Help! Silver Tetra Won't Eat My Food

[shaun-sharky]

Hi, I'm Shaun and new to the forum. I recently set u pa Juwel Vision 260 and have got 2 Corydoras catfish, 7 juvenile Silver Tetra around 2" long and 2 adult Silver Tetra around 6" long. The juvenile silver tetra eat anything, but I have had the two adults for two weeks now and I haven't seen them eat a thing. One of them is quite aggressive and is chasing the others around the tank and landing some big body hots to the other adult. I don't know what to do. The adults were not cheap and I don't want to risk them dying through starvation or being killed by each other. You can see a couple of video's of them I recorced when i introduced the adults. They are not really Tetra, more a cross between a pacu and a piranha.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuyX_hr01s&context=C31f8cbeADOEgsToPDskK3oPe6lWXuNBFr45PPfapv

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIQ22PHF-Ug&feature=context&context=C31f8cbeADOEgsToPDskK3oPe6lWXuNBFr45PPfapv

Any help much appreciated, Shaun

 

[Ruskull]

One of the adults seems to have Ich, or at least something like it on his/her face...............

 

[cynic]

Surely that tank is too small for those fish anyway

 

[fluttermoth]

I can't seen that much aggression going on in your videos. It could just be that they're working out a pecking order in the new tank.

They will almost certainly eat when they're hungry enough; fish can easily go for two weeks without feeding. If you're really worried, try to get hold of some live food; the movement stimulates most fish to feed.

P.S; pacus and pirahanas are tetras

 

[shaun-sharky]

Hi all, when i bought one of the fish it damaged its upper lip, which is what you can see in the vids, that is healing up well now. There was no aggression initially which is why it all looks ok in the vids. It is 2 weeks in that the slightly smaller one is chasing the others around, mainly the other adult. I thought that I could just about get away with these fish in this size tank......

ok that helps, maybe i'll give it a bit longer. I have been feeding cichlid sticks, tetra pro colour flakes, bloodwork and trop mix, which the juveniles love but the adults have shown no interest yet. Thanks for the heads up with the Tetra classification too lol.

 

[fluttermoth]

I didn't mention it before (I'm forgetful today ), but have you tested the water, just to make sure nothing untoward is going on there?

I'm afraid the deeper bodied tetras, like yours, often are aggressive and nippy. There's not much you can do, apart from keep the numbers up, if you have the space.

What are the dimensions of the tank, btw?

 

[shaun-sharky]

haha, no problem, the water quality is perfect, I used water from my pond to start the tank up. And I did a test recently to prove this. The dimensions of the tank is 4 foot long x 2ft high x 1.5ft deep. So I thought that I could just about get away with keeping these fish in it right?

 

[siguy]

Hi, I'm Shaun and new to the forum. I recently set u pa Juwel Vision 260 and have got 2 Corydoras catfish, 7 juvenile Silver Tetra around 2" long and 2 adult Silver Tetra around 6" long. The juvenile silver tetra eat anything, but I have had the two adults for two weeks now and I haven't seen them eat a thing. One of them is quite aggressive and is chasing the others around the tank and landing some big body hots to the other adult. I don't know what to do. The adults were not cheap and I don't want to risk them dying through starvation or being killed by each other. You can see a couple of video's of them I recorced when i introduced the adults. They are not really Tetra, more a cross between a pacu and a piranha.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuyX_hr01s&context=C31f8cbeADOEgsToPDskK3oPe6lWXuNBFr45PPfapv

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIQ22PHF-Ug&feature=context&context=C31f8cbeADOEgsToPDskK3oPe6lWXuNBFr45PPfapv

Any help much appreciated, Shaun

Alright Shaun.. i hope you get this as i see like me u use the forum when u have a problem

I also have 3 Silver Tetras (Tetragonopterus Argenteus) and I have never seen any of them eat although i do think they are munching on my plants. My tetras are also quite aggressive towards each other, I have been told to increase their numbers but I cannot find anyone stocking them at present, space isnt an issue as i have a 450L tank. I have good cover in my tank for them to hide but when i approach it or do any maintenance they become erratically scared, like jumping out of the water and hitting the underside of the cover erratic.

I think it will be less fuss to return them back and get some easier sourced fish.. although i am dreading having to catch them. I shame as they are v nice fish but the longer i keep them I just cant help feeling something is going to go wrong. Funnily enough my largest tetra also has the mark on his lip, i presumed it was a scar from altercations with the other two or he hurt himself headbutting the glass when he gets in a panic.

How are ur doing?