Murder Mystery

[xtremefishyfan]

Recently I have had three guppy's die in my 70L (roughly 15.3 gallons) freshwater tank. The thing is they have all had shredded tails. This is very disturbing for me and I'd like to know if they were attacked and who by.

Suspects,
4x Zebra Danio's - very active, seen to be 'chasing' the guppies around the fish tank.
Powder Blue Gourami - slightly territorial and hides alot. Swims about when light is off.
2x Elegant Corydoras - very quiet, often huddle together at the back of the tank behind the rocks. Search for food after feeding.

There are lots of hiding places and I didn't suspect anything when the first guppy died with bits shredded out of his tail, the second to go was the little blue one that had survived almost everything, he seemed to be peacefully swimming around. Then my bright yellow one died today, I would like to know who has caused their deaths as I may look into rehoming them.
After the second death I suspected something and I decided to act upon it on the third death.

If you suggest anything it would be helpful, my prime suspect is the Zebra Danio's but I'd like to know what other people think.

Serious answers only please!

xtremefishyfan.

Another thing to add, reasearched on Zebra Danio's and read they are supposed to shoal, mine NEVER shoal together. Only when I first got them and put them in the tank, could this be because there are not enough? Suggestions welcome!

 

[guppy_man]

they could maybe have had finrot, was only the tail fin shredded or were some other fins aswell?
if its not finrot then i would think it was either the other guppies, or the danio's.

 

[xtremefishyfan]

Yea, I realise I thought it hadn't worked but afterwards I realised it had, sorry!
Only the fin tail had gone and the first one was about a month before the others, then the last two died within 24hours of each other. All other fish have been checked throughly and have shown no signs of an illness.

 

[Davey Jones]

<BR>Yea, I realise I thought it hadn't worked but afterwards I realised it had, sorry!<BR>Only the fin tail had gone and the first one was about a month before the others, then the last two died within 24hours of each other. All other fish have been checked throughly and have shown no signs of an illness.<BR>

It could be the Corydoras, if they chance upon the guppy's while resting on the botom, it has been known

Recently I have had three guppy's die in my 70L (roughly 15.3 gallons) freshwater tank. The thing is they have all had shredded tails. This is very disturbing for me and I'd like to know if they were attacked and who by.

Suspects,
4x Zebra Danio's - very active, seen to be 'chasing' the guppies around the fish tank.
Powder Blue Gourami - slightly territorial and hides alot. Swims about when light is off.
2x Elegant Corydoras - very quiet, often huddle together at the back of the tank behind the rocks. Search for food after feeding.

There are lots of hiding places and I didn't suspect anything when the first guppy died with bits shredded out of his tail, the second to go was the little blue one that had survived almost everything, he seemed to be peacefully swimming around. Then my bright yellow one died today, I would like to know who has caused their deaths as I may look into rehoming them.
After the second death I suspected something and I decided to act upon it on the third death.

If you suggest anything it would be helpful, my prime suspect is the Zebra Danio's but I'd like to know what other people think.

Serious answers only please!

xtremefishyfan.

My daughter has guppy's and zebra danios who have lived together peacefully for month's

 

[The-Wolf]

4x Zebra Danio's - very active, seen to be 'chasing' the guppies around the fish tank.

that's where my money is.
the reason is because you have only 4
add at least 2 more and they may forget about
everything else in the tank and pester each other.

 

[xtremefishyfan]

Thanks to Davey Jones, how does your daughter solve the problem of feeding the other fish in the tank before the Zebras get it? None of my other fish seem to be getting much food.

Thanks to The-Wolf, probably the best piece of advice so far.

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

I had a single gourami at one point, miserable ***** she was and she killed her mate and then went for anything she could get her mouth into. She eventually got destroyed by a pair of kribs who had started to breed. She got a load of guppies and one of my baby bristlenose.

Although the danios could have had a hand in it.

 

[newtotropical]

4x Zebra Danio's - very active, seen to be 'chasing' the guppies around the fish tank.

that's where my money is.
the reason is because you have only 4
add at least 2 more and they may forget about
everything else in the tank and pester each other.

I agree. I have 6 Danios and they leave everybody else alone

 

[Davey Jones]

Thanks to Davey Jones, how does your daughter solve the problem of feeding the other fish in the tank before the Zebras get it? None of my other fish seem to be getting much food.

Thanks to The-Wolf, probably the best piece of advice so far.

They all seem to get a share

 

[dwarfgourami]

It could be the Corydoras, if they chance upon the guppy's while resting on the botom, it has been known

Has it really? I've never heard of aggressive corys. How do they manage to bite a tail off with the sort of mouth they have? Besides, a healthy guppy shouldn't be resting on the bottom, I'd take that as a sign that something was seriously wrong.

I strongly suspect the danios. We get a lot of posts with danio aggression both here and on my other forum, almost always with danios kept in small groups and/or in small tanks, and I have seen danios reducing a betta to shreds (not in my tank, I hasten to add).

 

[Davey Jones]

It could be the Corydoras, if they chance upon the guppy's while resting on the botom, it has been known

Has it really? I've never heard of aggressive corys. How do they manage to bite a tail off with the sort of mouth they have? Besides, a healthy guppy shouldn't be resting on the bottom, I'd take that as a sign that something was seriously wrong.

I was told by my lfs when my daughter wanted some with her danios and guppys.

 

[xtremefishyfan]

So it could be the cory's? But they seem so peaceful! My yellow guppy used to be resting alot but the blue one used to swim around alot.
I was thinking about getting rid of my Zebra's anyway because they always get the food and my gourami and cory's haven't had any since I got them. For the cory's do I need to get the special bottom feeder food?

 

[Davey Jones]

So it could be the cory's? But they seem so peaceful! My yellow guppy used to be resting alot but the blue one used to swim around alot.
I was thinking about getting rid of my Zebra's anyway because they always get the food and my gourami and cory's haven't had any since I got them. For the cory's do I need to get the special bottom feeder food?

I think the guys on here are right & my lfs were wrong, i've been reading up on them after this thread and it seams corydoras are very peaceful.

 

[kribensis12]

Gourami's can be very aggrssive some times. My moneys on the gourami's because of their aggressive nature and you said is a little teritorial.

 

[chibi]

My bet is on the gourami. They can be fickle and they've got a big mouth and bite.

I'm 99% percent sure it's not the corys. They wouldn't hurt a thing. They can't really chomp down on anything either because they have to swallow food to chew it. Their teeth are probably in their throat somewhere. Don't quote me on that, that's what I've heard. Regardless, I'm almost postive it's not the corys.