Did My Dwarf Gourami Drown?

[confused mermaid]

Just wondering so I can understand. I bought a new powdered blue DG last week to replace one I lost a couple of weeks ago to dropsey. I had him almost a week and he seemed to be doing real well....happy and no sign of disease, got on well with the other fish. He looked normal and active yesterday morning when I fed them. A mere two hours later I walked past the tank and found him jammed upsidedown between the tank and the back of my rock cave. Is it possible he got himself stuck back there and drowned? Can fish drown? Anyway, I'm sore about it still. He was a smaller little guy and I really liked him. I have since moved my rock cave farther away from the side of the tank so the fish can swim freely in back of it and not get trapped. I have a 46 gallon tank. All tests are normal (amonia and nitrites at 0) Nitrates low. The water is kind of hard and ph stays around 8. There were no marks, infections or signs of trauma on the fish. All the other 23 fish in the tank are doing fine and have been residents for at least a month or more. ( 2 angels, tetras, 1 BN Pleco, ghost catfish, male betta, kuhli loaches, marbled loaches and two other gourami)

Thanks

Confused Mermaid

 

[yvez9]

it'S certainly possible for a gourami to drown as they breath air.
however, i doubt the fish got stuck unless it was extremely tight to come out of somewhere the opening was easy to get in (like a minnow trap)