Missing Pleco... o.O

[Squareheads]

okay... it was monday... a normal day in the aquarium... fishes are swimming... shrimps are cleaning... the pleco is stuck to the glass.. wood.. plant.. gravel.. decoration...

same old same old.... UNTIL WEDNESDAY!

No doubt we always look at our aquariums everyday to look for any sudden changes

and @ Wednesday...I honestly completely DOOO not know... where my pleco went.... I water changed that day... but i'm pretty sure my pleco was present before and after the water change... but when I left to go to the library and got back home... he's gone... dissappeared... I waited for a whole day... and then today.. I decided to water change again (didn't do the nitrate cycle) and so this time... I decided to rummage through the aquarium... I started taking out all the decorations... plants.. wood.. rocks..

AND I COULDN'T FIND EM!!! im really worried... i dont know if it gut burried under the gravel... I tried digging in and im pretty sure that he'd have gotten out by now because I rummaged through my gravel like a raccoon and a garbage bin.. i got squat... Im like panicking right now.. what should I do?

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

check under the tank for your pleco friend.. sometimes they can jump out when they come up for air.. also he might have been on a decoration you pulled out.. check under them to make sure he wasnt holding on =( Sorry to hear about this!

 

[Squareheads]

Well one of his favourite hiding spot is a U-boat decoration with like 3 holes that fish can go through... ive checked every single hole using fluorescent light to help me see... I don't see em... and what do you mean by under the tank?

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

see if he fell on the floor around the bottom of the tank.

 

[Squareheads]

well if he did he'd be long since gone cause i waited a full day (Thursday) until i decided to look for em....

if he so happens to be suffering under the gravel you think plecos can survive that kinda situation? Will they be able to dig themselves out?

btw my bushynose pleco is only about an inch.?

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

he wouldnt have just stayed under.. he would have got out..

 

[Squareheads]

fuuuudge.... i used a flash light and looked around the floor around the tank... nodda.. ill check again...

they can survive out of water?

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

for about 20 min max... your not looking for a live one if he is out of the tank..

 

[kangster]

my ABN pleco once tried to swim in through the waterfall part of my HOB filter where the water pours out to the tank

they are more active when the lights are off so try finding him with the main lights off and wait a few minutes and use a dim flashlight to look for him

 

[Squareheads]

i doubt he'da swam out thats impossible >< My only best guess is that he's a pro hider

 

[Squareheads]

Okay well I have waited for about 3 days now I think and I can assume that I really buried him alive ... >< hopefully he's still alive... I just realized I may have put too much gravel into my tank? How thick should the gravel be in a 20 gal tank?

btw can Danios live with Swordtails? Cause I have Danios @ school from a science project and if they survive till Friday, I can take them home

 

[mgamer20o0]

really cant have too much gravel. planted tanks 3-4 inch if not planted 1/2 inch is fine.

 

[thatmagicguy]

Did you check inside of your hang on back filter?

 

[Squareheads]

Hey I found him in my filter xD!

>< hoorray xD

 

[thatmagicguy]

Gee,,,now I'm the hero.

 

[Squareheads]

well I actually checked the filter before seeing your post, but I guess you can say that xD

 

[thatmagicguy]

haha

 

[handb94]

for about 20 min max... your not looking for a live one if he is out of the tank..

Not to bring this back from the dead, but you are not exactly correct here. My pleco was out of the water on two separate occasions for about 5 or 6 hours each. Plopped him back in the water and he came right back. I have had him for about 2 years now and he has had no problems.

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

eh... the stress is usually enough to make them not live threw it...