Paradise Fish Aggressive?

[flip_lx]

So i added 5 neon tetras to my 10 gallon tank, it currently houses 2 blue paradise fish, 2 zebra danios and some ghost shrimp (the paraduse are leaving today for my brothers 55gal no worries).

This morning i notice i only see 3 neons, 1 has disappeared fully and the other had a big chunk out of his middle back was it the paradise fish? Ive heard ghost shrimp sometimes attack but mine have left molly fry alone (they were munching on the body though before feeding time)

 

[triazole]

yep, they are aggressive.
but then again, neons are pretty sensitive fish, and might not have made the acclimation.

 

[flip_lx]

i'm pretty sure they made the acclimation they were schooling all fine until the lights went off, saw one missing last night figured he was just hiding in the driftwood and i couldn't see him

 

[shayfish]

My Dad has 2 of these fish in his tank and they are the most sedentary, docile fish I have ever seen. It's incredible.... sometimes they are literally just sitting there. They are very similar to betas in that way. I have read that they can be aggressive but I have not seen this. They have had many different tankmates over the years, although most of these have been somewhat larger fish. I have also read that in pairs or more aggression tends to dissipate.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

don't keep paradise fish and neons together.

The paradise fish are predators and will eat the neons (speaking from experience).

 

[easystreet]

i have 2 paradise fish with 5 platties and they have no issues at all the paradise bother each other now and then because they are territorial but they leave the others alone..

 

[Gillie]

I cannot say I have ever had an aggressive Paradise fish, but I have seen them follow new fish around out of curiosity and stress a few of them to death.

 

[shayfish]

I cannot say I have ever had an aggressive Paradise fish, but I have seen them follow new fish around out of curiosity and stress a few of them to death.

Actually, I have noticed this too. Fortunately it wasn't to death though...

 

[Gillie]

It has happened to a Bolivian Ram, and a couple juvenile Africans awaiting their own tank never to anything sensitive.

 

[Fruitbat]

The Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis is the most commonly kept species) is notorious as a fin-nipper and can often be a 'rough customer'. Males can be especially obnoxious and two males vying for territory will often tear each other to shreds. Males are also known to be very rough on females when the male is 'in the mood' and the female isn't.

That being said, as this thread has admirably shown, some people have success keeping Paradise Fish in a community setting. I've kept them successfully with such relatively docile fish as Brilliant Rasboras. There are, however, many horror stories about unspecting aquarists introducing Paradise Fish into a nice tetra or guppy tank much to the detriment of the smaller fish.

-Joe