1 rookie mistake and now im down 3 neons...

[beglely]

So i decided to add a few new additions to my 10 gallon. I wanted to up the count on my neon tetra and bring them to a full school so i bought a few more. However i was considering getting a few corys too when i spotted a pictus catfish. It was in a tank with several other cats and some other community fish. I loved the way it looked and the pet store people said it would be good with my other fish and when i got home i did some reading that reassured me of this as long as the pictus was well feed. I purchased the cat on friday. well i returned from work this evening to now discover that my neon population has been reduced by half, and im afraid my gold tetras are next!!! 8-O This pictus is very small too. Is there any chance of this relationship working out or am I doomed???????????????? I did further reading and most sites say that its good so long as the cat is well feed which i have been doing, but to lose 3 neons in one day?!?!?!? i am unsure as what to do now

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

So i decided to add a few new additions to my 10 gallon. I wanted to up the count on my neon tetra and bring them to a full school so i bought a few more. However i was considering getting a few corys too when i spotted a pictus catfish. It was in a tank with several other cats and some other community fish. I loved the way it looked and the pet store people said it would be good with my other fish and when i got home i did some reading that reassured me of this as long as the pictus was well feed. I purchased the cat on friday. well i returned from work this evening to now discover that my neon population has been reduced by half, and im afraid my gold tetras are next!!! 8-O This pictus is very small too. Is there any chance of this relationship working out or am I doomed???????????????? I did further reading and most sites say that its good so long as the cat is well feed which i have been doing, but to lose 3 neons in one day?!?!?!? i am unsure as what to do now

I am having that EXACT problem.

should we try differnt food for the pictus?

 

[jim692]

So i decided to add a few new additions to my 10 gallon. I wanted to up the count on my neon tetra and bring them to a full school so i bought a few more. However i was considering getting a few corys too when i spotted a pictus catfish.

Are you sure your tank didn't hit a mini cycle? You added how many fish to a 10 gal tank? Tetras are always a sensitive fish. Did you do any water tests to check? Just a possibility.

 

[Zagz]

Pictus cats will eat any fish that fit in their mouths. Are the tetras small enough to fit in the mouths of the pictus? They don't have to be eaten whole, if the fish can fit a portion of the fish into their mouths they will eat the neons.

 

[beglely]

I had 6 neons, 3 gold tetras. and the pictus. The tank has been set up with fish in it for 3 weeks, and 3 of the neons and the 3 golds were the first fish i put in. I had planned on moving the pictus in a month or so when i got another tank as I know they grow to a decent size. I havent done any water tests yet but will do so. As for the missing tetras im pretty sure the pictus munched on them as there is no trace of the missing fish anywhere and the pictus is slightly bloated, although not as big as i thought he would be after eating 3 tetras considering the pictus is not large at all, and has an ever smaller mouth at this point that when he swims next to the remaining neons im shocked they could even fit in there but it seems like the only possiblity at this point

 

[bluerose]

The tetras could have died of poor water quality (get testing ASAP-- liquid reagent tests are much preferred to test strips) and the pictus, seeing an easy snack, could have munched on them then.

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

my pictus goes back to the LFS today
I'm going to miss him but I would rather the neons and hopefully someone with a big 35+ gallon tank will buy him. I have NEVER seen such an active fish before

 

[TheNamelessPoet]

The tetras could have died of poor water quality (get testing ASAP-- liquid reagent tests are much preferred to test strips) and the pictus, seeing an easy snack, could have munched on them then.

quality is good btw I checked everything. ammona is below .25 and nitrIte is low and ht ePH I THINK was 7.5 to 7.6. they were eaten... the last one that went missing... the pictus had a n awfull big belly