Why would my Zebra Danios disappear?

Question

This is doing my head in this is. I left this morning for work all was well in the tank. 1 Fantail, 1 Black Moor, 1 Plec (quite big with whiskers), 4 minnows and the 3 Danios. Come back from work and they have disappeared! Seriously. Checked filter. Nothing. Not under rocks. Not jumped out. Complete mystery. Any suggestions? The missus is adamant she aint eaten them either!

Answer 1

they've been eaten by another fish if you can't find them in the tank.

Answer 2

eaten

Answer 3

Although it may sound inconceivable, goldfish will eat smaller fish if they can get to them or they stray close to their mouth. I have seen my fantail chase a neon tetra with the excitement surrounding food. This happens especially if you added the little guys after the goldfish has settled down in its environment. Haven't heard of plecos eating other fish but if this is big guy and there is not much algae to keep him full, he may turn carnivorous too. Unfortunately, it is a fish-eat-fish world out there!

Answer 4

One of the bigger fishes probably ate them

Answer 5

Zebra Danios are tropical and goldfish aren't. I would imagine the minnows would have been eaten first.

If you stress danio, they play dead, they could be on the gravel and if you don't actually give them a nudge they don't move. That would happen if they have been chased.

Most plecs are omnivores and a danio playing dead could just be mistaken as carrion.