Evil Black Widow Tetras

[Tenko]

What a mistake buying black widows! Bought 6 to go with my 8 cardinals, 3 catfish, 8 guppies and 2 dwarf gouramis. Next day 1 cardinal was in pieces. This morning I woke to witness a feeding frenzy, 4 black widows ripping another cardinal to pieces.

By the time I'd caught the black widows and put them in a bag to take back to the lfs (1/2 hour!), I only had 3 cardinals left and one of my guppies had a split tail. I watched for a while to make sure they weren't just picking over dead ones, all they did was chase the other cardinals around for another feed.

It's not as if they were starving or anything, they seemed to get most of the food I put in the tank before the other fish even reaslised it was there. Also the cardinals weren't small, about 2cm long, and the black widows were only half grown too.

Anyone else experienced homocidal black widow tetras?

 

[G_Sharky]

Wow they are evil. At least you see nature on it's natural way. Sorry for your loss though

 

[Tenko]

I don't think the lfs believed that they'd slaughtered most of my cardinals, gave me a refund on them though. I bought 2 more dwarf gouramis instead, no chance of them eating anything live.

 

[Punkfish]

Strange, everything I've read and heard about Black Widow Tetras has suggested them as very peaceful fish that tolerate other species well, a good beginner community fish.
I had been considering getting some, but now I'm worried about what they might do to my neons.

 

[Gabe]

I have 3(soon to be more) Black Skirt Tetras, or Black Widow Tetras. The have been great fish. I've had no problems with them. I have cherry barbs and guppies that are quite small in with them and they barely even look at them. I think Tenko just got a bad bunch. Really, I've never seen them chase anything other than themselves. They are actually quite shy. I've had them for 1 1/2 years and they are just now starting to come to the front of the tank when I am looking at them.

Gabe