Fish Gone Missing

[littlelegs]

My friend has a tank set up, put tetras in and then waited a few weeks. She then added 6 harlequin fish and 5 of those have disappeared. No sign of dead fish and filter has been checked twice. Still no sign of fish. Could the tetras have eaten then or the 1 surviving harlequin eaten the other 5?

 

[littlelegs]

any ideas anyone?

 

[Liam]

Unless they are jumping out they have died and then been eaten. I doubt any tetras would kill the harlequins, what type of tetra is it. The tank may not be fully cycled so causing the fish deaths. The dead fish get eaten pretty quick.

 

[littlelegs]

I believe they are neons. So does any fish eat another dead fish?

we also wonder why, the other fish are ok.
The tetras are fine and the one remaining harlquin is ok.

 

[Nerwign]

I've had a fish or two jump out and if they're little fish they can easily turn grey, dry up and go unnoticed for a while. I don't know where the tank is set up but check behind it, under furniture etc. Fish who jump out will flip around trying to get back to somewhere watery so he might not be right below the tank.

They can also pick a dead fish clean very quick but I think you would still find a skeleton. Look under driftwood or decorations too, because a dead fish often sort of slips into little crevices and goes unseen for some time.

-Nerwign

 

[littlelegs]

Thank you, i shall let her know. Im pretty sure she has a lid to her tank, so i dont think they have jumped. She also has cats hence the lid.

Im sure they just have died and been eaten and they havent seen the skeleton, Thanks for all your help.

 

[Nerwign]

It sounds gross but check the underside of the lid too, and around the top edges of the tank. If the fish died and floated to the top sometimes they can get stuck up in a corner near the lip of your tank and you won't see it from the outside, or they can stick to the top of the lid if there is enough current from the filter, or air bubbles that can push him just high enough to touch the top.

-Nerwign

 

[dwarfgourami]

Small fish bodies dissolve really quickly in water, and virtually all fish, even herbivores (which tetras and rasboras are not), will have a nibble at a dead body.

 

[littlelegs]

Thanks for all your help, I shall get her to have another look.