Hi. I have had a tank set up with tropical freshwater fish for a little over a week now. (2 dwarf gouramis, a flame and a blue neon, 2 platies and 2 balloon mollies.) All has been well, but yesterday I noticed my flame gourami was nowhere to be seen. I saw all my fish the night before, alive and well, and looked at them first thing in the morning and noticed he was missing. I only slept about six or seven hours after going up to bed that night, so in that time he disappeared. Tank is covered, and I have looked everywhere.
Now, while my husband and I were looking for him, he lifted up a decoration and turned it upside down and we found a tiny baby fish wiggling around. I think it could have been one of my balloons because although I knew I had four livebearers, I didn't know any were pregnant for sure, but she does look a little slimmer today. So I guess over night she had babies, and we discovered a sole survivor. I sent hubby up to petco and he got a safety net for it, which it is now in. I rubbed some flakes in my fingers good to make it as fine as I could, but I will probably go back to petco to get some drops or first bites I have been reading about online.
So any tips on how to give this little one the best chances to grow and live would be appreciated. And does anyone have any advice on where this gourami went??? Has this happened to anyone before? He and the neon gourami are the biggest ones of the tank, so if he died, would it have been possible, for one fish his same size and four tiny ones to devour him in less than seven hours? The pet store lady suggested that, but I don't know.
Also, what if he is buried somehow and dead in there? I would hate to upset the balance of my tank and rip it apart to find him? I just tested my water and it was great and all the fish seem good. I'm nervous to do anything drastic so soon. But I don't want them to be unsafe with something dead hidden in there. I have good filtration, but I think he'd be too big to get filtered. Any ideas, guys? Thanks so much.
Sincerely, Heather
Now, while my husband and I were looking for him, he lifted up a decoration and turned it upside down and we found a tiny baby fish wiggling around. I think it could have been one of my balloons because although I knew I had four livebearers, I didn't know any were pregnant for sure, but she does look a little slimmer today. So I guess over night she had babies, and we discovered a sole survivor. I sent hubby up to petco and he got a safety net for it, which it is now in. I rubbed some flakes in my fingers good to make it as fine as I could, but I will probably go back to petco to get some drops or first bites I have been reading about online.
So any tips on how to give this little one the best chances to grow and live would be appreciated. And does anyone have any advice on where this gourami went??? Has this happened to anyone before? He and the neon gourami are the biggest ones of the tank, so if he died, would it have been possible, for one fish his same size and four tiny ones to devour him in less than seven hours? The pet store lady suggested that, but I don't know.
Also, what if he is buried somehow and dead in there? I would hate to upset the balance of my tank and rip it apart to find him? I just tested my water and it was great and all the fish seem good. I'm nervous to do anything drastic so soon. But I don't want them to be unsafe with something dead hidden in there. I have good filtration, but I think he'd be too big to get filtered. Any ideas, guys? Thanks so much.
Sincerely, Heather