Lost Fish?

[StuCarr]

I added a BN catfish to my tank 2 weeks ago and all was going well until the other day, when I noticed him missing.He was in the tank (juwel rekord 120) on wednesday morning. When I got home I couldn't see him, by Thursday night I was very worried. I took the bogwood out of the tank, and searched every plant, the Co2 diffuser, the spare mini filter I have cycling,and also took everything out of the lovely black juwel internal. No signs of him anywhere. Where could this fish have got to? The other inhabitants are, Flame tetras, Male guppies, Glowlight danios and Bronze corydoras. He was happily eating the algae on the tank sides, and would also feed on bloodworm and algae wafers. If any of the other fish had eaten him, surely there would be some remains?

My next problem is, I am going away for the weekend, My water stats are at 0 now. But if he has bit the dust and starts to decompose over the weekend, would it cause a big ammonia spike? Should I put some ammo lockin before I go?

Thanks
Stu

 

[ox5477]

None of the other tank mates, would kill the bn unless he was a very tiny baby. I would check inside the wood and swirl the substrate around. If nothing, check behind the tank and around on the floor as if your lid doesnt completely cover the tank, it could have gotten spooked and darted out of the tank (my pleco is quite fast when startled and has jumped into the tank lid twice since i've had her). If still nothing, im not really sure, i would check every little nook and cranny, no matter how small as its amazing sometimes how fish can find hiding spots we dont even know are there.

And if the bn is dead then it will begin to bomb your tank with ammonia if its body is still in the water. This has actually happened to me before with shrimp. They always seem to find the littlest gap out of your tank. well when i had mollies i had shrimp in there with them and one day, all the shrimp were gone. I checked all over the tank and all around on the floor, in the filter, everything, no sign of them. I still dont know what happened to them....

 

[StuCarr]

Just checked ammonia again, and its still at 0. Looked behind the tank, under the cabinet. Nothing. If he did jump out, my cats may have eaten him. He was only 1 inch long. I have had an additional filter running in my tank for a week now. I am setting up a planted Nano tank for a Dwark puffer. I'm tempted to put some fish in there.
The new filter will not be cycled by now, but what tank will the fish have a better chance of survival in? Arrghh Dilemma.

Maybe the 6 Danios can go in the nano tank, cos there a bit more resiliant to amm and nitrite. That woud give a bit of breathing room for the other tank incase of an ammonia spike from dead BN.

 

[IamGibby]

Obvious and stupid probally, but did you check inside the filters? or are they not hang filters? =x

Hope you find your Fishy. and if not, good luck with the ammonia deal.

 

[rdd1952]

If you haven't found him by now (how long ago did you see him last), most likely he isn't in the tank either dead or alive. The other fish most likely didn't kill him but they would have possibly eaten him after he was dead. As mentioned, check everything near the tank, on the floor (do you have a ccat or dog that could have eaten him if he jumped out), up in the lights and inside the filter (my son's pleco got into his AquaClear filter and lived for a couple weeks).

 

[StuCarr]

Still no sign. Have stripped 2 internal filters, he's definatley not in there. If he did jump out the tank he could have been eaten by a cat. All water parameters still fine, Hes been MIA since Wednesday evening.

 

[rdd1952]

I'd put my money on the cat. There's no way he could hide that well especially since you've had everything out of the tank.

 

[Orbit887]

I'd still be thinking he might be in there. My BN can really hide well when he doesn't want to be seen, although you did say you'd taken everything out of the tank.

Have you tried tempting him out with some veg? As soon as I put some cucumber into the tank my BN smells it wherever he is and goes off to find it. Might be worth putting some in the tank and leaving it in overnight. If in the morning it's been munched at, then chances are he might still be hiden in there somewhere.

 

[StuCarr]

Might try the cucumber tonight. I left half an algae wafer in last night, but my corys ate that!
I'm still hoping he has just buried himself in the sand. No rise in ammonia yet, so thats a good sign, either he;s still slive in the tank or out of the tank and dead. Living room doesn't smell yet so i'm still looking at the cats.