Where's my fish?

[Sonia]

Tonight I sat down to watch my fish before turning the light off... one of the fish was missing! I usually have 6 flame tetras, but tonight there were only 5. There are quite a few rocks, plants and roots in my aquarium, so I started lifting and moving stuff but I couldn't find the fish.

I'm really surprised, because there was no sign of disease in my flame tetras at all. Because my cories seemed to have velvet, I've been feeding everyone in the tank anti-parasite flakes. The cories love it, but the black tetras hate it and barely eat it. I've been feeding the tetras some regular flakes as well so they don't starve, but they've definitely been hungrier than usual... could the black tetras have eaten a flame tetra because they were too hungry!?? Or I've also heard that cories will eat fish that die... could my flame tetra have died for no apparent reason and then been eaten by a cory? For some reason both scenarios seem strange to me. I'm just trying to convince myself that the flame was eaten because I'm worried he could be rotting away somewhere in the tank... THANKS!!!

Water parameters: Ammonia-0.1, nitrites-0, nitrates-5ppm, PH:6.5, Temp:82 degrees (for the velvet)

 

[rubysoho]

check around the tank to make sure, but it is possible he was eaten I had a danio disappear recently.

 

[Sonia]

Thanks... I guess I'll take all the rocks out just to make sure he isn't stuck somewhere... I didn't think my black tetras or cories would eat a flame tetra... they all get along so well usually...

 

[FawnN]

All fish will peck and snack on dead fish in the tank. I also had a danio disappear on me. It happens.

 

[Sonia]

Ya... I just cleaned the tank, looked absolutely everywhere and there was no sign of the fish. They really didn't waste anything! Thanks for letting me know that it is likely that the other fish ate him, I'll stop worrying.

Actually, I think it was a female that died - the males were chasing her around a lot (all three of them were always after her), maybe it stressed her out. At least they seem to be fine with the other females, I guess she was attractive for a fish....

 

[deeni0z]

It helps to keep the number of males down so the females don't get chased to death.

 

[Sonia]

hmmm... I like how appropriate "chased to death" is. Maybe I'll buy a few more females to at least increase the female/male ratio. Thanks for the tip!

 

[deeni0z]

glad to help

 

[jacktheknife]

did she leave a note?

 

[Sonia]

lolololol... I'll go check...

 

[shannon m]

I just had a Danio disappear on me 2 nights ago. I didn't know they would eat him. i now have only 1 left.

 

[dozer]

same thing happened to me twice with my tiger barbs...thought I was going crazy. They just disappear without a trace.....you figure, you'd find some trace, like a piece of the spine or the head. I like to keep mine slightly hungry....Maybe they are too hungry lol