The fish just disappear?????

[Capella]

It's been a few weeks since I've chimed in with my dumb question of the day. Three Clown Loaches are simply gone. The only three I have. I swear. I couldn't make this stuff up.

I did a a third water change today with a funky small tube no fish could possibly get through. Plus, I watched the entire thing. Hitting little spots in the gravel to clean gunk. We noticed them gone after we got home this evening.

I have searched endlessly for bodies. Under everything in the tank, behind the tank, on the floor. Searched with a flash light. Searched farther than I think any fish could possibly jump if it went on a suicide mission and dived out. I have no reason to suspect Clown Loach theft. They are not in the filter. They are not here...they are not there...they are not anywhere!!

I started the day with three Clown Loaches. Now there are none. I truthfully figured I will kill them all out stupidity before anything like this happened.

Debbie
who is going to go nuts trying to figure this one out. PS: All other fish accounted for.

 

[rich311k]

Don't be surprised when they show back up. Loaches are the kings of hiding. Do you have a cat? How large were they? What else is in the tank?

 

[Capella]

Show back up! That would shock me more than the fact they are gone. We have literally stirred the whole tank up looking for them. We have no real plants in the tank. The little guys are very/were very active. If it was just one it would make more sense than all of them packing their bags and moving on.

We refilled the tank from the garden hose. I actually went outside, turned the water on and let it run - I was that baffled. Even knowing I had held the darn hose above the water line.

Yes, we have two cats. Neither have ever been near the tank, as far as I know.

With the missing clowns live six mollies, three angel fish, two snails, and a little silver shark. 55 gallon tank.

Actually, I hope you are right. They are there in the morning. I'm just not holding out hope right now. Thank you!

 

[rich311k]

I hope they are there too. I asked about the cats because flopping fish can be fun and they could have dragged them off. If they were small the could have died and been eaten by their tank mates.

 

[cogburn]

i had a zebra loach that disappeared on me.. found him in the filter... i even checked the filter and actually didnt find him til i took the media out to rinse it... there he was fat and happy as can be... ive heard of people "losing" loaches before and when they tear down their tank years later they find them alive and well... loaches are houdinis man... good luck locating them... theyre probably there

 

[Capella]

I stand before you humbled. The fish ARE back! Good grief. Can they bury themselves in the stone looking rock?? Actually I'm just pleased as can be that you guy were right!

Debbie

 

[rich311k]

Good to hear it.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I just saw one of my 2 clown loaches for the first time last time last night, in a couple weeks. They definitely are the kings of hiding. Glad you found them though. Do you have any decorations in the tank with holes?

 

[neilanh]

Unnerving, isn't it? I literally go 2-3 weeks at a time without seeing my pleco, then he pops out for a day or two, then he's gone again.

 

[Mudfrog]

Do you have any decorations in the tank with holes?

This is probably the case.. I had a tree stump with holes in it and my clowns would always hide in there. I eventually had to block the holes because the loach's were so big they would get stuck.

 

[meegosh]

My brother had two kuhlii loaches in his 10g and we thought they were gone for months... the tank eventually evaporated and he dumped the gravel in a hole in our backyard, sure enough both of them were still living under the gravel. We were quite shocked to say the least, we quickly picked them up and threw them into his bigger tank.

 

[saffikeagan]

Wow, what a great post for a newbie like me to read. I just know this same thing is going to happen to me and I would have to draw the conclusion that my cats got to them!

I can't wait until I get my fishies.

 

[Capella]

Wait is the operative word saffikeagan! I've made horrible and profound mistakes with my tank. It *was* very shocking to spend an hour looking through every inch of the tank and all over the floor and furniture where the tank is - then boom! They showed back up the next day. Who knew???

Debbie