Lost a fish... help!

[Kristen Goodreau]

I have just recently entered the world of aquaria.... after reading a lot of
books, magazines and newsgroups. Last week I bought a 55g and set it up.
Bought 6 zebra danios last night to start the cycling process. When I went
to bed there were 6... when I woke up there were only 5. I can't find the
missing one anywhere. I've searched the plants and checked the floor
thinking he might have jumped to his doom. Anyway, does anyone have any
advise on finding the dead fish... like another fish that I could put in
there to eat it or something (taking the other zebras out first, of
course)... OR... is it going to really mess up the tank that bad, make it
smell? cause the nitrogen cycle to go haywire? kill the other fish?

Help! Any advise will be great.

~Kristen

[Tedd]

"Kristen Goodreau" > wrote in message
news:d5R1b.47834$xf.34415@lakeread04...
> I have just recently entered the world of aquaria.... after reading a lot of
> books, magazines and newsgroups. Last week I bought a 55g and set it up.
> Bought 6 zebra danios last night to start the cycling process. When I went
> to bed there were 6... when I woke up there were only 5. I can't find the
> missing one anywhere. I've searched the plants and checked the floor
> thinking he might have jumped to his doom. Anyway, does anyone have any
> advise on finding the dead fish... like another fish that I could put in
> there to eat it or something (taking the other zebras out first, of
> course)... OR... is it going to really mess up the tank that bad, make it
> smell? cause the nitrogen cycle to go haywire? kill the other fish?
>
> Help! Any advise will be great.
>
> ~Kristen


welcome to the wonderful world of aquariums! :-)

my compliments on the way you are starting out, sounds like you have put the
thought and effort into making sure things get started off on the right foot,
(which is alot more than i did when i first started!) ;-)

your missing danio may be dead or just hiding, in either case a 55 gallon is
alot of tank for one small danio to get lost in. if he is dead it is always best
to try and locate a fish and remove his body when you can, however if you cannot
immediately find him it is not the end of the world. as long as you continue to
monitor your levels, make your water changes, continue to look for your missing
fish, etc., you should be fine.

there have been times i've lost fish and never even found the bones. places to
look are at the surface (floating), at the filter intake, in the corners of the
tank or any other place where he could get caught by something (plants, rocks,
depressions, etc.) while being washed around in the current. if he took the leap
of faith he could be anywhere within a 5 foot radius (them little buggers can
flop a long way when panicked). just as an afterthought here, have you looked
inside the filter?

on the bright side, 'he' may actually be a 'she' that is enjoying a break from
the advancements of the males in the group by keeping herself well hidden. with
danios, they are so fast and so small, one could easily be darting in and out of
the plants hiding, she may come out at the same time another one goes in, still
making it look like you have one missing.

hope this helps, best of luck! and once again, my utmost compliments on the way
you have started into this hobby. :o)

tedd.

[mindmeld]

y'know when you put a pair of socks in the laundry... and only one comes out? i
think that's where fish go sometimes.

I 'lost' a white cloud minnow (almost 1.5 inches from nose to end of body).
took ALL the filters and decoration out of the tank looking for it... scoured
the floor, desk, looked everywhere. didn't find anything.

most recently 'lost' a dwarf puffer fish (although i think the newt helped... he
looks very round today)

from the sound of things you seem to be doing everything else fine. Tedd has
good suggestions. otherwise, chaulk it up to the "portal of doom" in the dryer,
or worm holes in the substrate.

have fun :) (i am so jealous of the 55G)
AcH


Kristen Goodreau wrote:

> <snip>
> Bought 6 zebra danios last night to start the cycling process. When I went
> to bed there were 6... when I woke up there were only 5. I can't find the

<snip>