Help!!! - Missing neon tetra....

[Mr Bee]

OK, so on saturday night I definately had all 5 of my neons, I know because I counted them them at feeding time to check they were all there (as I usually do).

But on Sunday mornng I could only find 4 of them. Had a good look in the tank, even rummaged in the bushes, lifted things up, lifted lids off my slate caves (much to the annoyance of the shrimps!!) but still no sign of the last neon. I spent 1bout 20 minutes searching in the tank amonsgst plants and decor and I can't see it or a dead body anywhere.

with the fish not coming out for feeding, still no sign of it today, I am thinking it might have died; but I cant find any dead body and am a bit concerned now for pollution/disease etc. if there is a dead fish in the water somewhere.

If the fish had died, could the other fish, shrimps and snails have eaten a body in around 24hrs?? Is one dead neon going to affect the water parameters to a dangerous level (ammonia spike for example)?? Should I keep a daily check on ammonia or anything??

Cheers

 

[Thomas McMillan]

It's probably died and the other fish have finished it off. That's hapened to me before. It you have a really good look then you could find a body or something, but it might have already been eaten or whatever.

Have youchecked around the tank? I know Neons aren't known for jumping but...it's not unheard of.

I don't think a dead fish could affect the water much, especially if the other inhabitants hav ealready finished it off and by the sounds of it they have. Even if they haven't, plenty of water changes should sort it out.

 

[a1Matt]

Look out for any surface scum as an indicator that something (i.e. the dead tetra) is decomposing faster than the filter can handle.

Toms advice is sound - if you do see any scum then perform large daily water changes until it goes. (EDIT - a couple of days of water changes even if you don't see any scum won't do any harm).

When a fish dies in my tank I rarely see it and I've never used an ammonia test kit in my life either. The surface scum trick works for me as an indicator that something is rotting (could be plants as well as fish) and I need to get on top of my maintenance.

 

[Mr Bee]

Cheers guys, I had no idea they could finish a whole body off that fast!

I haven't noticed any scum but I'll keep a look out over the next week.

I'm actually doing my weekly water change at the moment, and I might do another midweek one to be on the safe side.

 

[Egmel]

Your snails will finish off a dead fish in no time so it's likely he's well and truly gone I'm afraid.

 

[joyous214]

Its a fish eat fish world in tanks... I often found that one small fish might disappear. Normally my plec is the one to suck the body good bye.

 

[Mr Bee]

Egmel - And there I was thinking MTS' were vegetarian!

Well, you learn something new every day don't you. I thought the flesh might get eaten, but what about the bones of the (admittedtly very small) skeleton; I assume that would be the shrimps that would dispose of that, could they re-use the calcium in fish bones for their shells?

I actually saw my first moulted shrimp shell a couple of days ago so at least one of them is growing well. It had disappeared by the next morning though, so I guess that has been recycled into new shell. How politically aware of my shrimps to be so into recycling! Haha