Some advice please

[haen]

'hi, this is your Excedrin headache # 32 again.
My 20 gallon tank, planted, two filters and one air-stone, lets fish disappear.
I cleaned 2/3 of the water yesterday, (lots of debris and gunk) and this WAS my inventory:
2 dwarf silver tetras (the pet store called them silver glow-fish)
3 small sword-tails 1 male 2 female
2 spotted corys small,
4 albino corys, small,
3 glow red tetras
6 neon tetras
2 orange barbs with black vertical stripes
4 tiger? barbs (black vertical stripes, grey body, and huge belly fin)
1 blue, painted ?? Danio Petstore: Blue glow-fish
1 orange, painted ?? Danio Petsore: Bright orange glowfish
1 very old (at least a year) zebra Danio.

I may be overstocked a little, but a daughter "surprises" 85 year old Pappa, by now and then buying fish and sneaking them into the tank.

Today when feeding, the orange Danio was gone, so was one of the albino Corys, and one of the dark spotted Corys.
I did the 2/3 water change yesterday, before dumping the dirty water, checked the receiver tank, and rechecked the dumping spot in the yard.
Planted a few more plants, but think they would have been smart enough not to get buried; any fish will scoot out of the way when the hand of God suddenly appears in the water; if so, they will be dead by now anyway.
Could they have been eaten by the other fish ??
Both filter reservoirs are clean, they could not have been sucked up through the narrow grating of the inlet tubes anyway.
Ra Ra ???? any ideas ???
Oh yes I also checked the area behind and around the aquarium-stand, to see if they had jumped (never happened before).
Not a calamity, but I hate the idea of losing fish and not knowing why.
Haen

 

[Monsweet]

Oh dear! We have had the same problem before, but we have ghost shrimps in ours which gives us an answers to where our fish have gone (but once their dead) in the shrimps stomach! Could it be that they have died and your other fish have pecked at them or nibbled at them till they have disappeared!? That's a strange one!

 

[librarygirl]

Sorry about your fish. You're actually grossly overstocked for your tank, I'm afraid. The fish are probably feeling cramped and they're going to turn on each other. Particularly the Tiger Barbs, they can be nasty fish. They need a larger tank with a larger school.

Rip the tank apart if you have to, check under all decorations and in the plants (and check inside the filters anyway) but try to find them; decomposing fish can foul up your tank water.

 

[haen]

some advise please

Thank you !!! Actually I am at the moment probably more overstocked.
My daughter "surprised" me again by getting three (small) orange danios and two more neon tetras, also small, and sneaking them into the tank.
She was also going to get more plants for me, so I can take the few artificial plants (which I hate anyway) out, and add to my existing. I think the last part is a good idea, I would like to plant some more background (long) and some more foreground short ( a little like grass) or so.
May I pick your brains again ??? what plants would you recommend ???
Thanks as before,
Haen

2 dwarf silver tetras (the pet store called them silver glow-fish)
3 small sword-tails 1 male 2 female
1 spotted corys small,
3 albino corys, small,
3 glow red tetras
8 small neon tetras
2 orange barbs with black vertical stripes
4 tiger? barbs (black vertical stripes, grey body, and huge belly fin)
1 small blue, painted ?? Danio Petstore: Blue glow-fish
3 very small orange, painted ?? Danio Petsore: Bright orange glowfish
1 very old (at least a year) zebra Danio.
(revised list)

 

[Fishandmusic81]

I've actually had the same problem with a neon tetra it just disappeared I cleaned the whole tank and I just never found it

 

[haen]

Thank you Library girl.
I have stirred up the gravel while battery electric/bag vacuuming at the same time; especially where I planted new plants.
Stirred up flakes / flocks of food leftovers, but no decomposing fish.
IF I buried them alive, they will be dead for sure by now, and hidden in or under the gravel. More plants hopefully will use it as food source.
Actually my water is clearing quite nice right now, and I would hate to go through all the trouble. Leave well enough alone ????? And get more plants ?
Thanks again
Haen

 

[haen]

overstocked ?

Sorry about your fish. You're actually grossly overstocked for your tank, I'm afraid. The fish are probably feeling cramped and they're going to turn on each other. Particularly the Tiger Barbs, they can be nasty fish. They need a larger tank with a larger school.

Rip the tank apart if you have to, check under all decorations and in the plants (and check inside the filters anyway) but try to find them; decomposing fish can foul up your tank water.

Thanks again,
Actually the Tiger barbs are swimming together (schooling) ? back and forth and don't seem to be interested in any other type fish.
Oh well, I think i will wait and see; at my age, changing even only a 20 gallon tank is quite an undertaking. If needed though I do have a 10 gallon guest tank where they could bivouac while cleaning and starting the 20 gallon anew.
Or as my wife says: Give it a rest ! :-(
Haen

 

[librarygirl]

You could get an automatic water changer (like this: Amazon.com: Aqueon Aquarium Water Changer - 25 Feet: Pet Supplies). It attaches to your faucet and drains and refills the water. No more buckets and very quick.

Honestly you should either think about returning/rehoming some fish or upgrading to a larger tank. Your fish are not going to be happy or healthy long-term in a tank that small with that many fish. And tell your daughter to stop buying fish! I know she thinks she's doing something good for you but it really isn't in the best interest of the fish. Good luck.