The Mystery Of The Disappearing Mollie!

[kribensis12]

Okay, I haven't dealt with livebearers for a while, but I figured, hey, why not? So, yesterday, I drove to petsmart( WITH MY NEWLY ACQUIRED LICENSE!)and bought 3. A beautiful male( really nice looking! ), and 2 females. So, I take them home and aclimate them. I dump all 3 fish into the tank and go out to grab some McDonald's. I came back to find the tank has only 2 mollies in it, 4 angels( growing out for pairing off) and my albino bristlenose(s). So, I look behind the tank ect. then do a water change and the mollie is no where to be found. It was, of course, the stunning male. Where do YOU think he could be?

 

[kribensis12]

Now one of the females are gone!!!??? What's going on?

 

[fshinggrl]

Oh oh... hope you figure it out. They weren't able to jump out, were they? That would be MY first assumption.

 

[kribensis12]

There is a space if they wanted to jump out. But, mollies aren't known for jumping. MI have never had a mollie jump before, and I searched after the first one dissappeared and could not find him.

 

[Duck and Dive]

Are you running a external? If so check in your filter. Under any ornaments?

 

[Harlequins]

Are any of your ornaments hollow? when i bought my first few platys the male use to hide inside it,disappeared a few times and when i lifted up the ornament he'd stayed inside,gentle shake and out he popped

 

[kribensis12]

I checked the filter and ornaments. Nothing. The last mollie disappeared today. I took everything out from behind the tank again, still no bodies. And they arent in the tank, just did a water change.

 

[Harlequins]

How strange?

The only thing i can think of is they died and got eaten by the angels and bn?

 

[helterskelter]

Iis the water well rippled?
ie power filter, strong aeration or external filter?

 

[kribensis12]

There is an external filter.

 

[helterskelter]

Ok their is a common problem.

These fish will easily jump esp at night, we have found that aeration/rippeling statrles the fish sometimes at night, where if you reduce it they tend to stop this action.
If you cant or dont want to you need to make sure their in no exit's or they will find it and jump out in the end.

 

[kribensis12]

#41####. It's too late now. i've always had HOB filters and never had this problem.