Disappearing Fish!

mau0101

Hi!
I have 2 questions for all you experts out there...
I have a 20gal tank, I cycled it with Zebra Danios a couple of months ago and started stocking it with bigger fish once the tank was stable.
I got:
-1 small Red Parrot (I know they get big... will transfer him to a bigger tank when the time comes)
-1 small black Angel Fish
-3 Buenos Aires Tetras
-2 Tiger Platys
-1 white Platy

So this is what happened... my fish are just disappearing... out of the 5 Danios, I only have 1 left...
the 2 tiger Platys gone, and the white Platy... gone too...
but there are no bodies!!! they just vanish!!!

the water is cycled and all the levels are where they should, so I know that's not the problem... who's eating them? is it the Angel or the Parrot? Both?? they are well fed so its not a matter of being hungry either... Any ideas?

Second question: Any suggestions on what type of fish I should add? more in the semi-aggressive family? and suitable for a 20gal tank? Sharks? Plecos?

Thanks a lot!!!

willow

hello and welcome.
not that i know anything about parrots,or much about angels,but i'm guessing
it's one or both.,so it's going to pose a problem for youre-stocking.
i'm sure someone will be along with more stable advise so do hang on.

Tetra Guy

I'll add a one liner that I've learned is true: big fish will eat small fish. Most fish are omnivors. They are opportunity eaters, eating whatever they can get. Make sure your stock can live with each other. Being they are the close to same size and they are not too territorial. Fish of a similar species usually can work.

In a 20 gallon, get a pleco that stays small. I have a Clown Pleco, an awesome algea eater, and not at all aggresive.

1077

My money is on the Buenos Aires Tetra's killing offf the fish directly, or through stress by other fish trying to avoid them, and other fishes consuming the remains of dead fish which depending on number's,,could happen overnight.
Buenos Aires are a nasty mean little fish.
would look at fins of other fishes in the tank and if they are torn,tattered looking,,then perhaps you have the culprit's resonsible for the death's.
Fishes under constant fear of being attacked, or suffering from damage inflicted, don't live very long in most aquariums before they just can't tolerate the stress and or recover from the damage inflicted.
once they die,,they will quickly become food for other tank mates both large,and small along with snails ,shrimps,etc.

Geomancer

Angels will eat small fish if they can fit it in their mouth, think neon tetras which they particularly like.

But you said the one you have is small (they get up to ~6 inches in length). If it's still a baby from the store (~1 inch) it isn't going to be eating other fish... that are alive at least.

As others have said, fish have no problems eating other fish that have died, and they can do it quite quickly. Look very closely at the base of decorations where any remains would get caught up from the current, you won't find much left just a few bones.

As for cause of death... could be stress, could be bullying, could just be unhealthy fish from the store (on account of the platties, you said you had the danios for awhile).

However, in regards to the Angel fish ... they, like a lot of fish, prefer to be in a group of 5 or more. Since they get to be large fish, you need a large tank for that many (55+g). If you manage to get a mated pair they can do good with just the two of them. Otherwise they fight with each other. That dosen't always happen, but is probable. When I first started and didn't know anything I too got them, three. One was killed fairly quickly, the other two lived on but did not get along well (29 gallon tank). When I moved, the largest one didn't survive long, and the other turned into a very aggressive jerk and had to be moved to a different tank.

I'm now dreaming of a 120g tank specifically to be centered around Angels =)

I'm afraid I don't know much about cichlids. I've only heard the advice that most of them should not be mixed with community fish (Angel's are one of the exceptions, they are peaceful if kept in the right conditions). I don't know about Parrots.

mau0101

wow! I never even consider the Tetras being the responsible ones!!
I'll definitively keep an eye on them! thanks!

Stoke88

I'll put money on the Red Parrot. I have a Buenos Aires Tetra in with a few other smaller Rasboras in a 10g and they get along great. He's the biggest one in the tank and bothers no one. I can't see any of the others eating any fish either. They Red Parrot is also a Cichlid mixed in with Tetras and Barbs. You may have some compatibility issues as well, resulting in missing fish.