Fish mystery!

[godzilla]

I have an african butterfly fish, had him a few months now. he never EVER left the surface of the water. Fed him last night, did a PWC last night also and he was there the whole time

Tonight I go to feed the fish, and he is GONE! I have glass tops with a small space in the back for filter inputs/outputs but otherwise closed tops (yes he could fit). I also have 2 cats, but there is NO WAY they can get to the top of the tank in its current spot.

The tank is filled with 15 demasoni, 6 yellow labs, 1 clown pleco, 1 red devil pleco, and 1 rubberlip pleco. None of which I would suspect of eating him if he did die.

I have plenty of hiding places but none that I cant see in from one side of the tank or another, and he is just not in there!

any thoughts? I will remove all rocks to be sure he is not dead under something but I just dont see how that would happen.....

Mike

 

[neilanh]

I assume you checked around the tank. Keep in mind that if fish do get out, they can flop around. He may not even be in the immediate area. I just read the other day of a poster that found a fish in the next room.

Sorry for your loss though. FIsh can always seem to find a way through tiny holes if they're determined enough.

 

[Zagz]

I agree check all around the floor. Esp. with cats. I've had a dojo loach escape out of the tank and my cats took him 2 rooms away. Sorry for your loss.

 

[godzilla]

If he did get out of the tank, do you think the cats would eat him entirely or just mess with him until he was dead?

Thanks again!

 

[godzilla]

Still a mystery. house is clean, area around tank is clean. the fish is just gone. its creepy and I actually had a restless nights sleep just wondering what happened. not to be cruel but it wasnt the fish loss I was worried about, its the freakin mystery of it! WHERE DID HE GO!!?!?!

 

[Mosaic]

Actually, domestic cats won't eat their "kills" unless they have been taught to do so by their mother. If they don't usually eat the things they kill, then they probably didn't eat the fish, but that doesn't mean they didn't lay their "gift" on your pillow or somewhere else it would be equally appreciated.

I had a shrimp that jumped, and we found him more than 10 ft away. A shrimp. I imagine a butterfly fish could go much farther. Check under the furniture.

 

[godzilla]

Mystery solved. found under the recliner. Easily 15 feet from the tank. the space he must have come out of is only 1.5", but the lenght of the tank. if he came out the back he moved under the stand, out the front, across the room, and under the recliner. unless one of our cats graciously placed him there.

once in the daylight I was able to investigate much better.

thanks for the replies!

Mike

 

[Zagz]

Glad you were able to find him. At least you can rest easier knowing what happened to him.