Missing fish help please !!!

[Italy592]

Had a irridenscent shark in my 75 gallon tank as a baby an he was such a active swimmer !!! I've never seen him not swimming but last night I didt see him at all not floating I check around the tank nothing I stared at I for almost an hour he is prolly dead but I have rocks an everything. My question is what do I do, do I rip up the rocks and try to find his body or just let it go ??? Will the fish be ok ??

 

[LyndaB]

What else is in the tank? It's quite possible that the shark died and the other fish consumed it.

 

[Italy592]

Cichlids

 

[Italy592]

Is that ok for them or will it cause problems ??

 

[Labenator65000]

Had a irridenscent shark in my 75 gallon tank as a baby an he was such a active swimmer !!! I've never seen him not swimming but last night I didt see him at all not floating I check around the tank nothing I stared at I for almost an hour he is prolly dead but I have rocks an everything. My question is what do I do, do I rip up the rocks and try to find his body or just let it go ??? Will the fish be ok ??

This may seem like an overly-simplistic answer, but did you try shining a flashlight around to try to see in your rockwork?

BTW I had an Albino Rainbow Shark that coexisted peacefully with my Malawis. Suddenly one day I found the RS torn to pieces, most of which I never did find even after rearranging the entire tank. The common belief is that Synodontis are the safest bet to coexist with most cichlids.

 

[Italy592]

Well is it going I hurt the fish if I can't find the sharks body ??

 

[LyndaB]

If your readings are good, then I wouldn't worry about it. But with cichlids? I'm pretty sure that if the shark truly is missing, then the cichlids have disposed of the corpse.

 

[Italy592]

Pretty sure the readings haven't changed so I don't need to worry ??

 

[LyndaB]

Did you take readings or are you guessing?

If the shark got died and the body was stuck outside the reach of other fish, then the fish would decay and this would create a high nitrate reading. If your readings are fine, then the tank is fine.

Then again, we're presuming that the fish has died but you'd be amazed at how often people think they have missing fish and then, voila, the fish reappears.

 

[Labenator65000]

... you'd be amazed at how often people think they have missing fish and then, voila, the fish reappears.

This is true. I once found a Black Kuhli loach that had been missing for weeks when I took a piece of decor out to scrub algae off of it.

 

[Italy592]

Well it's a irridesenct shark it never goes in the rocks so it's always in the open n if it's the first time it's hiding it's Wierd so he has to be dead and I'll take readings when I get home from class today

 

[Italy592]

It was alive or dead ???

 

[didysis]

Expensive fish food? hope not, sometimes fish get stuck in places, move everything around to check that he is not stuck somewhere.

 

[Labenator65000]

It was alive or dead ???

Sorry, if you are referring to the BK Loach, it was alive and well.

 

[Italy592]

Ok I really wish not but I guess soo

 

[Italy592]

Wow that's crazy but I'll keep a look on my readings n see what happens joe golly nothing happens

 

[Italy592]

I found his dead body !!! But now my nitrates are up alittle more than they are usually what do I do !!?

 

[Italy592]

Help please !!!!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Do water changes. That will bring down the trates

 

[Italy592]

Ok how many ???