# Missing Bloodfin Tetras



## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

I have a 90 gal freshwater aquarium.
I have had it stocked for some time with the following:
15 – Serpae Tetra
03 – Redtail Shark 
03 – Corydoras Julii Catfish
02 – Kissing Gourami
01 – Three spot blue gourami
01 – Gold Gourami
01 – Opaline Gourami
01 – Platinum Gourami
03 – Odessa Barb

Over many months, I have only lost one Redtail Shark.

NOW...I added some more fish just four days ago:
01 – Dragon Fish Goby
02 – Congo Tetra
01 – Two Spot Mystus Catfish
12 – Bloodfin Tetra	

The Goby and the Catfish just sit under stuff and hide all day.
The Congo Tetra have a beautiful glow about them.
I really love the Bloodfin Tetras because they school nice and tight going back and forth like a tennis match at the back/top of the tank. They are in constant motion and they are not darty like the darn zebra danios I starting the tank with last year.

Here is my question!
Today I notice that I only have six Bloodfin Tetras in the tank.
WHERE DID THEY GO? 
I don't see anything dead, floating, or carcases anywhere.
This is really upsetting.
I am prepared to get rid of anything or any fish that has made the other six disappear.

Thanks for you responses in advance.
BTW...I'm running an FX5 and the water is crystal clear.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

They are jumpers, i step on a few from time to time in the morning.

Are you sure you are missing them and they are not hiding at all?

Ive got over 30 in my 210g discus tank and there are some days I count them all and some days I count only a handful, ive found some of the smaller ones living in my overflows but with an fX5 you dont have that issue. 

can you post a pic of your tank, they might just be hiding on you. I do agree, the Bloodfins are the best schooling fish I have ever owned, and I got well over a dozen different tetras and over 100 in total. These fish rock.


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_01.jpg"><br><BR><BR>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_02.jpg"><br><BR><BR>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_03.jpg"><br><BR><BR>
I can see everything clearly. <br>
The catfish hides in the castle.<br>
The Goby hides under the slate or in the shipwreck.<br>


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

they arent behind the tank at all? not in the filter either?

6 is a big number to disappear.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yeah if they are jumpers,i have no clue about the size of them,but i know for a fact,wild bettas are jumpers as well and will find any hole to jump through.Many have found crispy fish from small holes they never thought the fish would find.So that being said,look for holes mainly towards the back,where the filters cords and such run in at.Then search the floor for crispy fish.Then cover said holes with tape,lol.The whole back of my tank is taped.


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## Chillwill007 (Aug 20, 2010)

Not to thread jack but do you think I could. start a tank with bloodfins? I plan on ine of those beaslbob set ups indeed would like to end up with a shoal of about 12 in my 40g breeder tank. It would eventually share the tank with about 6 panda cories and 2 pair of german blue rams.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Do you have dogs/cats that if they did jump they would have a snack?


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

OH MY GOSH!
You guys are so smart.
I would have never figured that these particular tetras would jump out the back. You know, I haven't had any fish come up missing before...and I used to have neon tetras and zebra danios.
Now I know why MAX has been hanging around the tank for the last three days. No wonder the floor is TOTALLY clean all around the tank!
GEEZ!
So what's the best way to cover the large holes in the back of the cover?
<br>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_04.jpg"><br><br><br>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_05.jpg"><br><br><br>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_06.jpg"><br><br><br>


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I used clear packaging tape.Like i said my fish are very sensative,and so far(its been five months)everything is perfectly ok.I just taped the crap outta it.Sorry about your loss,but i bet the cats very happy for live food,lol.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

LOL, I have 3 cats and I know they've had a couple of treats. One of mine will get up on top of one of my tanks and dip her feet in the water and lick them clean. Used to see her wet paw prints on the side of the glass every morning.

Wow, didn't know they made those type of hoods for 90gal tanks. I'd probably just lay small sections of plywood trim up there. At least it will be easy to remove when you need to. Doesn't need to be much.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

i use egg crate from home depot, you can let your light right on top of it, as it is recessed in the trim ring.
this stopped all suicide attempts in my tanks. its 11 bucks for a sheet and simple side cutters for electricians works great to snip it. All my tanks have this and to be honest its cheap, tape will degrade overtime and will leach chemicals back into the tank via condensation droplets.

here is the best pic I have so far of it and I will take better pics of this tank's top and my other tanks top that is egg crate. It works great and you dont need anything else but this. the top might not fit again but there are ways to make it look better then the stock hood.


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

Thanks for the great suggestion. I don't see your photo.
Can you post the photos?



WhiteGloveAquatics said:


> i use egg crate from home depot, you can let your light right on top of it, as it is recessed in the trim ring.
> this stopped all suicide attempts in my tanks. its 11 bucks for a sheet and simple side cutters for electricians works great to snip it. All my tanks have this and to be honest its cheap, tape will degrade overtime and will leach chemicals back into the tank via condensation droplets.
> 
> here is the best pic I have so far of it and I will take better pics of this tank's top and my other tanks top that is egg crate. It works great and you dont need anything else but this. the top might not fit again but there are ways to make it look better then the stock hood.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Egg crates a good idea,but my fish will jump through the holes.They are long,but slender and will fly right through the holes.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)




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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

majerah1 said:


> Egg crates a good idea,but my fish will jump through the holes.They are long,but slender and will fly right through the holes.


Not really, they dont see the holes only the bars, My discus have hit the thing a few times but nothing even down to the neons arent able to jump out. the holes are maybe 3/8"x3/8".


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

I can't really tell what is on top. Can you take a close up.
thanks and sorry to be a pain


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

OK. I went out and bought a new glass top for the tank. It looks really nice and make the light much brighter inside the tank.

I went out and bought 24 Bloodfin Tetras on 11/26 and added them to the three I had remaining from the first batch.

I just counted them right now...and I have only seven.
What in the heck is going on?
Could any of my other fish be eating them????


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I don't think you have anything to eat them. Did you get an aquarium glass top? The kind that comes with the plastic pieces for along the back? You used them?

I'd be pulling everything out of my tank at this point. Screen in place for suction on the FX5?


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

Yes, I installed the plastic pieces. I just took apart the FX5 and I see no fish remains.
I should have seen something since I have lost an average of five each night for four nights. Geez!
I just took the intake pickup out of the tank and it is clean.
This is crazy! I believe that I will tape the little bitty 1cm gap around the plasic flaps in the back just in case they are contorsionists.

<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_10.jpg" border=5><br><br>
<img src="http://home.insightbb.com/~giveme/iwanna/4sale/90gal_16.jpg" border=5>


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## MandolinDeb (Dec 12, 2010)

Perhaps I'm new, but it appears the dialogue stopped mid November. I'm curious now and involved in your tale, what's the latest? Or did I miss something?:fish-in-a-bag: I hope it's a happy ending...


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## ValorieMackison (Dec 10, 2010)

I'm curious how this turned out as well. Did you find any of them in the substrate? *Note my signature* lol I know it's not the same species, but I was mystified by the losses till I siphoned the gravel.


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## henrynlouisville (Nov 24, 2010)

It was the Two Spot Mystus Catfish.
He was pretty good size and kept out of site and mind.

But, it turned out that he was chasing the tetras right out of the back of the tank.
...but mostly, he simply ate them.

I took him back to the store and bought 24 more bloodfins...and all is well.
All-in-all, he ate at least $40 worth of fish...and I lost $12 on him. GEEZ!


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## mfgann (Oct 21, 2010)

So him and the cat were in cahoots.. he chases them and the slow ones he eats and the fast one jumps out for the cat to eat. *r2

Thanks for telling us the ending.


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