Missing Cardinal Tetra

[robertsskippyj]

Hi Everyone,

I to have 11 cardinal tetra and one has disappeared of the face of the earth for about a week now.

Last night I moved all my tank decor to try and find him, looked in the internal filter and ran the gravel vac round to see if I could not see him but he would suck up all to no avail.

They are kept with a Bristlenose pleco, 5 Zebra loach and 2 opaline gourami.

Everything in the tank has lived happily together for 4 months.

So here comes my question could the 2 opalines I added 2 weeks ago have eaten him?

I just cannot think of anything else.

the Water readings are Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 15 so he cannot be in there dead or the water readings would be getting affected by now.

I've also look on the floor under the tank and around it incase he jumped.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Died and been eaten??

 

[robertsskippyj]

Died and been eaten??

Thats what I thought but would any of his tank mates have eaten him?

 

[creeker]

Probably the Bristlenose or the loaches ate him after he died, but out of curiosity how big are the Opalines and how small are the Cardinals?

 

[robertsskippyj]

Probably the Bristlenose or the loaches ate him after he died, but out of curiosity how big are the Opalines and how small are the Cardinals?

The opalines are around the 7 cm at the moment and the Cardinals are around the 4 cm mark.

 

[creeker]

Probably the Bristlenose or the loaches ate him after he died, but out of curiosity how big are the Opalines and how small are the Cardinals?

The opalines are around the 7 cm at the moment and the Cardinals are around the 4 cm mark.

Yeah, That confirms for me that the Cardinal just died and got eaten. Not enough size differential for those Opalines to eat one.