My platty disappeared!

[luis_j]

Hello!

I have a 15 gallon tank, I've had it for four weeks already. Currently, I'm doing a fish-in cycling. I have 3 julli cory catfish, 1 dwarf gourami, and 2 red plattys. First, I think my gourami is dying because is barely fswimming and I also have a decoration in my tank in which the dwarf has not left, not even when I feed the other fish. Since my ammonia is high, I decided to do a water change (which I been doing every other day). For me to make sure the dwarf was still alive, I decided to move the decoration to make sure he was not dead. When I moved the decoration, he swam away to a different place, in which I was relief to see him alive! But then I noticed the dwarf is just sitting on a plant (he's not moving, barely moving his fins) it seems that he is slowly dying. So I don't know if I should take him out of the tank and tried to treat him or just leave him there. Then, when I started putting in the new water, I noticed that one of my plattys has disappeared! She's no where to be found! I moved some of the decorations again to see if she was hiding somewhere, but she's gone. I have sand in my tank. I know I'm not supposed to be moving the decorations, but I had to due to the fact that I thought one of my fish was dead and did not want him to leave him there and decay.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[BettaGal]

What are you parameters? Are you using strips or liquid test kits? What do you see when you look at your DG? Try posting a picture of him. Look in every spot you can find for the platy. It's possible it died and the body is stuck behind something.

 

[Grand1011]

That's a lot of fish to cycle in a 15 gallon. I used 8 platies in a 60 gallon last year and ammonia would rise to the danger zone in about a day. I would do a 30% change daily, if not more. It will slow down the cycle but will save you from having to treat fish. I would take the dwarf out and put him in another tank, unfortunately he wont survice much longer in that tank with ammonia. so i would put him in a separate tank or something if you don't have another empty tank, don't feed him. And change the water constantly and maybe he could bounce back. I ammonia is still high ij the 15 gallon, do a 50% water change and test again, if it is still to high, do another water change... repeat until the ammonia is minuscule.

 

[daram]

I had a swordtail disappear and I found nothing but bones buried

 

[BettaGal]

My DG survived 8 ppm ammonia. They're not super sensitive fish. Once we figure out what's wrong, then decide if he needs moved. Unless he's bloated, there's no reason not to feed him. Post a picture of him and tell us your water parameters. Then we'll decide what needs done.