One of My Danios Is Missing, Why Did My Danio Disappear?

Last Updated on January 10, 2022 by cmoarz

So you went to feed your danios and noticed that one is missing and you can’t seem to find it anywhere in the tank. What could have happened to it? Will the other danios eat it? Why did my danio disappear?

How Can a Fish Go Missing in a Tank?

First, we need to make sure the fish is actually missing in the tank before we go looking outside the tank for it.

Fish are very good at hiding, especially if they think something is wrong or they are feeling threatened in some way.

They might hide behind leaves, driftwood, rocks, etc… to make themselves seem invisible to predators and other fish alike.

Danios can be clever hiders, So be sure to check everywhere before you start assuming it jumped out.

Check inside all the plants, rocks, caves,  under all driftwood, inside filter intakes, any small crevices that the fish could have fit into.

Don’t be surprised if you find one lurking in a place you’d never think of.

Not only are they good at hiding but danios are fast swimmers and can dart into small spaces and hide very quickly.

For this reason, it is also important to check your filter intakes and make sure there aren’t any hiding in the intake tube, or around water pump housing where they can dart out of sight. (Even if you have a sponge pre-filter as I do).

After all possible hiding places have been checked carefully, check the tank again to make sure the fish really is gone.

Because danios are so fast, it’s easy for them to dart out of sight before you notice they are there.

If everything else has been double-checked and he’s really not there anymore, It’s time to start assuming the worst.

He Jumped Out Of The Tank

Because of their quick swimming speeds and their ability to dart around, Danios are known to jump out of tanks.

Even if your tank has a lid on, they can find their way through cracks and feeding holes and escape.

If the fish was just exploring and it swam too far, this can happen.

Obviously, the danio wouldn’t have gotten very far if it jumped out of the tank, so now it’s time to search around the tank base and the floor for it.

Check behind the table and inside any objects around the aquarium such as potted plants.

Check the floor everywhere in your fish room as the danio, once out of the water, may have flipped and flapped around the floor before perishing.

If you’ve found it, Great! But also I’m very sorry for your loss. If you haven’t found it, Move on to the next section of this article.

It Could Have Been Eaten

The unfortunate reality about fish is they tend to eat each other.

If you have any other fish in your tank that could be considered predatory, like Oscars, it is possible that your danio could have been eaten.

If your danio died overnight from an illness or just old age, It’s entirely possible its corpse was completely consumed by the other fish in the tank.

This is especially true if you have snails in your tank.

Snails are like little black holes that can devour so much in such a short time frame, leaving little left but a few bones.

If your danio has gone missing, and you’ve checked everywhere inside the tank and outside the tank, Inside the filter, inside all the plants and aquarium decorations, and you still can’t find him, theirs a good chance he’s been eaten by another aquarium fish or snail.