Crazy Carnivorous... Flagfish?

[Madame_X]

My flagfish started eating algae almost immediately after going into my 29 gallon tank, but they soon discovered something they liked better--ghost shrimp.

It started by their taking my puffer's krill, and escalated from there. They got a hold of a ghost shrimp that was either dying or moulting and tore him apart. Every day we've noticed fewer and fewer ghost shrimp in the tank, and now we're down to one. Just a few minutes ago, I watched them eating what was left of another.

Mind you, aside from the first one, all the other shrimp seemed healthy. And we're not talking SMALL ones, here! These are those super jumbo guys that my puffer wouldn't eat because they were too big. They've been in my tank for 6-8 months with the puffer.

Then this morning, I found a dead oto that had been partially eaten. I suspect he died first, as he wasn't looking too good, but this is getting crazy.

I understand that most fish are opportunistic omnivores, but I think this behavior is going beyond that. They seem like flat out carnivores!

I'm concerned for the safety of my puffer at this point! And to think I was worried HE would hurt THEM...

Has anyone else experienced this with Florida Flagfish? I had read they could be aggressive so I bought two females. I certainly wasn't expecting this!

 

[madasafish]

Flagfish are funny. When I had them, they were absolute cowards. When Allivymar had them, she reported they ravaged her plants and reaked havoc in the tank (am I misrepresenting what you said, Alli?). They obviously don't react in just 1 way. Am I surprised that they eat the ghost shrimp? Not at all... Those guys are really easy targets for anyone.

 

[Atlarge]

Ghost shrimp, it what's for dinner.

 

[Christmasfish]

No kidding!

Here it is a 4 to one ratios of "OH BOY!" vs. "no thanks"

Then there are two finicky eaters..a betta who eats only moulting shrimp and my spoiled BKG who will only eat them under 2cm (though his gaping maw can easily accomodate a 3 incher), otherwise eats tenderized hand fed tidbits only.


though your puffers may be the oto chompers..i saw a tank drama on some site where some puffers in a 15 gal sytematically got all the otos and smaller cories in their tank

 

[Allivymar]

Oh those craaaaazy flagfish. Heh, you pegged it correctly madasafish!

I got rid of mine. They chowed on my plants, tore up my dwarf gouramis and were just not nice lil fishies. Now that I see your post, I suspect I know what happened to the ghost shrimp too LOL I let them go at the most recent fish club auction; they certainly didn't work in my tank! I do think it was the male, however; I would catch him chasing the other fish around the tank but just cause I didn't see the female doing anything doesn't mean she wasn't. She was probably more circumspect about it

And...I'm missing an oto. Hrmm...

 

[Madame_X]

That settles it, these guys are going back to the fish store!

My puffer doesn't like 'em much, anyway. And their behavior is just... well, weird. 8O