I have a nice 35 gallon tank. A tiger barb, small, two mollies, small, an angel fish, small again and a tiny yellow long fish, not sure what kind. I bought a good size 4 inch algae eater, great condition and very healthy and much bigger then all the rest. It is GONE. I have read that maybe a cat got it, which I have cats. But my tank is always closed and even if the cat did jump up and would keep the cover closed with pressure from the cat being on it. I looked around the tank and behind it, it is nowhere. I did not clean the tank since I bought it, so it did not get sucked up with the vacuum. My other fish are too small to attack it. It's not in the filter...so I am dazed and confused. Is it under the gravel? The tank is in a high visible area so we WOULD notice fish parts around if it died or if the other fish decided to risk it and attack it. But they all got ALONG...I just don't understand...can anyone offer any help besides what I already know...??? Help please..Diane
2007-07-26 03:34:45 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
He's probably still in there.You would see some signs if the cat got it,the lid would be off kilter there would be water around.He's most likely some where in the tank you think would be to small for him.If you have a castle in there or a large rock with holes he could be in there.Mine used to hide in a rock that most of the smaller fish couldn't or wouldn't go in to.Its highly unlikly that your other fish would have attacked it.There all pretty non-agresive and its sounds like there too small to do any damage to it.Don't worry he'll turn up,probably right around the time you give up on him.
2007-07-26 03:48:34 · answer #1 · answered by melissa f 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fish do not evaporate,if the "algae eater" is a Plecostomus it's probably in or under some hollow spot in the tank. If it's not in the tank,then it got out some way and became cat food. Plecostomus catfish don't burrow in the sand. It would help to know what the species of the fish is. As far as I know Algae Eaters don't get 4" long.
2007-07-26 10:46:56 · answer #2 · answered by PeeTee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had the same thing happen to me. I also had 3 house cats. I would gently move the things in your tank to make sure he is not hiding, which I'm sure he should be pretty easy to spot, but if you don't see him it's a good guess the cat got him. I went out and bought myself another one, and I was up late one night and my cats were running and playing as usual and one of them was very interested in the algae eater. I kept watching and my cat jumped from the back of a chair onto the top of my fishtank. He stood on the light part and actually clawed at the lid pulling it open, my placostomous (spelling?) was sucked to the tank right up near the top and I shewed the cat just in time before he grabbed it. I'm pretty sure that's what happened to my first one. I actually sit a frog designed paperweight on my lid and it kept them from being able to open the lid.
2007-07-26 11:15:47 · answer #3 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had fish for a long time and with my algae eater it would hide in one of the logs or decorations that you may have in the tank. Oh and PeeTee Algae eaters can get bigger than 4" i had one that was almost 10" in a 55 gal tank.
2007-07-26 10:57:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is any open area in the tank hood he could have jumped out and the cats got it. Or he could have jumped out and 'walked' under something trying to get back to water. Most likely the cats got it. Pleco's are nocturnal and active at night, and so are cats. They would not be able to resist a wriggling, flopping fish on the floor. I have had a pleco jump out and through a 1and a half inch opening in my tank hood.
2007-07-26 10:44:52 · answer #5 · answered by Sunday P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have any of those plastic decorations in the tank? If so, he may have found a way to get inside it. My loaches do that all the time. If he doesn't show up soon, it's possible he could've jumped out and the cats got him. Some fish can find the smallest hole to jump out of...
2007-07-26 11:06:30 · answer #6 · answered by tikitiki 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, in your case i would suggest looking again. Try looking around the tank to see if it jumped out again. I once had this kind of fish and it did jump out of the tank soooo. If you still can't find it then don't get too upset, it may turn up one day!!
Hope this helps!
2007-07-26 10:42:14 · answer #7 · answered by anne h 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I used to have fish and my algae eater when missing once for a week. He turned up again. Apparently he was just hiding. He may still be in there.
2007-07-26 10:38:28 · answer #8 · answered by PRS 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yea, you mean placoustamous algae eater yes they are really excalent hiders if you have decorations you might wanna check inside out on everything>?
2007-07-26 12:27:23 · answer #9 · answered by matt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he is probably just hiding. Algae eaters have a tendency to do that.
2007-07-26 10:43:18 · answer #10 · answered by Emily A 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋