disappearing betta

The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
FishForums.net Fish of the Month
🏆 Click to vote! 🏆

caz27

Fishaholic
Joined
Jun 17, 2003
Messages
456
Reaction score
0
Location
Feltham - London
This morning as i was doing my normal run of the mill check on the fish i noticed my betta was missing :blink: i have looked everywhere in the tank but no sign.....If he had been attacked surley i would of found a body :no: i just can't see how he can just vanish :blink: as this happend to any of you guys ????????

Caz :(
 
In the tank i have

1 enf
5 clown barbs
4 neon tetra
2 algae eaters
3 silver sharks
3 guppies
2 angels

none of the others ever bother him

And yes it has a cover
 
I can't solve the mystery of where your betta is but have you looked down the back of the tank and inside the filter?

Your stocking is actually a bit of a nightmare :(

1 enf
5 clown barbs
4 neon tetra
2 algae eaters
3 silver sharks
3 guppies
2 angels

You should never keep bettas and angels together, as they will kill each other (it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when).

I'm not sure what an enf is, or clown barbs, but if they're anything like tiger barbs you've got a huge potential problem there - according to more than one website "clown barbs should never be kept with delicate finned fish like angelfish". I would assume that would be even more true of bettas.

Guppies and bettas don't mix, but that's largely because the betta will attack the guppies, mistaking them for small male bettas.

You don't say what species your algae eaters are, but if they're Chinese Algae Eaters, watch out as they are extremely aggressive, extremely territorial and don't even eat much algae as adults, prefering their tank-mates eyeballs and slime coats.

Neons are the natural diet of angelfish, which is presumably the reason you've only got 4 left.

Silver sharks are schooling fish and can grow to 12" long, requiring the largest of tanks to keep them happy.

You will need to take some fish back to the LFS and have a serious think about your current mix of fish. If you could tell us the size of your tank and which fish you are most keen to keep, we could probably guide you in sorting it all out.

Also, check your tank is properly cycled by testing your water for ammonia and nitrite. If you aren't sure about the science behind cycling, have a read of the article in my sig. Good luck.
 
>>> or clown barbs, but if they're anything like tiger barbs

Clown Barb is a common name for Barbus everetti. A fish that grows to about 5 inches - perfectly peaceful when kept with other things that size, but, as with most fish, would regard very small tank mates simply as food objects. Very active fish and something of a plant nibbler. I like them a lot, but would agree, they do not want to be with guppies which they could swallow.

I wouldn't say they were really bad in the fin nipping department, however, probably not a good idea with bettas/angels.
 
i have a 4 ft tank and it is cycled .....and i also checked the fiter and nothing in there .....not sure what my algae eaters are but i know there not cae.....and i will rethink my tank....I adore my Angels and clown barbs.....and my enf is cool so i would like to fit other fish round them.......i will put my neons in another tank that i was given along with the guppies.....any suggestions on what i should put in with the other????????
 
my betta went missing one time but one day he showed up, then anoughter day he was gone again i looked very hard and he was hiding in behind my rock and big full plant, where it was dark!! maybe even look harder and see if he is behind rocks or really big plants. i find that mine likes to go there it's his home to rest from the other fishes. quite time i guess! :D
 
caz27 said:
i have a 4 ft tank and it is cycled .....and i also checked the fiter and nothing in there .....not sure what my algae eaters are but i know there not cae.....and i will rethink my tank....I adore my Angels and clown barbs.....and my enf is cool so i would like to fit other fish round them.......i will put my neons in another tank that i was given along with the guppies.....any suggestions on what i should put in with the other????????
Angels in a 4ft tank should be fine but I'm worried about the clown barbs because of the websites saying they're incompatible. Perhaps if you have a large enough group of clown barbs your angels would be OK. Once they're spawning you might have more of a problem.

I still don't know what an enf is so I can't advise you. Perhaps you could post a photograph? You do need to find out what your algae eater is as it could be practically anything. Again, try posting a photo.

Your neons and guppies would be fine together in a small tank. I do think you need to consider re-homing your silver sharks before they get too big, unless you want a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank?
 
caz27 said:
I'm looking out for a 6ft tank...so hopefuly by xmas i shall have one...

this is my enf
It's an elephant nose fish! They're quite difficult to keep, apparently, and one website I was reading said they need a minimum of 55 gals when juveniles, and 65 gallons as adults minimum, 120 gallons recommended.

So with that and the angels you're definitely going to need that 6ft tank. Good luck!
 
I hate to say it, but there are quite a few fish in your tank that may have killed the betta. Once dead, it wouldn't take guys like the algae eaters and probably the silver sharks (never had 'em, so can't say for sure) long to do away with the remains. Grim as it may be, when my CAE was smaller and in a ten gallon guppy tank, he used to sometimes eat the dead/dying guppy in the amount of time it would take me to get a net and a cup after noticing there was a problem. :sick:
 
Found him .....he was in the tubing we have netting around the intake tube it must of come away i noticed it was loose.....i am really upset :( the thought that he suffered.....i'm gutted
 
So the Enf is a Mormyrid, looks like Gnathonemus petersi. These, again are not really ideal in that kind of community. They are touchy, and difficult to feed, they really need some live food and the barbs will be on that in a flash. They use an electrical sense to detect prey in dark murky water, maybe if you introduce some live food at night? Don't know, it sounds like a very unholy mix to me.
 
i have no probs with him ......i did ask in my lfs before taking him.....when feeding he stays in his tunnel and i just pop the food in it....... seems to be working fine

Caz
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top