Betta Fish: Update on vanishing betta (with pics of surrounding area and tank this time)

Lost of folks commented asking for an update and there really isn’t one.

Little buddy is still gone.

I’ve taken the filter apart 4 times, every single piece of internal mechanism that can be removed, was and was searched, no result.

I think there was a bit of confusion last time, the pic I posted in the last post was of the tank ~2 weeks ago. Since then water has been drained, very single piece for decor has been taken completely out and checked.

Please don’t comment that I need to check under something as Its just getting repetitive and I don’t have any way of responding atp that wouldn’t be impolite.

The sand has been run through a strainer twice.

I’ve looked everywhere in all directions for a body, but wouldn’t like to reiterate there is literally not a single hole in the lid for him to have jumped out of.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes, my biggest problem (other than an animal in my care being dead) is not knowing what happened. Twice have I lost Betta in the same manner with no body and twice I’ve not known what I need to change or improve to stop it.

RIP Pongo, I wish you held still long enough for me to actually get good pictures of you.

First picture shows the area around the tank. Yes I’ve checked under and behind everything. Yes I’ve checked that cart, the only reason it looks organised is because I cleaned it up after I checked everything.

Second, third and fourth picture are the sides and back.

Last 2 pics is the only hole in the entire tank that I can see. I don’t use the automatic feeder and have pulled it off the magnet and turned it around in order to keep that gap as small as possible. With a penny for scale of how thin that gap is, the penny can’t even get in the slot unless I push the feeder.