Question:I bought one Dojo loach from the lfs and the very next day it was completely missing from the tank. I checked the floor around the tank and also checked the filters. I pulled all the plants and rocks from the subtrate and ran my fingers all throughout the sand subtrate, no alive loach and no dead loach. I then bought another Dojo Loach from the lfs, he was acting funny (laying on its back, laying on its side, not afraid of me getting my hands around him or even holding him inside the water) and then he also disappeared completely from the tank. Again, I checked the ground around the tank, the subtrate, the filters...
The loaches were both about 3 inches long so I doubt they could have been consumed by my other community fish over night. I have platies, guppies, mollies, danios, gouramis, snails, cory's, and one pleco. All are one inch and under.
Any suggestions as to where these loaches are disappearing to would be helpful...
Answers:
By the way you describe the second Dojo's reaction, I'm guessing it wasn't in the best of health, the disappearance however is easily explained, find where the Pleco hides and penny to a pinch of salt the dead Dojo is wedged in there for further consumption.
AJ
Is your tank on a stand? If so, check the back of the stand, behind the tank, I've had fish jump out, and die back there, before.
They probably jumped out and flopped to the other side of the room.
Get a hood for your tank that has no openings. Guppies are good jumpers so they might go missing too.
I have three Weather Loaches or Dojo loaches as you call them and they constantly disappear LOL They hide in the sub trait, they hide in your plants, in your decorations and some times they zoom right out of the tank if there is an opening.
I worried and worried one day and ripped my tank apart... three days later...bam! there he was.. sucking up the food like he never left.
I would only worry if I never saw them again or if my other fish were extremely fat. then I would assume they were dead.
Good Luck!!
More Questions & Answers...