A murder in the tank...

missvirgo84

So life has been peaceful in my 55g, for ~10months. It was cycled about 15months ago with 5 little Rasbora Heteromorpha Danio no bigger than 1", and 5 neons. After 3weeks, I added 1 Rainbow Shark, 3redline sharks, a Leporinus fasciatus, and a ghost knife. The ghost knief didnt last long. The redlines faught eachother until their was only 1 left. And, other than some algea, all has been well.

Last week, 10days ago, one of the neons was swimming funny, it looked like fin rot, but I didnt unserstand how that would have happened. None the less, I scooped him out and dropped him in the aquitic frog tank. (I know, the food chain is very heartless.) I then began to survey each of the other individuals, and everyone looked fine. BUT.... There was only 3 neons. So, i picked up each decoration checked the filter. There was no trace of the missing fish.

Today, I drop in a couple of treats they got for Christmas, and the black and silver fellas go to town as they normally do. The remaining neons joined in, the redline and Leporinus fasciatus hung out in the mid waiting for their pieces to fall, and the Rainbow Shark was on the back wall eating allgea. Several hours later, I walk by and there is 2 dead fish!!!!!!! 1 neon, in the mid towards the back wall and the Rainbow Shark on the opposite end of where he was working earlier, towards the front. Both with all fins fine, head and back bone in tack, but with their stomachs ate out.

The Leporinus fasciatus and redline shark have both more than trippeled in size since I got them. Now are both about 5". They are my main suspects. But, I have not witnessed either to be so aggressive. WHO IS THE MURDER????

djembekah

the leporinus:
Compatibility/Temperament: Generally peaceful with fish its size or larger but will eat smaller fish; aggressive to its own species but less so in a group of 6 or more. Prone to fin nip. Eats plants. Not suitable for the average home aquarium.

Read more: Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus) Profile

the redline shark, actually known as the Denisons Barb:
Compatibility/Temperament: Generally peaceful, but should not be kept with smaller fish that will likely be seen as food. It's water flow and cooler temperatures limit suitable tankmates to medium-sized barbs and danios, loaches, Garra and Devario species. Must be kept in a group, minimum 8; reports of aggressive behaviour may be due to the fish not being maintained in a sizable group.

Read more: Denisons Barb (Puntius denisonii) Profile

could be either of those, based on the info in the fish profiles.

also if you read the profiles, you'll find that your tank is way too small for the fish you have, and you'll probably run into more problems :/

Byron

True. Please read the profiles. Things may seem "peaceful" at first, but these fish are the way they are because nature made them that way, and we are not ever going to change that. And the small space (to the fish trying to develop and be itself) only increases the problems.

Byron.