fishnovice
Fish Herder
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.
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.