Missing Fish

[strohl71]

I am wondering if anybody else has experienced a "missing fish"?

I have a 38 gallon, heavily planted tank. I noticed that one of my keyhole cichlids had not made an appearance in a couple of days (not even at feeding time). Concerned, I visually inspected the tank from every angle looking for the missing fish. I found every fish in the tank expect the missing keyhole. I had to do a water change anyway, so I took the glass top off and started poking around every plant and tank decoration. I still could not locate the missing keyhole. I searched that tank up and down, moving plants and looking in over the top with a flashlight. I can't find that fish, alive or dead.

I am baffled. Has anybody else out there just plain lost a fish in their heavily planted tank?

 

[aspen]

i did. i had a pair of rams 1 day and only a female the next. i tore the tank down looking for it a couple of days later, and searched everywhere.

my friend called me up 2 months later, and asked what the shriveled up fish was doing in the camera box, from the camera i'd borrowed.

if it didn't get eaten, it is behind the sofa, under the tv, or has been moved. but i'm no sherlock holmes myself.

rick

 

[strohl71]

Thanks for the reply.

I have checked the area around the tank and still see no fish. My only theory is that my missing keyhole jumped in just the right place and made it through the glass top where the heater and filter holes are. Then the family cat or terrier made short work of the fish. I can't think of anything else.

 

[epl4978]

i had the same problem with my apistos i have a trio and when i fed them one day i only had one female and i looked all over my tank which only has one large sword in it and drift wood and could not find the other female or the male. and like a week later the male and females were all in the sword plant i couldnt figure out were the heck the fish could have been because i looked every were for it

 

[Corymbosa]

I had the same problem with a ram in a heavily planted tank. I hadn't seen him for at least a month so I naturally assumed he'd taken up residence in someones stomach. I'd given up on him and was about to drop the water temp to a more Apisto friendly range when he decided to made an appearance. Black water, Hygrophila and wood are not condusive to finding fish.

While I wouldn't guarantee your keyhole is still in there, a few days absence is definitely not uncommon in my experience and actively looking for it just makes it harder. It could, however, indicate bullying or poor health so if by chance it's still alive you might want to keep an eye on it.

Andrew