Disappearing fish!!

[DeirdreHoyle]

I know no one will be able to help me find my fish, but I just felt like posting this to see if anyone has had a similar experience.

Today I bought some new fish for my 29 gallon tank: two harlequin rasboras, two neon tetras and one clown loach (I know they are schooling fish but they are expensive so I was going to buy more this weekend after I get paid). I got them home, acclimated them correctly, and then started netting the fish out into my tank. The last fish to net out was the clown loach, I scooped it up in the net, put it in the tank, and then put the net down and poured out the bag from the fish store in the toilet (I made sure there were no more fish in the bag first!). When I came back to look at the tank....the clown loach was nowhere to be found! My boyfriend and I looked everywhere and it has been hours since I first put the fish in and we have seen no sign of the fish! I looked in the net, on the floor around the tank, under all the couches near the tank, in the garbage and basically everywhere I could think of but nothing has come up so far. I am so perplexed! What on earth happened to my loach?!?!

 

[Leonardo7689]

Clown loaches are good at hiding. They will try to fit in the smallest nook and crannies that they can get them selves into until they feel comfy enough to stay in the open. I bet he/she's hiding somewhere in your decors or behind them.

 

[Leonardo7689]

Clown loaches are good at hiding. They will try to fit in the smallest nook and crannies that they can get them selves into until they feel comfy enough to stay in the open. I bet he/she's hiding somewhere in your decors or behind them.

In fact all loaches does

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

That's what I'm thinking because there is really no other possibility..besides the fish vanishing into thin air. Seriously though, there isn't that much decoration in the tank so I would be very surprised if he/she were hiding somewhere. Wish me luck! This is freaking me out!!

 

[Leonardo7689]

Don't freak out about it. They will eventually come out once they're hungry. I have 4 clown loaches, 4 black kuhlis, and 4 striped kuhlis and only sees them during feeding time. Lol Good luck!

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

I found him!! This morning I was getting ready for work and he popped out from underneath one of my decorations. Apparently there's a little cave under a fake tree I have in there. He only came out for a little bit and now he's disappeared again but at least I know I'm not going crazy. Any ideas on how to make them more comfortable? I am going to get a few more loaches because I know they like to school.

 

[threnjen]

I would take back the clown loach, not get more. These fish get to be over a foot and need a school of 6. You have to have a HUGE tank to keep this kind of loach. I don't even recall the minimum - I want to say 125g. I know they are unsuitable for my 90g! Your pet store steered you very wrong.
Rasboras and tetras are also schooling fish and need at least 6.
Take back the loach and finish your rasbora and tetra schools, IMO. Then you can add some cories or kuhli loaches for your bottom.

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

I would take back the clown loach, not get more. These fish get to be over a foot and need a school of 6. You have to have a HUGE tank to keep this kind of loach. I don't even recall the minimum - I want to say 125g. I know they are unsuitable for my 90g! Your pet store steered you very wrong.
Rasboras and tetras are also schooling fish and need at least 6.
Take back the loach and finish your rasbora and tetra schools, IMO. Then you can add some cories or kuhli loaches for your bottom.

Wow, ok I didn't realize they get that big. I don't want cories because I've read that they like sand and I have gravel substrate but I will definitely look for kuhli loaches. Do you think I would be overstocked in a 29 gal with 6 rasboras, 6 tetras, a small pleco and 3 loaches?