Black Day For Black Widows

[Bertie]

I have a 180 litre community tank housing 2 clown loaches, 2 Oplaline Gouramis, 2 Giant Danios, 4 Platies, 2 Bronze Corys and 2 Kribs. All get along fine.....then on Sunday I bought 5 Black Widow Tetras and introduced them. Within the space of 2 hours all the new fish had gone, like feeding a treat to the fish. I have no idea why this happened - when I introduced the Platies nothing happened (and they are smaller than the tetras) and suddenly on a winter evening my tank turned into a feeding frenzy! Any ideas why? I am now reluctant to introduce any new fish as I fear they too will be eaten.
All help appreciated.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I have a 180 litre community tank housing 2 clown loaches, 2 Oplaline Gouramis, 2 Giant Danios, 4 Platies, 2 Bronze Corys and 2 Kribs. All get along fine.....then on Sunday I bought 5 Black Widow Tetras and introduced them. Within the space of 2 hours all the new fish had gone, like feeding a treat to the fish. I have no idea why this happened - when I introduced the Platies nothing happened (and they are smaller than the tetras) and suddenly on a winter evening my tank turned into a feeding frenzy! Any ideas why? I am now reluctant to introduce any new fish as I fear they too will be eaten.
All help appreciated.

You don't have any particually agressive fish as far as i aware, the kribs are probably the mos agressive fish you have- were the fish actually attacking each other or wer they just dropping dead?

 

[Bertie]

Thy weren't dropping dead - they were getting attacked from what i could see. Some by the Clown Loaches, some by the Gouramis.... can't think why though?
I did introduce a Dwarf Gourami at the same time and he is fine.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thy weren't dropping dead - they were getting attacked from what i could see. Some by the Clown Loaches, some by the Gouramis.... can't think why though?
I did introduce a Dwarf Gourami at the same time and he is fine.

Its very unusual for the clown loaches to be agressive, but opaline gouramis can be agressive at times, particually the males;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=81130

Black widow tetras are very peaceful fish by nature, as well as bronze corys, and although the giant danios are quite active fish they are generally peaceful too- platys should be peaceful if you stock the right amount of each gender together, do you know how many males or females you have?

 

[Bertie]

I have 4 platies - 3 of which are males. They are small and keep themselves to themselves. I've been keeping fish for over 10 years and have never had this before. It was as if the Black Widows were simply live feed. I wonder if it was the Oplaine Gourami that caused it?

 

[springmom]

I have 4 platies - 3 of which are males. They are small and keep themselves to themselves. I've been keeping fish for over 10 years and have never had this before. It was as if the Black Widows were simply live feed. I wonder if it was the Oplaine Gourami that caused it?

I'd be willing to bet that it was. I'v kept gourami tanks for many years, and I love 'em, but they are not the peace-and-love fish that some folks think. My daughter has a gourami tank right now and has had V for Vendetta playing out in there! I told her to multiply the plants and hidey-hole places by FIVE to keep everybody happy. Hopefully she'll listen to her mother....

You could try it again after adding extra places to hide from the Great Maurading Gourami Gang. But a lot of my gouramis have always thought "Black Tetra" is fishtalk for "Kit Kat Bar" or "Hershey's Special Dark". IOW, yummy treats


Jan

 

[fishfishfish]

must have all started with a nip.

with most fish species,if 1 fiah attacks something,so do the others.u can see this with pirahnas usually