on the bodies, like you said.

 

[Cory_Dad]

I don't know what kind of Corys you bought but from the one's I've had experience with a) they would never kill another fish and b) I haven't seen them eat any corpses; I don't think their mouths are built that way.

I know the zebras sometimes chase my neons and nip at their tail. Giant danios? That may be your problem (just a guess).

Good luck.

 

[vinylman]

Once a fish has died (particularly a small one) it doesn't take long for the body to disappear. Maybe it's something we prefer not to think about, but very few tankmates would turn down a free meal.

 

[bmxweeman]

ive had a history of disappearing fish. one scissor tail vanished, a rummynose tetra gone, and as my signature says 5 shrimp. i just cant see them. i dont even know if there alive or not