Catfish - Silent Assassin?

[angel face]

Hi just a quick question. I have recently purchased two cory's an albino and the other is a greyish colour. Had them a couple of weeks but two of my tetras have disappeared into thin air without trace seems to be since I have had these fish - none missing before.

Just had a good clean out of tank, filter and gravel vac but nowhere to be seen or not fish bits and pieces either - I am puzzled?

I also have: -

1 male dwarf gourmai (his mate died bless him and LFS wont sell me just a female as they said they come in pairs)
5 male guppies
and now just 6 tetras
2 cory's as described above.

If anyone has any ideas of what may be happening to my tetras would be grateful

Angelface

 

[geo7x]

i highly doubt you cories actually killed your tetras, but i expect the tetras died (need water parameters) and the cories cleaned them up, ie tetras died of other causes, cories ate dead bodies. Did you cycle your tank? as i said we need water parameters. sorry about your losses

edit: spelling

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Tetras are often small fish and can take as little as 24hrs to decompose, which would most likely explain the disapearance. What type of tetras are they and how long has the tank been set up and how many gallons/litres is it? Cories are strictly peaceful fish, and would not bother fish like tetras, but due to being scavengers they would help clear up a freshly dead fish.

 

[angel face]

Hi

I have had water problems. Started off by setting up my tank 58 litre, filling with water and brininging up to temperature. Added 6 neon tetras the next day I know this is not the way everyone does this but it was what I was advised by LFS and unfortunately I had not found this site at that point so was unaware of other ways to cycle. I have had the tank for about eight weeks now.

Everything was fine for the first week took water sample to fish store and was great so took home two dwarf gouramai's male and female. Female died about a week later bloated up and lost a couple of tetras in this time - two disappeared into filter and the other just died they seemed to be gasping at surface so took another sample into LFS and they tested water with tetratest kit. it was looking very orange on the scale so told me I had a nitrate problem and gave me Amquel plus. Did not add anymore fish for a couple of weeks until water was looking clear again. Carried on adding fish until tank was fully stocked. I had Used up the whole bottle of this over the weeks and it improved water quality.

When Amquel ran out began to get water problem again. I am using Tetratest kit and again my water showing as orange against the chart. It has been like this for a few days I hope it will stabilise.

LFS say I may be overfeeding. I am feeding all of my fish as listed above four broken up flakes of food and two catfish pellets every other day - do you think i am overfeeding?

Never been able to get water right without Amquel.

Like you say the tetras may have just died and catfish eated them.

if anyone can help with the water problems any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks
Angelface

 

[angel face]

Just brining this up to the top - if anyone can help would be grateful

Angelface

 

[SiriusStarr]

You're definitely not overfeeding.

When was your last water change? Are you using a good bacteria concentrate to keep the water cycled? Are you using any kind of chemical that gets rid of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?

I agree with the others, though, Corys are peaceful, they wouldn't have killed your other fish. But again, like was mentioned, if the fish died, they probably ate it up.

 

[angel face]

You're definitely not overfeeding.

When was your last water change? Are you using a good bacteria concentrate to keep the water cycled? Are you using any kind of chemical that gets rid of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?

I agree with the others, though, Corys are peaceful, they wouldn't have killed your other fish. But again, like was mentioned, if the fish died, they probably ate it up.

Hi my last water change was at the beginning of the week am doing them every 2 weeks taking around 25%. Also now started doing gravel vac too. What do you mean about using a good bacteria concentrate?

I am using Amquel to get rid of nitrate.

Thanks

Angelface

 

[mark.w.jones]

Water maintanance advice:
1. Chuck out the amquel. Does naff all apart from change your water chemistry about to make it look better. Only creates problems long term thou.
2. Do ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests daily. If ammonia or nitrite is present do a 10% water change every day with dechlorinated water until it drops.
3. You need to water change 20% + gravel vac every week im afraid to maintain good water quality.
4. Squeeze out filter wool weekly in old tank water.
5. Squeeze out filter sponge monthly in old tank water (or sooner if it gets clogged up). Don't go overboard with wool or sponge as this is where some of your beneficial bacteria hang out.
6. Don't be tempted by any chemicals / products which are supposedly miracle cures for things. They rarely do anything beneficial.
7. Consider planting 50% of your substrate with real plants which will hugely help with controlling you nitrate levels and will also get rid of algae. (Click link in my sig. for easy to grow plants + buy online at http/www.aquaticplants.eu.com/)