Murder?my Poor Swordtail Has Been Eaten

fishnovice

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Got 3 jewel cichlid fry 1-1.5 inches a week ago. As their parents lived happily in a community tank with lots of other fish and my cichlid tank won't be ready for 3 weeks, I put them in with a pair of black mollies and a pair of small swordtails ( about 1.5in). Everything was fine with no sign of bullying or agression at all. This morning I noticed my male swordtail was missing. Waited, kept on hoping he'd appear though it was strange as the female was on her own and htey are usually inseparable. Searched plants at 4pm and found him -headless. big hole in belly and very little skin left on him.

He was alive and well at 1am. Could the jewels have killed and eaten him in a few hours without warning? Are they capable of this as the swordtails are fast swimmers. Don't think it was the mollies as they have been together with swordtails for 6 months.

Moved female swordtail to tank with 1inch molly fry. She's pregnant so worried the stress of catching her (after 15min chase) and transfer to new tank, plus loss of mate and possible bullying by jewels may be too much for her
Afraid for my mollies now though they are much bigger - should I put the jewels in emergency hospital tank? Running out of tanks s and heaters.
 
It's possible the jewels killed the swordtail, that or it died and they scavanged. I'd keep a close eye on things and if you see any signs of bullying move the jewels to the emergency tank. :good:
 
It's possible the jewels killed the swordtail, that or it died and they scavanged. I'd keep a close eye on things and if you see any signs of bullying move the jewels to the emergency tank. :good:
Thanks
Moved all the jewels out already, can't risk losing the mollies too. Swordtail was swimming happily last night, acting normallly no sign of disease in him or any other fish. He was very young too, only 1.5 inches though they started breeding and had first 5 fry a mointh ago. Why would he die suddenly and why would other fish eat him so quick?They are very well fed on pellets, bloodworm, algae
 
Any fish will scavange regardless of what they are fed. Considering how young he was and there were no signs of disease, I'd be suspicious of the jewels, however, sometimes fish randomly die for no reason known to us. :crazy:
 
it would of been the juewel fry mate
I put all my jewel fry 1" to 2" in my 4ft growout tank and i didn't know my girlfriend had put the goldfish fry in they are 1.5 to 2.5 inch and witin seconds the jewels were swimming around with goldfish in their mouths all 70 was meant to be sold tomorrow there is about 55 left thats how quick they are , but the parents will go in and nothing at all they dont care for live lol
 

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