Missing Zebra Danios!!!

[wilco]

I am relatively new to this fish mullarkey but I think I've got my tank (5months old) about settled now.

My problem is I bought 6 zebra danios and now I'm down to the last one. This would not be so bad if I had found the bodies but I haven't found a trace of any of them!

I also have: 3 female guppies, 2 male guppies, 1 red tailed shark, 3 clown loaches, 2 male and 1 female black phantom tetras and 4 neons. Could any of these have eaten the zebras (and not left a trace)?

One clue: I found a dead phantom yesterday and two of the clown loaches were tucking in to the remains?

Would appreciate any help.

 

[bigfish]

I would say that either your red tail shark or your clown loaches were responsible for the missing daino's. Your guppies might become a food source soon.

 

[Pufferpack]

Welcome to the Forum wilco...I would have to agree with bigfish, your Redtailed Shark is the likely candidate if they have been eaten.

Just out of curosity do you have a back mounted filter, and if so did you check it? I have found Zebra Danios in our back mounted Aquaclear a few times now.....swimming like crazy in the outflow current and had to shoo them back into the tank

 

[wilco]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I did find one in the back mounted filter and lifted it out - that fish too has now disappeared.

On a bit of a tangent; are those back mounted filters any use? I relied on mine for the first couple of months but since I have put in an under gravel filter the water quality has improved unbelievably!

Cheers.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Welcome wilco,

Glad to have you on board here.

Your back mounted filter or HOB (hang on back) is way better than the undergravel!! In a few months time, have a look see under your tank and see all the gunk that has accumulated under the filter plates!!

Would have to agree as to the culprit eating the danios, but they may not be the cause of their demise!! Could be some other reason for their death and these other fish are simply consuming the carcass.

CM

 

[Alia]

I too have also lost danios without a trace. I'm certain now that they jumped ship and either the cat got them or they just flopped themselves out of sight and died.

It seems like the predators would go for the smaller fish (neons) first unless your danios were very small. They are normally top level fish, but mine spent a lot of time looking for food in the bottom, too, a thing that neons might not do?

If there is any sort of hole in the back of the tank, though, that would be my first suspicion -- they are jumpers!

As for the filters, I have undergravel and HOB in my ten gallon, but only the HOB (with bio-wheel) for my 28 gallon. The difference in water quality is insignificant, and the fish load far greater in my 28 right now. Plus, I know that, as CM pointed out, junk is accumulating under the plates in the ten, whereas I vacuum all the gravel in the 28 when I do water changes.

Look in the hardware forum for many enlightening filter discussions.

 

[Tanked]

my money is on the redtaild shark. they really like eating other fish...

oh yeah to the forum

 

[wilco]

Hmmm...it looks like we have a prime suspect!

There are no holes that I could see them jumping through and I did have a good look round on the floor etc (we don't have a cat).

The lone zebra now seems quite subdued but I'm wary of buying any more if one of the fish are going to consider them as a snack.

On an alternative subject I have some baby guppies in a breeding tank (about three weeks old). How long should I leave then in there (given the present situation)?

 

[jumpman]

Probably until they are 5 inches long the way your red tail is going!

How big is the red tail compared to the other fish, I know they can get quite large.

 

[Guest]

I am a great believer in innocent until proven guily, although the concensus seems to be that the red-tail is the offender her. .

He's only about 2" long, one of the Clown Loaches is bigger than the shark at about 2 1/2" and a lot bigger generally.

My local tropical fish shop has offered to take the red tailed in exchange for a long nosed elephant fish so I might take them up on the offer

 

[jumpman]

Shame though, I do like those red tails!! Here's hoping your elephant nose doesn't develop the same attitude towards your fish!!

Saying that, I have had a neon dissapear and then a while later found its skeleton buried deep in a plant by pure chance!! I didn't blame an of my other fish in the tank (only platys, penguins and usd catfish at the time) just thought he had jumped somehow and got hoovered or something!!!! )