Lost and Found

[GouramiFanatic]

This morning I noticed that one of my Gold Dojos was missing. I tried to remember if I found both of them last night while doing the normal headcount, but I couldn't recall if I did or not. What's worst is that I think I forgot to include them in the usual headcount! Assuming he had just found a really good hiding spot I went on with my day figuring he'd be back out when I looked next time.

Fast forward a few hours, there was still no sign of him. Just the single Goldie resting beneath the bubble wall. By now my heart was racing because I just couldn't find it. I found one, but not the other and they're usually the two that stay reasonably close together. I started fearing the worst that it jumped out of the tank while I was doing a PWC late during the week. I began looking under the furniture, around the tank, and behind it as well, but in the end here was no trace of him.

I didn't know what to do. Should I wait and see if it comes out on it's own or should I start moving stuff in the tank to see if it pops out somewhere? I'm the type of person who wants to know what happened. i don't want to assume that it died or that it's ok - I want to see either way so I know exactly what happened. So I decided to start looking under all of the decor. I lifted just about every piece of wood, rock, and pot, but there was still no sign of him.

Finally, the last piece to move was a tall fake piece of driftwood and sure enough there he was all curled up inside the thing. I was so relieved and happy to finally find him! I don't know if he was stuck or if he would've found his way out by digging through the gravel, but I made him get out just to be on the safe side. At least now I know if it happens again that's the place to start looking!

Sorry the message is so long. I just had to share my story. I had no idea Dojos could perform such a good hiding trick! Anyone else experience this with a Dojo?

 

[SeanMurphy]

I lost my pleco earlier today in much the same way. I was clipping plants and rearranging decor and I pushed the driftwood back down in the sand, as I'd moved it a bit when putting plants behind it. Later I was looking for the pleco out of curiosity, didn't see him, so i checked all his spots and he wasn't there.. I started to worry that maybe he was under the wood when i squished it down into the sand and I pulled that all out.. no pleco.

I then blindly reached behind my tall plants where the bubble wand rests on the sand to straighten it a bit, when something started flapping against my fingers. Turns out he'd dug a trench under the bubble wand and was resting down there under it, behind the dense plant stems where no one can see him.

 

[theotheragentm]

I lost a Platy one night, and when I didn't see her the next morning, I became worried. It is the same Platy that liked to hide in between rocks. Well, I found her dead unfortunately. I think she got herself lodged in between some rocks and couldn't back her way out of them. Next time a fish goes missing, I'm having an all out searching party, not waiting for a night to pass.