Disappearing neon tetras

[kreach]

I have a 175 gallon freshwater mixed community tank that I added 10 neon tetras to last weekend. As of tonight, I'm down to 3.

None of the fish are showing any signs of disease or distress and the neons are the only fish disappearing. They aren't in the overflow boxes or the sump and I didn't find any little bodies, I'm guessing that something is eating them. Here's the other tank inhabitants... any thoughts on who the culprit might be?

1 Red Tail Shark
1 Clown Loach
1 Angelfish
1 Figure 8 Puffer
2 Kissing Gouramis
2 Flame Gouramis
2 Lyretail Mollies
4 Rosy Barbs
1 Small Pleco
2 Large Plecos (Keeping these for a friend until they get their tank set back up.)

 

[src]

I would suspect the angel or the puffer, but I'm no expert. How big are the other fish?

 

[joannde]

I believe that the neon tetra is the natural prey of the angelfish, so I'm with src.

 

[Pleco]

I believe that the neon tetra is the natural prey of the angelfish, so I'm with src.

It is i would point that way too. Angel fish arent "community" fish once they get big enough to fit a neon in their mouth

-Pleco

 

[hsherman1986]

i would also say the angel. A friend/neighbor just gave me her five year old angel because she was tired of him eating her neons. And his mouth is defintly big enough to swallow a neon whole!

 

[JustOneMore20]

I definitely think its the angel, especially if the neons were small when you added them. Neons are natural prey of angels. I've heard of them living together, but only because the neons were added first, then the angels (who were small as you can get them). In that case, the angels grow up with the neons and shouldn't see them as prey, although sometimes it doesn't work.

In your case, you did it backwards and the angels saw the neons as food.

 

[lovemybarbs]

Wow!! I've never tried it because of my pictus. Roseys will also eat ANYTHING I throw at them.

 

[kreach]

The angelfish is a little smaller than my palm, so his mouth is EASILY big enough to swallow a neon whole. That solves my mystery then. Thanks guys!

 

[Cinder]

Definately the Angel, although Puffers are notorious for eating their tankmates also. Also just an added comment- Clown loaches are very social and need others of their own kind to really live happily. I would highly suggest you add at least two more for your guy.

 

[Ky'smommy]

and same with red tail sharks but i doubt that in that big of thank. mine kills a guppy everday and eats it all throughout the day and hides the bodies for later. Its quite morbid. Im down to three guppies and i had to add ottos to it too(they were sucking my discus) And now all three gang up on the guppies poor little guppies.
But yah i think its the angels. i would watch or set up a secret camera lol

 

[hulkamaniac]

Depending on how big the fish are, I might suspect the kissing gouramis as well. The angels are definitely the prime suspect, but I wouldn't ignore the gouramis, the shark, the puffer or even the large plecos. Most fish will eat anything they can catch and fit in their mouth.

 

[Jarred Darque]

Angels most likely, or the puffer even.
Then the gouramis

The shark I doubt, I have had a red-finned for some time, and while he is aggressive, doe snot seem to be a killer, and he is only aggressive with other bottom feeders, he never messes with my angels, the pacu, my african butterflies, and has learned not to mess with teh bichir

 

[kreach]

Ok, so I need to find new homes for the puffer and the angel, keep an eye on the gouramis as they get bigger (they're too small to be much of a threat right now) and add more clown loaches (was planning on doing that anyway). The large plecos will be going back to my brother in law sometime soon, so they won't be an issue.

Thanks to everyone who replied and I hope you'll forgive my 'newbie' syndrome. I've been doing saltwater for so long that I'm having to relearn all the freshwater stuff.

 

[hc8719]

wait you have a 175 gal tank with only 20 fish in it, two of them not being yours?

thats the real mystery...

 

[kreach]

wait you have a 175 gal tank with only 20 fish in it, two of them not being yours?

thats the real mystery...

LOL... we only converted the tank to freshwater a few months ago, so we're still building when it comes to livestock.