Losing Fish
 

This is not the first time this has happened but the last few days, I have not seen my Rainbow Shark. He is normally elusive but the last few days, I didn't remember even spotting him at all. This morning, I fed the fish as this normally gets a bit of movement out of him. NOTHING! I put my net in there to try to shoo him out of his normal hiding spots, NOTHING! I then realized I can't find one of my Oto's. I counted several times and all I can find is 3 at a time, not 4, like there should be.

I popped the top off the tank, thinking maybe I had a floater and hadn't seen him hiding in the Pennywort that covers the top of the tank. No Rainbow shark there but I did have a floating snail. :shock: One of the hitchhiker variety. My guess is a fish had nibbled him/her and killed it. I am assuming if it is floating, it is dead?

Anyway, back to the search for my shark, and my Oto. I dropped a few pieces of shrimp down by his normal spot and a few of the other fish darted down to get it. OUT he pops rearing his grumpy head to shoo the fish away. He didn't eat the shrimp though, so I am a bit worried. Not much a person can really do, or if he is even actually ill or just hiding a bit more then normal. Still can't find my 4th Oto.

So all in all, there is a downside to this whole heavily planted, decorated tank. I keep losing my fish. It is bad when it takes you a few days to have a sighting of one of your fish. I hope Mr. Shark is alright and just feeling a little bit grumpier then normal. Now... on to the search for my missing Oto.

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that you are losing fish. I have five otos in my 115g and rarely can I spot all five of them. Some days I only see 1, 2 or 3. They rest motionless on a plant leaf and may easily go un-noticed.

Re the snail, yes, they sometimes float to get from one spot to another.

i do a head count in the morning when i wake up. i throw food down and they all rush over but i will make them fast for half a day or more so they are hungry to come out of hiding.

See that is the funny thing though. I normally do see my Shark at feeding time. I drop shrimp in to him but I hadn't seen him for a few days. Now the little jerk is out staring at me like "nah, nah, nah, nah" Still have not located the other Oto though. I hope he is alright. Normally I can find each of them at some point. It is taking longer and longer though with the plant growth. One thing I have noted is that my snails have doubled in size. I hope they said they can get as big as a GOLF ball not a BASEBALL lol They are at least as large as a Golf ball right now. This is a good thing though, I can actually see them in the tank that way. Really cool watching their shells grow. the growth is fast, seems about an 1/8th inch at a time.

stuff
 

i find it hard to keep constant track of my otos as i cannot tell if i had already counted the same one that had moved from one side of the tank to the other..and if it has passed on you may not find a carcass with the snails actively scavenging....good luck...ADIOS....

yeah im waiting for my nerite which is on the way and a red snail i forgot whats it called.yeah as the plants grow it harder to find them but i'm very sure you'll find a way that suits you or you coud re-hire the gardeners to help you locate your fish :lol:

Yeah, my Oto wasn't as obvious as the Rainbow Shark. When I hadn't spotted him in a few days, I was more alarmed. That is a big enough fish that it would probably produce quite a bit of Ammonia as it decayed. I wanted to remove, if he had passed. I am sure the snails would make quick work of him too but... If I could remove, I would have. Guess I don't need to yet. Kind of concerned though as he is more elusive then normal. That isn't a good sign, in my book.

Kitten, NO WAY, I am not going to reintroduce any gardeners to my tank. I made that mistake once. Once is enough. ;-)

Otos are like the Houdinis of the fish world.

I have four and can very rarely actually find them all. Several times I've figured I was down to three, when suddenly the fourth one will pop up.

Same here. I have 10 otos in my display tank and never see them all at once. I can usually spot three or four, if I look very closely. I once had to break down my tank to net out some fish and all 10 otos were there, after all. Like Inga, I had assumed some had died along the way.

Inga, a baseball sized snail would be something to see. :shock:

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if I lose a mystery snail soon. My Gourami hangs real close to them, staring at them. I think I saw her lick his lips once. ha ha It seems to me like she is stalking the snails waiting for the right second to strike. I know they have the outer shell but she seems to be trying to figure out how to nab them when they are out. They seem to sort of shrink down into their shell when she is around. They are all over the tank, but when she is hanging out staring at them, they pull in. I think they are thinking the same thing about her that I am. Guess she hasn't been enjoying her freeze dried foods as much as I thought. lol