Killer Serpaes

[Ferg1985]

This week I have lost 4 (out of 6) Peppered Cory. Well, nearly 4 - I've just scooped out a very stressed one that has no tail left and I doubt will survive but I've quarantined it. They'd all been living fine together for over a good few weeks. It is a peaceful community tank with 3 Angels, 8 Serpae, 7 Red Eye and what was 6 Cory (425l tank). I've seen the Serpae stalk the other fish but never bully them, yet all I can think of is during the night they are attacking the cory. They used to be always on show, swimming in the foreground and the past week they've been hiding. I thought I had a finrot problem but seeing as it only the Cory dying I'm beginning to think otherwise. Each has been found with no tail, I can't see finrot being that progressive that it can rot a tail overnight? The Red eye are far too placid to be the culprits and I can't imagine the Angels being fast enough to bully Cory and I've had no signs to indicate this - plus there was no problem between them prior to adding the Serpaes.

My only option is to put the Serpae in my 65litre with 4 Rosy Barb, who will hopefully keep them in line. I'm annoyed at myself because I knew they had a reputation and wasn't intending on having them only for my LFS to be low on ther stock and not have any Phantoms, Black Widows or Penguins etc. I've had no problems whatsoever with my small tank yet since turning my big tank into a tropical it has been nothing but trouble

 

[Ben M]

hi, serpaes can be a bit aggressive, but to me it sounds like it's either a bacterial infection or the angels, or possibly the angels or serpaes nipping the corys, which are then getting a bacterial infection in the wounds.

 

[Gilli]

I have a group of 10 Serpaes in a community tank which contains corys and ive never had a problem with them. They do chase other fish every now and again but never nip or damage - all the squabbles and attention is usually amongst themselves and even that amounts to nothing its mainly all posturing. My money is on a bacterial infection which the corys may be passing to each other as they tend to like to stick and huddle together.

 

[Ferg1985]

I came home from being out today to find my (I presume) last remaining Cory being chased around the tank by 4 of the Serpaes, and they wouldn't leave it alone. I've managed to catch him and he is now in the small tank and seems happy, the Barbs couldn't care less. I will be able to keep a better eye on him here and treat the tank more effectively, not that there seems to be anything wrong with him.

After I'd done this, they started chasing one of the Angel fish. So it seems tomorrow I'm going to have to try and catch the Serpaes and bring them up into the smaller tank

 

[Gilli]

Thats the thing with fish - they all have their own personalities - what are peaceful for some are terrors for others! I was always told that Platies were community fish, but one I had was an absolute demon that eventually I had to keep in a quarrantine tank for the sake of all the other fish!

 

[Ferg1985]

The Cory seems content today in the small tank, he's investigating the spaces without being startled - The barbs don't seem to have noticed it (they are very nosey! lol). All seems well in the big tank, there doesn't seem to have been any foul play overnight so I will just have to keep an eye on things. I don't fancy making the rash decision of moving the Serpaes because it'll be a load of work, very stressful and would probably leave me with two upset tanks.

Eventually I'll have to review my options, a 3rd tank is not an option! haha.