Missing Pleco?

[This Old Spouse]

About 4 weeks ago I started stocking my 55 gal with assorted fish, including 2 common plecos. About 3 weeks ago, one disappeared and I haven't seen it since! Today I started moving around some of my larger rocks, etc., and lifted some up to see if it had been hiding under one. But no luck. It's still missing. I looked everywhere I could think of. And there weren't any fish remains either. Is it possible it's still in there, hiding somewhere I can't see it??

 

[AstonN24vantage]

don't lift up everything. if it turns up, it will turn up. plecos have the tendency to hide away for a while and never come out. chances are its fine.

 

[james_fish]

don't lift up everything. if it turns up, it will turn up. plecos have the tendency to hide away for a while and never come out. chances are its fine.

But if it doesn't turn up then it could be potentially dead, rotting away in the tank causing all sorts of trouble with water quality.

Keep an eye for it during the night as a lot of Pleco's are nocturnal. Maybe try a couple of algae wafers when the lights are out.

James

 

[AstonN24vantage]

it wouldnt be awful if it was dead (from a water quality standpoint) as long as the other common ate it. if it were dead, it would probably turn up.

 

[This Old Spouse]

The water quality is fine, and yes, one would think that some evidence would turn up if it was dead. I just can't imagine it being SO good at hiding that I haven't seen a trace of it in weeks. Knowing they're nocturnal, I've tried to spot it at night with no luck.

 

[moochy13]

so you leave dead fish inyour tank ?

what about if ones dies of a disease, and something else eats that dead fish, thus getting the disease. i seperate anything that looks like its going to die soon as, and let it swim about in a container floating in the tank. mostly just because i dont want to be hunting for in plants and under rocks when its actually dead. if he dies, he'll be in the container easy to get to. if he shows any improvement, i'll re-release him.

 

[This Old Spouse]

ah, what? No, I don't leave dead fish in my tank. I just can't FIND my pleco.

 

[james_fish]

it wouldnt be awful if it was dead (from a water quality standpoint) as long as the other common ate it. if it were dead, it would probably turn up.

Maybe this could of happened then. Maybe it has passed and the tankmates have fed on it?
But i've found pleco's in some very 'how the?' places.

James.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

ive found plecos in "how the ****?" places

 

[james_fish]

But I mean after all these are common's so anyone's guess how big these are but if a 10inch (just for example's sake) were to pass in a tank, it would affect water quality some way. But I doubt you'd lose a 10 incher in a 55 gal

James.

 

[This Old Spouse]

My guys are fairly young, about 2-1/2 inches (well, at least the one I can SEE is that long) so I guess it's possible it's still invisible somewhere in the tank. I can't imagine that it could die and there would be NO SIGN of that like bones or an ammonia spike or whatever. I'm at a loss!

 

[kporteo]

Has he turned up yet?
K

 

[Alexk19]

Inside filter?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

when did you lose him?