Aquarium Aggressor

AQUARIUM AGGRESSOR

 

There’s a killer loose in my new (to me) 55-gallon aquarium.

 

I awoke this morning to find three neon tetras (the three smallest ones) floating .

 

My first thought when I saw them was, “Oh no!  Switching them over must have put them in shock!”

 

But I was very careful to test the water to be sure it was okay (dechlorinated, properly salted, all pH levels optimal  and the same temperature) before I transferred the fish, frogs and snails from the 20-gallon tank.

 

I even put about five gallons of the old water into the new tank to keep the water as similar as possible to reduce the possibility of shock.

 

And then I watched them closely for a good six hours after transferring them over.

 

They were all fine and dandy when I turned out the lights last night!

 

So, when I woke up and saw three dead neon tetras, I was flabbergasted, and very sad, thinking I may have caused them harm in some unanticipated way.

 

Until I spotted one bitten in half (which I found last). That’s when I realized they were the smallest of the three and that the other two dead ones had parts of their tail fins missing, too.

 

So THEN I stared eagle-eyeing the other fish, frogs and pleco, to see which of of them is chasing the remaining tetras.

 

SHEESH!!!  I didn’t figure a larger tank would make it easier for bigger fish to find smaller ones, but there are some wide open spaces between foliage in this big tank and the neons don’t seem compelled to stay near the plants.

 

They like being out and about.

 

THIS. IS. AN. UNTENABLE. SITUATION.

 

SO….

 

UPDATE: I JUST DROVE To Petco and got some more plants for the aquarium, even though I have some coming in the mail. (They won’t be here for another week, and I don’t want to risk losing more wee ones for lack of hiding spaces.)

 

I think there are sufficient hiding places for the ones left now. I’ll wait until the other foliage comes in and the entire bottom of the aquarium is covered with growth to get more neon tetras and other small critters like shrimp.

 

I’m not in the habit of buying fish to feed other fish!