I set up my 30 gallon tank a year and one month ago. I had assorted fish--1 male dwarf gourami, 2 small marbled angels, 2 celebes rainbow fish (1 male, 1 female), several long-finned zebra danios, and several neons, and two otocinclus. Everything was fine for awhile, although I did lose the female celebes, a couple of months later. And later, this past October, I lost the dwarf gourami to TB. Well, by then, my two angel fishes were huge, with bodies the size of silver dollars. They started chasing the other fish sometimes, not just each other.
Then, fish started turning up dead, with the tails torn off, or bellies torn open. I couldnt tell if that happened before or after death, as fish will pick at and eat dead fish. Since the angel fish were so big, and getting agressive, naturally, I suspected them. So I gave them away a few weeks ago, and got 3 neons and 1 long-finned zebra danio instead. Then, a week later, the danio died, and so did one of the neons. There was no mark on them. I checked the water, and the ammonia appeared to be very slightly elevated, just borderline. So I did 20% water changes once a week for a month, and then everything was fine. But I still kept losing fish--the neons all died, and were torn up, but again, I don't know if that happened before or after death.
A few months ago, long before I gave away the angels, I bought 3 serpa tetras. They have been peaceful, as far as I can see, but one has become very nervous, spending most of its time, hiding behind some plants near the bottom (the tank has a number of Amazon sword plants in it, short and tall, plus I bought a bacopa, also.) It comes out to eat, then hides again. The other two are fine.
Anyway, a new male dwarf gourami, which I had had since November, suddenly showed up dead three days ago, with its tail chewed off, and eyes missing. I was stunned, as he was the biggest fish in the tank, since I got rid of the angelfish. This past Tuesday (Apr. 23) I bought a young pearl gourami and another small, long-finned Zebra danio, since I had only two. The water was fine.
Well, now I know some fish is attacking the others, because today, the newest danio was dead, its tailfin gone, and the largest and oldest of my danios, which I've had for months, was half dead, its tail fin gone, and half its caudal peduncal missing, and its belly ripped open. I put it out of its misery. I can't believe the remaining danio, which is medium-sized, would do that. They did chase each other a lot, and nip at tail fins, but I've kept danios for years, and never had problems with them--until now.
One of my fishes is obviously attacking the others. The only thing I can think of, it is the male celebes rainbow fish, which is a good two inches long. But I've never seen him be aggresive towards the other fish, though he has half-heartedly chased the female celebes I got 2 weeks ago. She is one third his size.
I couldn't find much on the Celebes rainbows; do they get aggresive as they get bigger? I have only once before had Celebes, back in St. Louis, but they both, male and female, died after a few months.
Anyway, if anybody knows what fish could be tearing my others to pieces, please let me know. It's not the water, which is 0 for ammonia, neurtal pH, although the water is pretty hard here in the Philadelphia area.
Thanks for any help anybody can give me.
Then, fish started turning up dead, with the tails torn off, or bellies torn open. I couldnt tell if that happened before or after death, as fish will pick at and eat dead fish. Since the angel fish were so big, and getting agressive, naturally, I suspected them. So I gave them away a few weeks ago, and got 3 neons and 1 long-finned zebra danio instead. Then, a week later, the danio died, and so did one of the neons. There was no mark on them. I checked the water, and the ammonia appeared to be very slightly elevated, just borderline. So I did 20% water changes once a week for a month, and then everything was fine. But I still kept losing fish--the neons all died, and were torn up, but again, I don't know if that happened before or after death.
A few months ago, long before I gave away the angels, I bought 3 serpa tetras. They have been peaceful, as far as I can see, but one has become very nervous, spending most of its time, hiding behind some plants near the bottom (the tank has a number of Amazon sword plants in it, short and tall, plus I bought a bacopa, also.) It comes out to eat, then hides again. The other two are fine.
Anyway, a new male dwarf gourami, which I had had since November, suddenly showed up dead three days ago, with its tail chewed off, and eyes missing. I was stunned, as he was the biggest fish in the tank, since I got rid of the angelfish. This past Tuesday (Apr. 23) I bought a young pearl gourami and another small, long-finned Zebra danio, since I had only two. The water was fine.
Well, now I know some fish is attacking the others, because today, the newest danio was dead, its tailfin gone, and the largest and oldest of my danios, which I've had for months, was half dead, its tail fin gone, and half its caudal peduncal missing, and its belly ripped open. I put it out of its misery. I can't believe the remaining danio, which is medium-sized, would do that. They did chase each other a lot, and nip at tail fins, but I've kept danios for years, and never had problems with them--until now.
One of my fishes is obviously attacking the others. The only thing I can think of, it is the male celebes rainbow fish, which is a good two inches long. But I've never seen him be aggresive towards the other fish, though he has half-heartedly chased the female celebes I got 2 weeks ago. She is one third his size.
I couldn't find much on the Celebes rainbows; do they get aggresive as they get bigger? I have only once before had Celebes, back in St. Louis, but they both, male and female, died after a few months.
Anyway, if anybody knows what fish could be tearing my others to pieces, please let me know. It's not the water, which is 0 for ammonia, neurtal pH, although the water is pretty hard here in the Philadelphia area.
Thanks for any help anybody can give me.
I'm afraid it's your Serpaes. They can be quite evil at times biting at other fish although not particularly trying to kill them. They are especially adept at picking out eyes!!
