Disappearing Fish?

[xweeqtx]

I have two female bettas temporarily in our main tank. Both were fine, been in there a few days and today - one is there, the other is not.
It's heavily planted, so I've done my best looking through to see if I can spot her.. so far have had no luck. Has anyone else had a disappearing fish?

I thought maybe she'd died, but can't even find a body!

 

[indigoj]

no sign at feeding time?

 

[xweeqtx]

Nope, tried that as well. Everything else came out except for her.

 

[indigoj]

Have you lifted up any ornaments etc in case she's stuck?

Could she have jumped out?

What else is in there? Could a body have been eaten (before or after death)? I've had a few smaller fish go 'missing' this way.

 

[bagu]

ive had a dissapearing fish, i suspect it got sucked in and shredded by a propeller by the powerhead =(

my tank has a 3 stage filtration system inbuilt, and a divide, i think she fish jumped about an inch, swam down and got killed; but i found no trace what soever, the tank had 5 tetras in at the time, with 3 plants =/

 

[xweeqtx]

Have you lifted up any ornaments etc in case she's stuck?

Could she have jumped out?

What else is in there? Could a body have been eaten (before or after death)? I've had a few smaller fish go 'missing' this way.

No ornaments except wood, and they're all positioned so nothing does get stuck underneath etc. All made into sort of caves, apart from a rooty one - but can see into that from every angle.

Couldn't have jumped out apart from me having the tank open for a few minutes last night - can only see some bits of the back of the tank(the sides of it, no sign of her. Will try to have a look down the rest of the back but I doubt it..

She was decent size.. all that's in there is a shoal of neons, 3 x 1" angels, 2 german rams, 2 x A. honsloi, a group of cories and a small plec(about 2"), and 3 x honey gouramis

Oh, and external filter inlet is covered with netting so not in there either..

 

[indigoj]

That lot could easily have made short work of a body if she died.

I'd still check around/under the tank in case she did jump - I've had 2x 3" loaches jump during feeding before now!

 

[xweeqtx]

Surely there would still be bones or something to tell me??
Will check the tank as well.

 

[indigoj]

Nah, I've had complete vanishings before now. Bones can get chewed up in the filter or hidden in substrate.

 

[Geoff1991]

Easiest way is to just take some of the plants out, theres always a place where you cant see/didnt know about for a fish to hide in...

Also, the betta could be dead sadly, and if her body is there in the plants you need to find it or it will rot and produce ammonia.