Help! Harlequin Rasbora Missing

[whitney]

Hi,

I have a little harlequin rasbora that I can't seem to find in my tank. I have a school of 6 rasboras....along with diamond tetras, blue rams, a pleco, gobies, and bamboo shrimp. I now only see 5 rasboras....

What do I do? Leave it be.....take my whole tank apart to look for him?

My tank's a 30 gallon bowfront. If I don't find him...what does THAT mean?

This has never happened to me before.

 

[Rhiannon]

Today, I thought I had lost my bristlenose.

Pulled the tank apart, pulled the filter apart, and then he just appeared.

Your rasbora could be sick and hiding in an ornament or something, as fish tend to do when they are not well.

I would be putting my hand in there and looking for him.

 

[crazie.eddie]

If it does not show up, it may be dead and will probably be eaten or maybe already eaten by the pleco. Watch your ammonia & nitrite levels. You may need to perform frequent water changes if either increases.

 

[aquaticadmirer]

I would check inside the filter if there's a possibility it got in there somehow, or even check on the floor around and behind the tank. My tank is covered except for the back edge for wires and filters and whatnot, and I have had a fish still be able to jump out. I couldn't find it, and only later found it dead and dried up on the floor behind the tank...

If it's not in either of those places I would assume it's either hiding really well (if you tank has lots of places to hide) or it's dead. As gross as it is, fish usually eat and pick at any dead fish in the tank, and sometimes they work pretty fast. If you can't find a carcass I might try looking for a skeleton!