The case of the disappearing Pleco

meyerhaus · 05-12-2006, 07:14 AM

So, I bought a new Pleco from the LFS last week. I just needed another eater for my 38. Point being, I know that I saw him swimming around in there that night, but I cannot find him in my tank. Since that night, he is MIA. I have taken out all of the ornaments in my tank and he is not in there. If he would have died, would tetras, corys and my loach eaten him?

Ringo · 05-12-2006, 07:25 AM

could the pleco fit in any of the other fishes mouths? maybe the pleco died and they scooped him up

i lost a mickey mouse platy a few months ago and never found her, and i only had a few ornaments in the tank.

meyerhaus · 05-12-2006, 07:48 AM

Nope...the biggest fish is the loach...he would have to have a REALLY stretchy mouth!

Ringo · 05-12-2006, 08:17 AM

do you have any ornaments that are hollow?

meyerhaus · 05-12-2006, 09:11 AM

Nope...I have a hollow driftwood (which I extracted and looked at VERY carefully) and a little cave that I have moved regularly.

kristian18f · 05-12-2006, 11:09 AM

I thought mine was MIA once, but he was up in the very top of an ornament, someplace it didn't look like he'd even fit. You may want to inspect the ornaments again. I don't know how else he could of disappeared.

meyerhaus · 05-12-2006, 12:00 PM

I'm going to be doing a 50% change this weekend, so that will be as good a time as any.

Alin10123 · 05-12-2006, 03:04 PM

Maybe's he's stuck behind the water heater or behind the filter inlet? Mine's gotten lost there before and i thought he dissappeared.

Maria* · 05-12-2006, 07:58 PM

This happens all the time. Pleco's have an uncanny ability to disappear and reappear at will. Do you watch your tank regularly? Do you have live plants? Your pleco could be all nestled in your plants somewhere, getting all the food he needs/maybe coming out at night when you aren't around? I lost sight of a pleco for about two months once...he he he

Lydia · 05-12-2006, 08:06 PM

If you can't find him anywhere else, check the floor. About him dieing and your fish eating him, it's possible but it would probably take them a while to eat him up.

toadstoool · 05-12-2006, 08:58 PM

He might be in the driftwood turn it over and see if he comes out . do you have a cat . I had a YOYO Loach that jumped out of the tank and my wife got it before the cat it was a close one but three more jumps ended his life but it wasn't the cat he just hit the floor to many times. I didn't think it would keep doin it.

**JustOneMore20** · 05-12-2006, 10:11 PM

Yes, plecos are very good at hide and seek. I have a big piece of DW in my 55g that's not hollow. My bristlenose spends his days on the back of it. I took it out once to attach some moss and totally forgot that he usually hangs out on it. I did shake it though. When I took it out of the water my BN dropped to the floor. Scared the crap out of me. I scooped him up real quick and put him back in the tank. He was fine!

I've also had a yoyo loach hide inside of a pirate ship aeration ornament thing. I shook it, took it out of the tank and put it into a box. I looked down about 10 mins later and a yoyo loach was laying in the box. I screamed. It was ok too though.

Do the water change. Look inside the hollow DW again, really carefully. Check in and around all your ornaments. And also check the floor around the tank. He's in there somewhere, if he's not on the floor.

Also, check your ammonia level. That should tell you if you have a dead fish in the tank. Even if he had been dead for a little while, ammonia would still register.

meyerhaus · 05-13-2006, 07:34 AM

Thanks for the good thoughts Kristin. I had a platy die two days ago, so my ammonia is already a little off. I am guessing that he has nestled himself into a nice crevis in the DW. The problem is, I have some common algae that he needs to start eating! I brought the Pleco from my Angel tank up and he started to eat, but he become full pretty quickly. Maybe I'll borrow my neighbors 1' long albino to clean it up; what a feast!

meyerhaus · 05-15-2006, 07:45 AM

He was, indeed, clinging to the inside top of a small cave that I have. His color blended perfectly, so I did not even see him until I had it out of the water. He is now hanging out on the underside of one of my big-leaved plants.

Scy64 · 05-15-2006, 10:41 AM

Good to hear he's doing ok!

meyerhaus · 05-15-2006, 01:36 PM

He has grown from 2.5" to 4" in two weeks...I swear. That fish must be eating all night long.

**JustOneMore20** · 05-15-2006, 02:27 PM

I'm glad you found him. I knew he was in there somewhere. They are great at hide and seek!

TessaAndFishies · 05-15-2006, 04:13 PM

I was thinking it would be cool if they could turn invisible! Which they can't of course... So, you took it out of the water and he/she didn't even fall out? Wow!
Sweet! I'm glad he/she is alive! x']

-Tess

05-12-2006, 07:14 AM	#1
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	The case of the disappearing Pleco So, I bought a new Pleco from the LFS last week. I just needed another eater for my 38. Point being, I know that I saw him swimming around in there that night, but I cannot find him in my tank. Since that night, he is MIA. I have taken out all of the ornaments in my tank and he is not in there. If he would have died, would tetras, corys and my loach eaten him? __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-12-2006, 07:48 AM	#3
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	Nope...the biggest fish is the loach...he would have to have a REALLY stretchy mouth! __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-12-2006, 09:11 AM	#5
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	Nope...I have a hollow driftwood (which I extracted and looked at VERY carefully) and a little cave that I have moved regularly. __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-12-2006, 11:09 AM	#6
kristian18f Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 340	I thought mine was MIA once, but he was up in the very top of an ornament, someplace it didn't look like he'd even fit. You may want to inspect the ornaments again. I don't know how else he could of disappeared. __________________ This whole fish thing started with ONE betta. http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=kristian18f

05-12-2006, 12:00 PM	#7
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	I'm going to be doing a 50% change this weekend, so that will be as good a time as any. __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

Members currently in the Chat:0
	Users In Chat Room: There are several users in chat now! Don't Be Shy - click here and come on in!

05-12-2006, 07:25 AM	#2
Ringo I'm just a Twig Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Sticks Age: 16 Posts: 964	could the pleco fit in any of the other fishes mouths? maybe the pleco died and they scooped him up i lost a mickey mouse platy a few months ago and never found her, and i only had a few ornaments in the tank.

05-12-2006, 08:17 AM	#4
Ringo I'm just a Twig Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Sticks Age: 16 Posts: 964	do you have any ornaments that are hollow?

05-12-2006, 03:04 PM	#8
Alin10123 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 523	Maybe's he's stuck behind the water heater or behind the filter inlet? Mine's gotten lost there before and i thought he dissappeared. __________________ 29 Gallon tank ~6 Long Finned Black Tetras ~3 Bosemani Rainbows ~10 Serpae Tetras 55 Gallon tank - Planted ~2 Pearl Gouramis ~2 Platys ~16 Neon Tetras ~6 Glo Light Tetras

05-12-2006, 07:58 PM	#9
Maria* Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: victoria, bc Posts: 7	This happens all the time. Pleco's have an uncanny ability to disappear and reappear at will. Do you watch your tank regularly? Do you have live plants? Your pleco could be all nestled in your plants somewhere, getting all the food he needs/maybe coming out at night when you aren't around? I lost sight of a pleco for about two months once...he he he

05-12-2006, 08:06 PM	#10
Lydia Ichthus Owner Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: FL Posts: 1,907	If you can't find him anywhere else, check the floor. About him dieing and your fish eating him, it's possible but it would probably take them a while to eat him up. __________________ Vote for FishForums!

05-12-2006, 08:58 PM	#11
toadstoool Fishy Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 49 Posts: 25	He might be in the driftwood turn it over and see if he comes out . do you have a cat . I had a YOYO Loach that jumped out of the tank and my wife got it before the cat it was a close one but three more jumps ended his life but it wasn't the cat he just hit the floor to many times. I didn't think it would keep doin it.

05-12-2006, 10:11 PM	#12
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alabama, US Age: 22 Posts: 3,487	Yes, plecos are very good at hide and seek. I have a big piece of DW in my 55g that's not hollow. My bristlenose spends his days on the back of it. I took it out once to attach some moss and totally forgot that he usually hangs out on it. I did shake it though. When I took it out of the water my BN dropped to the floor. Scared the crap out of me. I scooped him up real quick and put him back in the tank. He was fine! I've also had a yoyo loach hide inside of a pirate ship aeration ornament thing. I shook it, took it out of the tank and put it into a box. I looked down about 10 mins later and a yoyo loach was laying in the box. I screamed. It was ok too though. Do the water change. Look inside the hollow DW again, really carefully. Check in and around all your ornaments. And also check the floor around the tank. He's in there somewhere, if he's not on the floor. Also, check your ammonia level. That should tell you if you have a dead fish in the tank. Even if he had been dead for a little while, ammonia would still register. __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 10g, 5.5g 10g N. multifasciatus tank, 5.5g Platy fry

05-13-2006, 07:34 AM	#13
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	Thanks for the good thoughts Kristin. I had a platy die two days ago, so my ammonia is already a little off. I am guessing that he has nestled himself into a nice crevis in the DW. The problem is, I have some common algae that he needs to start eating! I brought the Pleco from my Angel tank up and he started to eat, but he become full pretty quickly. Maybe I'll borrow my neighbors 1' long albino to clean it up; what a feast! __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-15-2006, 07:45 AM	#14
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	He was, indeed, clinging to the inside top of a small cave that I have. His color blended perfectly, so I did not even see him until I had it out of the water. He is now hanging out on the underside of one of my big-leaved plants. __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-15-2006, 10:41 AM	#15
Scy64 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 25 Posts: 103	Good to hear he's doing ok!

05-15-2006, 01:36 PM	#16
meyerhaus I flare at the mirror... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Age: 29 Posts: 181	He has grown from 2.5" to 4" in two weeks...I swear. That fish must be eating all night long. __________________ Jon ~~~ *55~38~30~lots-o-10s~lots-o-Bettas!*

05-15-2006, 02:27 PM	#17
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alabama, US Age: 22 Posts: 3,487	I'm glad you found him. I knew he was in there somewhere. They are great at hide and seek! __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 10g, 5.5g 10g N. multifasciatus tank, 5.5g Platy fry

05-15-2006, 04:13 PM	#18
TessaAndFishies Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 169	I was thinking it would be cool if they could turn invisible! Which they can't of course... So, you took it out of the water and he/she didn't even fall out? Wow! Sweet! I'm glad he/she is alive! x'] -Tess

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
can i get only 1 pleco for a tank?	seraph	Catfish & Other Bottom Dwellers	12	03-17-2008 09:07 AM
Question about feeding pleco	Alin10123	General Freshwater	9	02-20-2007 12:20 PM
New clown pleco: a few questions	Scuba Kid	Catfish & Other Bottom Dwellers	21	06-19-2005 10:17 AM
Hog CICHLID not freindly with the pleco..	Wonderful-Creations	Catfish & Other Bottom Dwellers	4	06-12-2005 10:22 AM
Pleco Id	fishfreaks	Catfish & Other Bottom Dwellers	7	04-06-2005 10:07 PM