Missing Fish

Ok, I have a 50g corner tank, I have had 6 1inch yellow labs in there for about 2 weeks. I added 10 Demasoni Saturday, and all was well. I look yesterday and 8 Dems are missing...
I tor the tank apart today looking for them, and Nothing! No dead ones or anything. I have the decoration listed in the link in there. Theres a few holes, but the ones showing above the gravel are too small for them to get into, and the larger hole was in the gravel so they couldnt get to it.

Anyone else have this issue? Missing fish?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752285

How big were the Dems? Do you have a canister filter?

THey are about an inch long. same size as the Labs. And its a HOB. and the water level is low right now, so they didnt jump out or anything...

Strange. I have had very small fish get sucked into canister filter hoses but they can normally get away from the pull of a HOB. They have to be there somewhere.

I took everything out and they are gone... If they died, I dont believe they decomposed that quick. Cause im not even seeing one dead fish... The only thing is if they got in that decoration. I took it out and shined a light in it and saw nothing inside

Just weird!

Very true, even if they died there would likely be something left inside. Have to be in something taken out or who knows what. Good luck!

I have that same decoration just minus the color coral , I had some full size demasoni and white top hard and they were ALWAYS in it. If I had to guess I would say that they are def in there they love that stuff.

Guess you would have to sink it then put some kind of cork in it haha.

If I find them in it, I will take it out and silicone the holes shut!

I guess I better leave it at an angle so they can get out

Well the holes are likely there so it can fill with water and sink. So they need to be open to sink it then closed to keep fish out.

If I were to bet , I'd say they are in the decoration !

I have had this happen and heard of others having it happen too. Chiclids when they feel threatened will bury themselves in the sub strate. It is possible they are in your sub strate and coming out at night. It is a common defense they use in the wild. Worth checking out.

Ok, just checked the tank and saw 5 dems in there now. That's 3 more than yesterday. So them little guys are good hiders for sure

WHEW! I'd have been frantic, Jax! Glad you found them!

I bought some "upside down cats " once , and they disappeared for ,,,,,,, are you ready for this ,,,,,,,,,,,2 years !!!!! Never saw then ,, EVER !! Then tore that tank down . Placed a large fake holy rock on the ground . The wife said " Honey , there is something in that ornament flippin' around " !!! Took a saw and cut it in half and there were 5 LARGE upside down cats !!!!!!!!! 2 YEARS !!!

WOW that's crazy lifeis. I baught a Rapheal cat a while back. Didn't see him for months after that. Keep saying to the family "He's gone, something eat him" Picked up and turned over everything in the tank looking for him. Still no sign of him. Well low and be hold he turned up a few months later. Now he comes out every evening at feeding time and I see him all the time. Crazy fish!

Wow, you guys had me beat. I had some30 guppies and they disappeared for about 7 months. When I broke the tank down to remove and clean the undergravel filter there were about 21 beautiful guppies with bright amazing tails. came out. The water was so filthy when I pulled up the filter that i almost poured them down the drain had I not let the water settle in the bucket that I drained them in. They were a lot prettier than the parents. I thought they had eaten the babies but they found a way through the filter.

tbarnwell wrote:

Wow, you guys had me beat. I had some30 guppies and they disappeared for about 7 months. When I broke the tank down to remove and clean the undergravel filter there were about 21 beautiful guppies with bright amazing tails. came out. The water was so filthy when I pulled up the filter that i almost poured them down the drain had I not let the water settle in the bucket that I drained them in. They were a lot prettier than the parents. I thought they had eaten the babies but they found a way through the filter.

To make the night worse, I went up stairs and found 10 dead guppies... Not sure what happened to them. Some of my nice ones too....

I just got home from the Dr office and saw 5 dems in there, so not sure when the others will come back out. Missing 5 still.

I was a young teenager and had a 29 gallon. I have a sick love for Kuhli loaches and had put a few in there. Literally 2 or 3 years later I was breaking down the thing. It had previously had an under gravel in it but I converted it to a canister and never bothered removing the under gravel it was just capped off. Well one of those Kuhlis had survived down there and was about 6 inches long and as fat as my finger. It literally lived down there for years unbothered.

Do you have a cat or any other pet that can get to them?