My Vanishing Fish!

[Devilishturtles]

I had 3 green swordtails in with my betta fish in a 5 gal tank... Last night, the light made this funny noise and then blew, so no light for the fishies. I woke up this morning, and all the fish are gone. Vanished. Disappeared. Not anywhere to be found. The betta is still there, but not the green swordtails. I shut my bedroom door at night to keep the cats and dogs out, so I ruled out any pets getting in there...

There is no real opening for the fish to jump out. Only about 3 inches wide, and it is taken up by the filter and heater, etc. I checked under the plants, the tank decos, the filter, they are no where..... It's just weird...I'm wondering if anybody else has had an experience such as mine?

 

[Menagerie]

Cats are sneaky....

 

[Allivymar]

Actually I doubt twas the cat; the betta would have likely gone first being slower then the swordtails.

Check around the tank, check the floor, check IN the filter, check in the tank again and this time grab a flashlight; the reflection off the scales will make them easier to see.

 

[FishyDan]

Last night, the light made this funny noise and then blew,

Also check the light area, unless it is covered.

 

[Devilishturtles]

The light is covered, I've checked around the tank and on the floor.. Have NOT checked in the filter.... Never thought the fish could jump up into it... Worth a try I guess... I checked again when I got home from classes and still no signs of fish. Puzzling....

 

[QTOFFER]

Have NOT checked in the filter.... Never thought the fish could jump up into it... Worth a try I guess...

Didn't you see Finding Nemo?

I'd check in the filter and in the filter intake.
Check behind the heater if you have one - I had a dead zebra danio get wedged behind mine once.
Do you have any tank decorations that they could have swam into and got trapped? I lost a cory to a hollow resin log. I had to smash the thing apart to retrieve the body.
Also, check your water params. If even one fish is dead in a 5 gal tank, you will be able to see a spike in ammonia.

 

[kansaschick08]

That is kinda oddd......I have a friend at school we have been friends since 4th grade...her 4th grade teacher had a tank and the fish just like jumped out of the water it is kinda odd to hear another person tell me this...do what the people said to do..the smart ones

 

[millipede]

sounds like a magic trick... the light blew "poof" and the fish were gone... Sorry to hear about it though... I too would make sure they aren't dead in the tank. I myself have found a fish or two all dried up on the floor... I've had a few small snakes disappear in my house too... never found them and never did figure out how they got out... but they did. I really don't think anyone could add too much more advice... one of those things where you just sit and scratch your head for a while... You'll find them eventually... hopefully...

 

[Menagerie]

I've had a few small snakes disappear in my house too

GROSS

Devilish--did you find them???

 

[millipede]

not that gross...
they were always small, harmless snakes... and no, I usually didn't find them... I had two or three get loose in my dorm back in college... never found those ones either but I did hear a rumor of someone finding a snake sometime later. Who knows... I only keep small, peaceful type snakes.

 

[Menagerie]

STILL GROSS! STILL SNAKES!!


Devilish, I need an update! Did you find them?
I do find it odd that the betta is still there, but cats are sneaky. My fiancé and I debated this for a good chunk of the car ride to the not so local LFS and back!! (I'll admit--I do need a life, but right now, I need answers!)

 

[Devilishturtles]

LOL, Menagerie.. I'm glad that my predicament made your car ride more interesting

As for the fish, I have given up looking. I checked the floor, checked the dresser that it sits on, pulled the dresser out and checked behind it...not on the sides of the tank, not on the hood, not in the decorations...not in the filter, not by the filter intake, no skeletons in the gravel, and no cats in the room to speak of.

My only thought is that maybe the stupid thing was under my bed when I went to sleep the other night. I worked an overnight shift that night, however I did check to make sure that cats were gone before I shut the door. No cats to speak of in the morning when I got home either...but maybe it had it's snack and then went back under the bed?? I find it odd though that the betta is alive if that is the case.. It hangs in the top of the tank all the time...and the swordtails are always hiding. When I come up to the glass, they scurry, I can't imagine what they would do if a cat was pawwing their way in their?

By the way, pun was intended when I said that the light blew, and then the fish were gone... Maybe that tank is haunted...

Thanks for everybody's input though..I'll keep looking and let y'all know if I find anything...ANYTHING AT ALL!!!

 

[kansaschick08]

ya know i had some neon type fish...one fell down the sink i think...shh my parents dont know..i dont know if it fell there or fell oon the floor or what i was like uhgg....what now?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Lol, atleast you know what happened to yours!! :?

 

[Allivymar]

Heh I went thru something similar Devilish, so I do feel your pain.

I bought 2 small yoyo loaches to be buddies for the one I already had. I KNOW I put 2 into my totally covered QT; I watched em for a few mins after acclimation to be sure they were ok. 2 hours later I went to check again and one was gone. We have yet to find it, and that was months ago (before we got a cat).

 

[QTOFFER]

Hmmm...Do aliens abduct fish?

 

[Christmasfish]

Maybe it flipped into a pair of not often worn shoes?
Or like my one gourami it flipped right into an open cup of coke..another squeezed out where the heater cord comes in and was all the way across the livingroom when I found it. And under the couch. I hadn't noticed her gone ..I was vacuuming and went EEEE! Dang fish..and my few uncovered tanks have no one missing!(I do put an evap plate on at night).

 

[smilla4]

Maybe it flipped into a pair of not often worn shoes?

Eeek! That's almost as bad as the snakes!!

Maybe the betta made a deal with the cat...

 

[QTOFFER]

Maybe it flipped into a pair of not often worn shoes?

Great, now, I have yet another reason to check my shoes before putting them on! I once visited a friend in Tucson who gets scorpions in his house every spring! 8O I never saw one during my stay, but the very idea gave me the creeps.

Back to the vanishing fish, Devilishturtles, did you ever notice any blip in your water parameters after the disappearance? I can't imagine not being able to see a NH3 or NO2 spike if the fish are dead in the tank. Nor can I imagine not being to smell them if they expired somewhere in the room. Perhaps they jumped out and the cat ate the evidence.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Devilishturtles, did you ever notice any blip in your water parameters after the disappearance? I can't imagine not being able to see a NH3 or NO2 spike if the fish are dead in the tank. Nor can I imagine not being to smell them if they expired somewhere in the room. Perhaps they jumped out and the cat ate the evidence.

No jump in the levels at all. Nitrates getting a little high cause it is nearing water changing time. My only thought is what you said Q-TOFFER about the cat...but all three in one night? I'm determined to find a conclusion to this mystery. Funny... I'm studying forensic science at school, time to actually use some of these skills now! Yay!

Maybe it flipped into a pair of not often worn shoes?

That's a good idea, and I have'nt checked that yet...there are shoes around there, and a whole bunch of other things... now come on, what teenager keeps there room that clean?