Missing fish..

ReeferSteve · Mar 2, 2020

I’ve seen these posts before but usually there’s a cause that can be found for a fish that’s gone missing. I’m stumped on this one.

46gal FOWLR housing two clowns, a damsel, six line and 15+\- red legs. Everything is healthy and happy

The smaller of the two clowns is gone. It’s just not there and there’s no traces of it. I went about 24 hours Without actually looking into the tank aside from throwing in some food and moving on. Last night I had time to take a peek and look everything over and immediately noticed the clown was missing. He’s not in the rock, the overflow, or on the floor. I’m not running a sump at the moment but there is an overflow and the clown loved to spend the majority of his time bumped ride up to the side of the overflow at the very top of the water column, his spot is the only spot where there’s an opening on top of the tank. I have a curious cat that could fit a paw into that spot if she really wanted. Is it possible that she got him? Did he jump and she picked him up? I’m a bit lost here.

Glott3133 · Mar 2, 2020

I've never seen a clown jump, even in an open top tank; unless it was being picked on by another fish. If you have rock in the tank, you may need to move the rock around to see if he's underneath. Otherwise, I'd blame the cat.

Cell · Mar 2, 2020

Could have jumped and been eaten or dragged somewhere, could have died or been killed and eaten by cuc.

snowhite · Mar 2, 2020

Our cats have managed to extracate 3 betta's out of small 2.5g acrylic cubes... with lids, so they (she, because I know which one is the culprit) had to be lifting the lid and flipping the betta out. The betta's are (were) trained to come up to the top any time there's tapping or activity. Now the lids remain taped in place and no betta's have disappeared.

jlts21 · Mar 2, 2020

It likely died and has been dragged somewhere hidden. I recently had this issue and couldn't find a fish for roughly 24 hours. It had died behind all my rock and was drug to a spot that was very difficult to find. You know your scape better than any of us so look very closely

fishguy242 · Mar 2, 2020

hi do not disturb rocks and sandbed looking for

ReeferSteve · Mar 2, 2020

snowhite said:
Our cats have managed to extracate 3 betta's out of small 2.5g acrylic cubes... with lids, so they (she, because I know which one is the culprit) had to be lifting the lid and flipping the betta out. The betta's are (were) trained to come up to the top any time there's tapping or activity. Now the lids remain taped in place and no betta's have disappeared.

That’s interesting.

ReeferSteve · Mar 2, 2020

jlts21 said:
It likely died and has been dragged somewhere hidden. I recently had this issue and couldn't find a fish for roughly 24 hours. It had died behind all my rock and was drug to a spot that was very difficult to find. You know your scape better than any of us so look very closely

I’ll look closer but I’m not going to disrupt anything digging around. If he’s dead in the tank hopefully the cuc can handle cleanup

ReeferSteve · Mar 2, 2020

fishguy242 said:
hi do not disturb rocks and sandbed looking for

I had the same thoughts.

Idoc · Mar 2, 2020

Those hermits have probably already disposed of the evidence.

jlts21 · Mar 2, 2020

ReeferSteve said:
I’ll look closer but I’m not going to disrupt anything digging around. If he’s dead in the tank hopefully the cuc can handle cleanup

Right I by no means was recommending rescaping your tank to find it. If it’s been longer than 24 hours it’s likely already been cleaned up. When I pulled mine out after 24 hours, it had already been cleaned pretty well other than it’s outer “skin” (eyes and insides were gone) so there likely is not going to be any traces of it (good cuc and bristleworms that you think aren’t there do a good job of cleaning)

ReeferSteve · Mar 5, 2020

Update...now my six line is gone. He was totally fine last night and was gone when I got home from work this evening. I think the Damsel might be the culprit.