I have had two Rainbow Sharks within the last year (not at the same time).
I had one from small and it grew to about 3 1/2 inches and then one day I did a BIG clean of my tank and took out a huge piece of bogwood cleaned the tank thoroughly and put the bogwood back very carefully making sure not to squash any of the fish. Within a day I realised that the Rainbow shark had gone???? I searched all over the tank and it was gone without trace. I even trawled through the gravel with my fingers to see if it had buried itself in the gravel to hide or had died and been covered by the gravel but nothing????
The tank is home to: Pentazona Barbs, Odessa Barbs, Denisoni Barbs, Neon Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequins and two SAE's (that's what I was told they were as I wanted then to clean up some Beard Algae which they haven't touched - beginning to think they're false ones, but that's for another thread).
Anyway, I was convinced that the Rainbow could not have died and been consumed within the time he'd been missing but I have never seen a body. I even searched the floor and to see if he'd been on the bogwood when I'd taken it out or he'd jumped out of the tank but no trace.
I was gutted and after a while I decided to go and get another one. It was in the tank for months without a problem when again I decided to do a major clean and took out the bogwood again to clean off some of the bloody beard algae. Obviously because of what happened the first time I made sure that the Rainbow was not on it when I took it out and made sure that I didn't squash it when I put the bogwood back in. To my horror within a day the new Rainbow had disappeared again and I presumed that it had gone the same way as the other one. We then went on holiday and when we returned to our amazement we saw that the Rainbow was swimming around in the tank. Now when I say that it had disappeared I mean that I stood looking into the tank from every angle possible and even took the bogwood and all the plants out so that there was nothing in there but water, fish and gravel and stood looking for ages and it was not there?????
Obviously I was really pleased....well for a little while as it has disappeared again! I have sat for days looking for it but it is nowhere to be seen. I have looked all over the driftwood and can not see it.
My only explanation is that it might have buried itself under the gravel to hide? Do they do that? I have searched these forums and the rest of the internet and can't find anyone with a similar experience.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, HomerHart.
I had one from small and it grew to about 3 1/2 inches and then one day I did a BIG clean of my tank and took out a huge piece of bogwood cleaned the tank thoroughly and put the bogwood back very carefully making sure not to squash any of the fish. Within a day I realised that the Rainbow shark had gone???? I searched all over the tank and it was gone without trace. I even trawled through the gravel with my fingers to see if it had buried itself in the gravel to hide or had died and been covered by the gravel but nothing????
The tank is home to: Pentazona Barbs, Odessa Barbs, Denisoni Barbs, Neon Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequins and two SAE's (that's what I was told they were as I wanted then to clean up some Beard Algae which they haven't touched - beginning to think they're false ones, but that's for another thread).
Anyway, I was convinced that the Rainbow could not have died and been consumed within the time he'd been missing but I have never seen a body. I even searched the floor and to see if he'd been on the bogwood when I'd taken it out or he'd jumped out of the tank but no trace.
I was gutted and after a while I decided to go and get another one. It was in the tank for months without a problem when again I decided to do a major clean and took out the bogwood again to clean off some of the bloody beard algae. Obviously because of what happened the first time I made sure that the Rainbow was not on it when I took it out and made sure that I didn't squash it when I put the bogwood back in. To my horror within a day the new Rainbow had disappeared again and I presumed that it had gone the same way as the other one. We then went on holiday and when we returned to our amazement we saw that the Rainbow was swimming around in the tank. Now when I say that it had disappeared I mean that I stood looking into the tank from every angle possible and even took the bogwood and all the plants out so that there was nothing in there but water, fish and gravel and stood looking for ages and it was not there?????
Obviously I was really pleased....well for a little while as it has disappeared again! I have sat for days looking for it but it is nowhere to be seen. I have looked all over the driftwood and can not see it.
My only explanation is that it might have buried itself under the gravel to hide? Do they do that? I have searched these forums and the rest of the internet and can't find anyone with a similar experience.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, HomerHart.
