NotNowChief
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hi all,
I've been reading these forums for quite some time, and finally decided to join in and ask some questions, and maybe answer a few from my experience. I've had various tanks in various configurations over my 35 years of age, mostly keeping larger fish, and recently decided to venture into taking an exisiting 55 gallon aquarium and putting together a community with many small fish, and one big guy who needed to keep his home.
I also have a 15 gallon column aquarium with a Fluval 206 (currently fishless cycling) and a 5.5 gallon quarantine/isolation tank I maintain with cycled filter media for any issues that may arise, as described below.
First, let me start with the "big guy", a common Pleco about 8-10 inches long. His tankmate of 9 years passed away recently (the Jack Dempsey in my profile picture, also kept for 9 years, and he was BIG) and needed some companionship. I wanted to keep him in the big tank so he had the room he needs, and after consulting with friends and some other sources online, I decided to leave him be and add some small tankmates. Yes, there were some stories about Plecos going after small tankmates, but after 9 years of seeing him be incredibly docile, I figured it was worth the gamble.
For the tankmates for my large Pleco, I have 5 Red Eye Tetras, 3 Candy Cane Tetras, 5 Cory Catfish, 2 Dalmatian Mollies, 2 Butterfly Lyretail Mollies, and 9 Neon Tetras.
Everything was fine for 2 months. Water is/was fully cycled, running 2 Aquaclear 70s, a 200 watt heater, temperature at 78 degrees, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitirites, 0 Nitrates as I do a 10 gallon weekly water change using Aqueon Water Conditioner to pretreat the water as our tap water is chlorinated.
My issue lies with my Neons getting picked off one by one.
Of course my first thought was the Pleco, but I was skeptical since after keeping him for 9 years I have seen his temperment. So I began Googling. Contrary to what I was told, the Mollies, especially the Dalmatians are quite nippy. I have observed one of them being very nasty at feeding time. Once I found 3 neons missing, I decided to put the 2 Dalmatians in my 5.5 gallon quarantine/Isolation tank that I keep running with cycled filter media in case this happened. Within 2 days, one of the Butterfly Lyretails became the dominant one in the 55 gallon tank, and started nipping more neons. Each morning I would find another dead Neon stuck to one of the filter intakes.
So last night I took the 2 Butterfly Lyretail Mollies out and stuck them in the 5.5 gallon tank with the 2 Dalmatians, and this morning, 2 more Neons were gone.
So, are the Red Eyes or Candy Canes thinking the Neons are food? The Pleco? The Cories? I am skeptical to blame the Pleco because I am finding bodies, from what I understand they would just eat the Neons whole, especially since he's a big dude. All the Neons I have pulled off the filter intakes have heavily nipped rear fins. I have observed the Mollies nipping but no one else.
No other fish are getting picked on besides the Neons.
Should I take the Neons out and put the Mollies back in and see what happens tonight? I feel like this is an aquatic version of Clue!
Comments and feedback are welcomed!
I've been reading these forums for quite some time, and finally decided to join in and ask some questions, and maybe answer a few from my experience. I've had various tanks in various configurations over my 35 years of age, mostly keeping larger fish, and recently decided to venture into taking an exisiting 55 gallon aquarium and putting together a community with many small fish, and one big guy who needed to keep his home.
I also have a 15 gallon column aquarium with a Fluval 206 (currently fishless cycling) and a 5.5 gallon quarantine/isolation tank I maintain with cycled filter media for any issues that may arise, as described below.
First, let me start with the "big guy", a common Pleco about 8-10 inches long. His tankmate of 9 years passed away recently (the Jack Dempsey in my profile picture, also kept for 9 years, and he was BIG) and needed some companionship. I wanted to keep him in the big tank so he had the room he needs, and after consulting with friends and some other sources online, I decided to leave him be and add some small tankmates. Yes, there were some stories about Plecos going after small tankmates, but after 9 years of seeing him be incredibly docile, I figured it was worth the gamble.
For the tankmates for my large Pleco, I have 5 Red Eye Tetras, 3 Candy Cane Tetras, 5 Cory Catfish, 2 Dalmatian Mollies, 2 Butterfly Lyretail Mollies, and 9 Neon Tetras.
Everything was fine for 2 months. Water is/was fully cycled, running 2 Aquaclear 70s, a 200 watt heater, temperature at 78 degrees, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitirites, 0 Nitrates as I do a 10 gallon weekly water change using Aqueon Water Conditioner to pretreat the water as our tap water is chlorinated.
My issue lies with my Neons getting picked off one by one.
Of course my first thought was the Pleco, but I was skeptical since after keeping him for 9 years I have seen his temperment. So I began Googling. Contrary to what I was told, the Mollies, especially the Dalmatians are quite nippy. I have observed one of them being very nasty at feeding time. Once I found 3 neons missing, I decided to put the 2 Dalmatians in my 5.5 gallon quarantine/Isolation tank that I keep running with cycled filter media in case this happened. Within 2 days, one of the Butterfly Lyretails became the dominant one in the 55 gallon tank, and started nipping more neons. Each morning I would find another dead Neon stuck to one of the filter intakes.
So last night I took the 2 Butterfly Lyretail Mollies out and stuck them in the 5.5 gallon tank with the 2 Dalmatians, and this morning, 2 more Neons were gone.
So, are the Red Eyes or Candy Canes thinking the Neons are food? The Pleco? The Cories? I am skeptical to blame the Pleco because I am finding bodies, from what I understand they would just eat the Neons whole, especially since he's a big dude. All the Neons I have pulled off the filter intakes have heavily nipped rear fins. I have observed the Mollies nipping but no one else.
No other fish are getting picked on besides the Neons.
Should I take the Neons out and put the Mollies back in and see what happens tonight? I feel like this is an aquatic version of Clue!
Comments and feedback are welcomed!
