Private eye needed!!!

[Bill2183]

I have a 55 gallon tank with the following fish.
1 - red platy(female)
1 - placostomus(spelling??)
1 - red tail shark
1 - spotted cory
6 - zebras
6 - neons
1 - glass catfish
1 - 4" cat fish of undetermined species. This fish hardly ever leaves the cave in my tank. He shares it with the red tail.

This weekend I added a gold crescent platy(female). All my levels we good at the time I added the fish. After 2 days the new fish has completely disappeared. I have searched the tank high and low. I have even searched the floor around the tank.

I have looked around and under both of the ornaments in the tank. I have shook the cave to scare it out if it is in there. I was unable to shake the catfish out.

I have never seen the other platy go near the cave. Do platys like caves?

Is it possible that the catfish ate the new platy? It was by no means the smallest fish in the tank. Does anyone have any ideas where this fish might be??

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[William]

I don't doubt that the 4inch cat ate the platty.

I've seen smaller eat larger.

 

[Scottw68TN]

try your filter if its at all possible for them to make it there. how bigs the shark?

 

[LondonGman]

It is not impossible that if the fish is dead then it has been eaten over the 2 days. Most fishes are omnivorous. I have had fully grown guppies disappear within 24 hours but then I had silver sharks; usually there is a body.

Once I had a guppy, that I presumed to be fully fit, that kept on trying to hide under an ornament. The next day I could not find it so I presumed it had managed to get under it. I lifted it up and it was dead.

Have you checked all the hiding places, you may have to lift stuff out of tank.

 

[TankGirl]

I once had a baby angel get stuck inside one of those fake tree stumps they sell at PetsMart. The thing was upright and shoved into the gravel, but there is a hole in the bottom, and the fish somehow got in the hole and could not get out. I could not find the fish for 3 days, until it occurred to me that the log was hollow, so I upended it, and sure enough, a pair of eyes swam out to greet me! However, in your case I would suspect foul play from the catfish. New kid on the block doesn't know what parts of the tank to stay away from, or something to that effect.

 

[PlatyLady]

I once had two baby platies die on me. I searched everywhere for the little orange fishes. It turned out their colour had completely faded, and they were transparent (ghost-like), except their eyes. Maybe that's what you should look for - but I should warn you, it's a sad sight to find.

 

[Guest]

In your case, yeah, I think the catfish ate him.

However, most of us have (or will eventually) experience the mystery dissapearing fish. no remains or evidence ever found, fish just gone. It has happened to me at least a few times, with no answer.

Where is CSI when you really need them? hehehehehehehe

 

[ADCISCO]

I agree with Platy...I have had the same thing happen to me. Searched and searched and finally found it and it didnt even look like the same fish and it just kind of blended into the gravel. And also I have found mine floating up into the decorations that are hollow that could be dead. Sometimes you just have to remove decorations and do a search and recovery.

 

[cdawson]

You should really identify that catfish ASAP, one of your other fish could be next.
If you've got a full blown carnivore it'll just go through anything half it's size one by one.

 

[William]

I've seen catfish eat full grown angelfish!

They are not very tank friendly IMHO, Most large cats that is [ not talking about Corys ]

 

[Bill2183]

Thanks for all of your input.

The Red Tail is a bit over 4". I do not think he is the culprit because he is often out and about in the tank, and there were much smaller fish in the tank than the missing platy.

I inherited this tank and was told that the big cat hardly ever comes out of the cave but when he does it really makes the other fish nervous, with the exception of the shark.

I have written the poor platy off and am considering getting some neons until I decide if i will remove the cat from the tank.

Thanks again. :|