Unpleasant discovery

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TankGirl

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
8,974
Location
Richmond VA
My female Copadichromis borleyi ("red tail") went missing this weekend, and she had just started to spit her fry after holding for 3 weeks, but she was not done. The tank has heavy rockwork but I could not find her still today, so I start moving rocks to find her, since she is a 4.5" fish and if she was not alive it would do a number on the water chemistry. The male peacock in there with her is extremely aggressive while she is holding, for some reason, and it abates after she spits so I was hoping for return to peace in the next few days.

She was not in the tank, and I could not find her behind the tank either. The only opening at all is a 1.5" gap between the glass top and the rim of the tank on the back. I finally found her in the plastic bin I keep my canister filter in, and she had obviously been chased and went out the back of the tank, then down and into the bin through the open back of the tank stand. I don't know how she managed to wind up there, but she was way past saving. The really sad thing is that there were also the desiccated bodies of her fry that she spit out in the bin after she landed. :cry:

The only good thing is that since I had the rocks all taken out I was able to snag some Labidochromis caeruleus fry and one borleyi fry that she had spit a day or two ago, and moved them to a growout tank. There were two more of those but without the rocks there was no cover for them and, well, you know what happened. I was not fast enough netting them. Really crappy morning!! :x

Here is a picture of the borleyi:
ARLC%202004Jul.jpg
 
yea, im really sorry for that, that really sucks

atleast you got some fry :) i guess so it was a loss, but not too terrible i guess
 
Tankgirl, I'm really sorry to hear about your redtail, how tragic :(
I'm glad to hear you were able to catch some fry, I hope they grow well and prosper for you.
One of our Zebra Danios did the same thing last night, it's awful to see.
Good luck with your fry,
Tracy
 
My condolences Liz. I know how much she meant to you. Just when you think it cannot or would not happen...:(

I glad you were able to save some of the fry at least. Knowing you, they will be as formidable as their mom. :)
 
TankGirl, I'm so sorry that happened. :cry: I hope the fry that you were able to net do well! They will be like their mom, I'm sure! :)
 
Thanks, everyone. I really thought this post was going to be titled "mysterious disappearing fish" because I did not think I was going to find her at all. Even if you don't think so, large fish can jump through small openings.

This tank is a rough place because of the peacock, and now I wonder what will happen to the dynamics with his favorite target gone. I have been so close many times to changing this tank over to a N. brichardi tank again because I get so tired of the fighting, but then things will calm down and I decide I can't part with my gorgeous peacock, and I decide to leave it. As of today he is out of favor again. :evil:
 
Wow, that's so sad. Sorry for your loss TankGirl. :( It's awesome you were able to save some of the fry though.
 
Liz, I am so sorry to hear that. It's so hard to lose a fish, let alone one with babies. At least you save some fry to live on in her spirit!
 
I just noticed in the fry tank that the baby yellow lab (about 7mm) is picking on the baby borleyi (about 5mm), but there are a bunch of rocks from the big tank in there so it is able to hide okay. I suppose cichlids will be cichlids, even at that tender age. :roll:

Never a dull moment!
 
Sorry for your loss. I've never had any fish jump out before, what a sad sight it must have been. :(
 
It was pretty sad, and very unexpected, to pull out the bin and see her there, with the fry scattered about her.

This evening the dominant peacock is just crusing up and down the glass, not chasing anyone, and I guess it is from the major rock rearranging that occurred today. My female lab is holding again, so I guess they are soldiering on, lol.
 
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