Hunting Killifish???

[Guest]

Ok, so i bought 3 tiny clown loaches (they are about the same size as my cory catfish)... they were sooooo cute and um... well i think one is missing and i am suspecting my Killifish. I had a problems when i wanted to try guppies, and my killifish ate like, all of them.

Anyway, my killifish usually stayes glued to the top of the tank, and ive always had pretty big fish in the tank anyway, but recently we've noticed he's swimming down around the bottom and it looks like he's hunting, WTH? I thought these were supposed to be good COMMUNITY fish?!?! Am i going to have to take him back to the fish store? I mean, i got him on accident, they netted him out with a bala shark i bought and i just kept him becuase he was cute, and colorful. But i don't want him to eat anymore fish.

ive added a pic of him

 

[tetrin]

i'd suspect the clown is hiding somewhere. they are notorious for getting into odd spots and staying there. and as they are small, no telling where it is.
besides, all other fish avoid them because of their spines. i doubt it would let the killi devour it...
but who knows, stranger things have happened in tanks...

 

[Guest]

He's not hiding, I moved the small piece of driftwood, he's gone.

 

[FinkAlmighty]

I have heard stories where a small clown loach ends up digging himself a grave in the gravel ( they rub vigorously on the gravel when they have a cut/infection/ich/ect).


Also, if your decor is hallow, check the insides. They can get stuck very easily, and can go unnoticed even after checking everything!


Finally I doubt the killifish killed the clown....They have poisen barbles that can pack a punch in a sinch. (one of our bigger ones killed an oscar after being harrassed at the shop) 8O . They might be too young yet for that, but they are still pretty darn fast to catch.

I hope this helps.

 

[Kizayaen]

I had a clown loach disappear into the hollow inside of an aquarium rock to the point where I pulled out all the decorations, swore he was completely gone, then picked one decoration back up to find him gasping on the countertop... poor thing.

I learned my lesson and plugged up all the entry/egress points for those hollow rocks.

 

[Guest]

well, i picked up the piece of driftwood looked inside, everywhere, i still haven't found him. I still only count 2 clown Loaches and i swear the killifish looks like he's actively hunting, he swims down around the bottom stalking, until my rainbow shark attacks him. I have never seen either one do this.
The killifish has always stayed at teh top, and doesn't bother the gouramis or angels, and the Rainbow shark has always been happy to share his bottom territory with my cory's and clown loaches. But when the Killifish is "hunting" as i call it, my rainbow shark chases him back to the top. Nobody has gotten hurt yet, but i am seriously considering returning the killifish.

 

[greenmaji]

Dont you have angelfish? I wouldnt blame it all on the killie...LOL

 

[Guest]

Dont you have angelfish? I wouldnt blame it all on the killie...LOL

The angel fish aren't big enough to fit the clown loaches in their mouths, the smallest is only the size of a quarter and the other two aren't much bigger. After hearing other stories of a killifish eating several guppies at a time (more than one account) I have no doubt that it was the killifish that ate my guppies. Anyway, i don't care for guppies. But I do love the clown loaches and while the killifish may not have eaten it, it has dissapeared and every night it looks as though he is actively hunting. And he's the only one with a mouth big enough to be truthful. I have seen him catch an entire algae wafer in his mouth.

 

[greenmaji]

Sounds like the only other options is the filter got them or they escaped..

 

[Guest]

i cleaned out the filter, i checked the floor, usually if i have a fish die, it gets stuck on the filter intake or something.

 

[Guest]

I found the um.. remnants of teh poor clown loach. He looked like his guts had been eating, so my guess is the killifish ate and regurgitated him, or maybe the clown loach just died and the other fish picked at it, but it doesn't explain why i hadn't seen it for 2 days, which is why i suspect the killifish swallow and regurgitate. I was just feeding them shrimp pellets and i saw the killifish swallow a particularly large one whole, and if i hold one in my fingers he willcome up adn snatch it out of my hand,whereas the angesl just nibble at it. Goodbye mr. killifish.