Head Count/ Missing fish???

[orangepunkins]

Every night at feeding time I do a head count to make sure everyone is there. Well tonight I noticed that my marble hatchet fish is MIA. I only had 1 and every single week I went to the fish store to try to order some more. And every time they were we will try and order them again. Well tonight I looked in the tank and he is MIA. There is no telltale signs that he even existed in my tank. No bones nothing!!! I looked around the tank thinking maybe he jumped out and I found nothing eighter ( the dog or cat might have gotten him by then). Anyone else have this issue? anyone else do head counts at feeding time?

 

[schoeplein]

I also try to do a headcount. Kind of a form of insanity with schools of 15+, but I still try. Depending on what's in your tank, if a fish perishes, the rest could easily clear their remains in a single evening.

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[cichlidthinker]

especially if its a hatchet fish , so small , but do you think it could have jumped out ? isn't there a lid on the tank ?

 

[Delapool]

I also try to do a headcount. Kind of a form of insanity with schools of 15+, but I still try. Depending on what's in your tank, if a fish perishes, the rest could easily clear their remains in a single evening.

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+1 - any school above 10 I can't keep track of lol. I try though at feeding time to check them all out.

I've spotted a dead fish in the morning off to work but the loaches have stripped it within a day.

 

[philipraposo198]

i do count but not often as I would go insane. I have a school of 25 cardinal tetras... enough said

but your hatchet probably jumped out.

 

[orangepunkins]

I have glass lids but in between the lid and filter is about an inch and half. I did a water change and after the change I think that is when I lost him. I drawl off a well and the water is perfect. I think it might have been a little to stressful for him. Or maybe he did jump out. I will never know.....

 

[baileystar]

This has happened to me before. I bought a few guppies from a store, brought them home and put the in the tank. I watched them for about a half hour then I had to go out for about 45 mins. When I came back one of my guppies was missing. I looked everywhere! Plants, pulled out filter, looking on the floor around the tank, the whole 9 yards. Three days later I was watching the fish and some of my others were attacking something so I started tapping the tank to try to get them to go away. It turned out to be my missing guppy. It seems to me that he had buried himself in the gravel somewhere to stay hidden. When they are so small it's almost impossible to notice, unless you watch them before they hide. Hopefully yours will turn up soon.

 

[lectraplayer]

I've had my tetras jump out when I do water changes. Sometimes I see him, sometimes I don't. They also sometimes get buried as I plow gravel. I'm not sure if they can get out or not when buried so if I notice, I always dig 'em up.

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[emilygupps]

I'm missing a shrimp I do head counts every morning and night and when I get come home from any where. OCD. Right. Here. I don't have a ton of fish tough and it's only 30g tank. The snails are usually the hardest to find in my planted tank.

I think my bf might have buried the shrino when he vacuumed the tank :-/

 

[lectraplayer]

I had a tetra die today and another I can't find. He may be hiding under the swords.

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[Delapool]

Hard with tetras I find to keep count. I get to 6 or 8 and then have to re-start. The rosy barbs I count males then females so have a better chance.

 

[trennamw]

I do, and once after searching everywhere for a danio (in the tank and out) he showed up back with his school the next morning. Might be fine.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

My fish always hide and I can't find them.

 

[Luananeko]

I try to do head counts at feeding time, but when you have a school of 13 dwarf chain loaches... I just kinda eyeball that one with a "does it look like more than I can count before they twirl around so much I lose track?" At the very least I try to count the ones that are more easily identified, like my GloFish, frogs, gourami, rams, kribs, etc (not all same tank obviously).

I especially have to keep an eye on my GloFish as the idiots are fascinated with getting stuck in the overflow box, inside my denser plants, etc... At least they're easier to count by color. Can't decide if they're just SUPER explorative or all their brightness went to their colors instead of their brains

Also, did you check the walls and other vertical surfaces around the tank, or just the floor? My friend's mom was missing one for the longest time before she discovered that it had managed to get itself glued to the freaking wall and dried out all crispy critter there... It was so well stuck she had to get a paint scraper to peel it off

 

[lectraplayer]

I was under the impression that GLOfish were just regular fish with brighter colors. I guess if a fish is a moron, then that's a whole new level of moronity.

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[Luananeko]

I was under the impression that GLOfish were just regular fish with brighter colors. I guess if a fish is a moron, then that's a whole new level of moronity.

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Yep, they're just genetically tweaked Zebra Danios. SHOULD be same level of intelligence, but I don't recall regular Zebra Danios being this suicidal... One of them even insists on exploring the wonderful world of the water changer siphon every water change

 

[Delapool]

Yep, they're just genetically tweaked Zebra Danios. SHOULD be same level of intelligence, but I don't recall regular Zebra Danios being this suicidal... One of them even insists on exploring the wonderful world of the water changer siphon every water change

I get that with angel fish! One got sucked up so I twisted the hose shut (lucky I was watching) and it popped out. Back next second looking for a free ride or something. Now I shake the pipe end if they get too close but they are fascinated by it.

 

[lectraplayer]

I guess you can't find a strainer to keep the fish from getting sucked up? (I'm new to canister filters)

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[Luananeko]

I guess you can't find a strainer to keep the fish from getting sucked up? (I'm new to canister filters)

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Its not the canister filter, its the water changer during my weekly water changes. Adding a strainer would prevent the siphon from pulling out the dropped leaf debris and junk that I'm trying to get out during the water change I just watch carefully and stop the siphon whenever the suicidal danio gets too close.

But yes, if it were a canister filter they do have strainers over the intakes.

 

[lectraplayer]

Ok. I'm a bucket changer too so I could always dip them from the bucket.

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