Best way to find a dead fish without...

H'lo there.

I'm in a mess. Recently i'v started planting up my tank properly and decorating etc. The plants are planted a bit on the dense-ish side. Now one of my harlequins are missing, I suspect he's dead as he wasn't looking very good.
My question is, what do you think is the best way I can find him without damaging or uprooting the plants? They are'nt very deeply rooted and if i'm going to move their leaves aside a lot they are going to come out. And I really don't want that to happen
Thanks for any input/ideas.

 

I am not sure there is a fool proof way to do that. If you have some way to generate a current along the surface of the substrate you might be able to "blow" any remains out from under the plants, but it is just as likely that such an attempt would actually push a body up against the base of a plant and hold it there. Maybe somebody else can come up with a better idea.

 

Unfortunately...you may have to uproot everything so you can at least find a body. You don't want the dead body to cause a fluctuation in your water parameters. It depends how big your tank is too.

 

the only thing I can think of is the ever-useful turkey baster to stick down among the plants and try to blow out the body.

 

??? don't get that one dave. :-\

Alright, I did a water change today, moved the plants/rock etc around made a current in the water with my hand, but I didnt find it. The only alternative I can think of is that my leopard pleco ate it. Isn't it supposed to float after a while?

 

A lot of plecos will eat fish after they die. Our juvenile L107s eat dead fish.

 

Honestly, by this point, it's probably not the most solid thing, and vacuuming among the plants might get you bits. It took less than 24 hours for a dead oto of mine to decay to the point that it broke apart in the vacuum.
If you've got live plants, I wouldn't worry too much about it, I'd just keep an eye on nitrogens and do a water change if necessary. The body probably settled into the plants, and they'll use a lot of the waste produced.

 

the only thing I can think of is the ever-useful turkey baster to stick down among the plants and try to blow out the body.

Yes! That is how I have been cleaning out my plants, and even some of the lighter gravel in another tank. So useful! I can even grab teeny snails with it and pour them into the puffer tank ;-)

--R

 

A lot of plecos will eat fish after they die. Our juvenile L107s eat dead fish.

Yes. I caught him at it once, that's why I think he is responsible.

Honestly, by this point, it's probably not the most solid thing, and vacuuming among the plants might get you bits. It took less than 24 hours for a dead oto of mine to decay to the point that it broke apart in the vacuum.
If you've got live plants, I wouldn't worry too much about it, I'd just keep an eye on nitrogens and do a water change if necessary. The body probably settled into the plants, and they'll use a lot of the waste produced.

I did a water change when I was looking for him. I do have live plants + he was really small so I don't think itl be bad, that is if he isn't eaten.

the only thing I can think of is the ever-useful turkey baster to stick down among the plants and try to blow out the body.

Yes! That is how I have been cleaning out my plants, and even some of the lighter gravel in another tank. So useful! I can even grab teeny snails with it and pour them into the puffer tank ;-)
and I don't even know what that is. :-[

--R

 

Check your filter intakes as well, I have not had many fish die over the years but when I have I find em on filter intakes on my planted tanks. Or have found a shrimp munching away on them.