Missing 2 neons in 60l aquarium!!?

[Turin Turambar]

Today when I fed the fish, I noticed that two of my neons are missing (6 were in total). Now there are four of them... I thought maybe they hid somewhere - not so.
There is a small (2cm) opening at the back of the aquarium, so I thought maybe they jumped out - not so.

There's no evidence that those two ever existed here, no corpse, no anything.
If this happened in a 200-500l aquarium with more than 20 of neons, I wouldn't be surprised. But my aquarium has only 60 litres - it's rather small with peaceful fishes.

However, if -something- killed them, ancistrus plecostomus is the only fish capable of eating something bigger. Maybe he can attack them during the sleep, when they are hidden in the plants and close to the ground?

So far I didn't hear any bad stories about ancistrus plecos, except that I'm fighting with them about the plants that they eat a lot.

Any idea what happened to those poor fish? Thanks.

 

[MrGoodbytes]

I've had the same strange thing happen to me in a 20 gallon holding tank while I did an overhaul on the fishes' main aquarium. A single zebra danio completely disappeared, with no sign of a corpse, skeleton, or anything outside the tank. The only other fish are yoyo loaches and blue rainbowfish.

 

[demon_surfer]

there are many reasons it could have died. But if it is dead then just about anything you have in there will take a nibble..even the other neons

 

[Matt W]

Yep...dead fish is fair game for all other fish to eat them....I wouldn't be suprised if the other neons ate the corpse....

 

[Turin Turambar]

The real question is - WHAT killed them?

My tank has 4 rasboras, 4 neons (sniff....), 2 ramirezi, 2 anc. plecostomus.
That's all.

 

[Matt W]

Personally, I have always found neons to be a delicate fish. I never have any luck with them, even with great water conditions...

 

[Turin Turambar]

And that's why I'm even more puzzled - my neons are doing great. They are here more than a year, they have grown full size and never got sick and are happily swimming. And then puff... 2 are missing(!?!)

 

[demon_surfer]

I have had similar mysterious deaths of neons. I started out with 12 in my 55 and im down to 8 and i only actually saw two corpses.

 

[Dahlia]

neon life span

Your neons may have been old if you had them for over a year. I also have noticed they seem to be delicate fish. But when fish are kept warm and well-fed their metabolisms stay fast and they may have just burnt out.

 

[Brad CNC 76]

I've had Neons disappear without a trace also. A small fish like a Neon will get eaten up pretty quick.