My plecostamous just disappeared i don't know where it went to.!!!?

Question

My plecostamous disappeared! I just got him today, and the last time i saw him, he was behind my heater and fine, then i looked, i didn't see him, so i left for about an hour and a half. I came back and he still wasn't there, so i took my net and stirred up the rocks a little bit, but still didn't see him, i looked in all the little bridges and things, i looked behind/in all the plants, and EVERYWHERE. I checked around the tank, because i read that they could jump out (???) STILL COULDN'T FIND HIM i kind of checked the filter, but am a little freaked to look there, i didn't see him in there though PLEASE HEEELLLPPP MEEE i really miss him ='(
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Tank Info:
10 gallons

other fish:

2 dalmation lyretail molly's
2 balloon belly mollys

plants:
1 fake plant
1 live plant

other:

1 small bridge
1 rock thingamabob

okay, i get a lot of answers saying my tank aint big enough for the pleco, i know this, when he gets a little bigger, he is getting moved into my mom's tank, IF I CAN FIND HIM THAT IS! ='(

Answer 1

maybe he was eated... = [

Answer 2

Another possibility is that it's up under where the water flows out of the filter if you haven't checked there yet. Plecos are nocturnal, so they'll go where there isn't a lot of light. The filter should have a strainer over the opening where the water goes in to keep fish and larger pieces of food out. If yours doesn't have this, tie a piece of an old pair of panty hose over it to keep the fish safe. Also, when checking around the tank, remember the fish can flop around for a bit, so check under nearby furniture as well.

Common plecos can get up to 18 inches long, so a 10 gallon tank may need to be upgraded before too long! A better choice for a small tank like yours might be an otocinclus catfish which only get around 1.5-2 inches, but like to be in groups. These shouldn't be added to a new tank however.

Hope you find your missing pleco safe and in the tank!

Answer 3

Plecos absolutely love bridges and are excellent hiders, surely you looked under the bridge. I would slowly take the thing out. He is most likely in the filter bub. A common mistake among newbies is a filter that is too powerful. You have to check there, there is hope yet. Also, as you will find out in a few months, plecos get humongous and may be too big for your tank in about a year or two, so you will need to upgrade. I am assuming your filter does not have flow control, so what you do is you lift up on the hose-like thingamabob until the suction is less powerful. You can also look around for a sponge that will reduce suction for your filter. Make it quick and painless, unplug the filter, dump the contents in the tank, and hope that he swims. Sometimes they can survive this, the impeller is not sharp or anything. I am so sorry for you, good luck.

Answer 4

Pleco's are EXTREMELY dirty fish, the goldfish of the tropical world, he did not belong in a 10g, even if he was small, they grow u to 20 inches depending on species, that means he would have only jusyt barely been able to fit in the tank longways with no way to move as a full grown adult. Plecos strtle easily and can swim very powerfully, he might have jumped out of the tank onto the floor and walked his way away from the tank , and then dried out, I have seen it done before.

Answer 5

First,what kind of pleco is it.Unless it was something other than a common pleco,it will get too big in a 10 gallon.So unless it was expensive,like at least $30,it will get too big for your tank.

Second,do you have a lid on your tank?Plecos do jump out,so I hope you have a lid on it.Do you have any cat's or dog's that could have eaten it?Nothing you have in your tank could have possibly eaten it.

It's either still in the tank hiding,it jumped out and was eaten buy another pet,or it jumped out and you just haven't found it yet.

Answer 6

Leave the light off or just turn the light off for a few hours he will more than likely come out of hiding.

Answer 7

Dude, it will be back. They like to bury themselves or be in enclosures. If there were something wrong it would be floating belly up!