I used to have 9 penguin tetras in my tank . Sitting on my sofa I just saw my male electric blue acra chase and take one of the penguin tetra kill it and ate it and spat the head out .over the last 5 months I finding just the heads at the bottom of the tank now I know why . He is big pushing 4 and a half inches but didn't think it would chase kill and eat a 3 year old penguin tetra.
Serial killer in my tank
- Thread starter bathawk
- Start date
I’ve raised hundreds of EBA. I’ve never had an issue keeping small fish with them.
But, as with most fish if they can make a meal of a tank mate they usually will sooner or later.
But, as with most fish if they can make a meal of a tank mate they usually will sooner or later.
Penguin tetras are too small to be used as dither fish for these Acaras.
I have watched my Andinoacara coerleopunctatus (very similar to A. pulcher)dismember live shrimp their exact same size, and live bearers half their size.
And especially if your tank is not large enough to afford sufficient escape space for the tetras to outrun, the cichlids.
Most cichlids will only break off a chase after 4 ft, so unless your tank offers substantial space beyond 4 ft, there is no way for the tetras to escape.
From what you have said, your cichlid has figured out it can easily get a high protein meal with little effort, it won't stop.
For my Andinoacara, my tetra dithers are almost the same size they are.
Shortly after this photo was taken, this 2.5" shrimp was toast.
My acaras even eat small geckos that occasionally fall in the tank.
I have watched my Andinoacara coerleopunctatus (very similar to A. pulcher)dismember live shrimp their exact same size, and live bearers half their size.
And especially if your tank is not large enough to afford sufficient escape space for the tetras to outrun, the cichlids.
Most cichlids will only break off a chase after 4 ft, so unless your tank offers substantial space beyond 4 ft, there is no way for the tetras to escape.
From what you have said, your cichlid has figured out it can easily get a high protein meal with little effort, it won't stop.
For my Andinoacara, my tetra dithers are almost the same size they are.
Shortly after this photo was taken, this 2.5" shrimp was toast.
My acaras even eat small geckos that occasionally fall in the tank.
Yeah I can see an EBA munching on small, slim profile tetras like a penguin. I would recommend a more "high bodied" type of tetra like blackskirt, columbian, or congo tetra. But with your fish already 4-5" and displaying piscivorous behavior than you might not have much luck with anything that's significantly smaller.
I think you are right and he has figured that out, the female is tiny though about 2 inches but the male has put on some size and is only about 10 months old.
I've seen similar growth spurts in dominant male cichlids before, usually with the presence of females or rivals. Imo it's a hormonal response to the breeding competition, similar to puberty in humans. Could be a factor in his proclivity for predation as well.
I always had columbian tetras with mine, none of them ever got eaten. I think as
Backfromthedead
said, anything with a similar body shape should be ok with them.
Backfromthedead
said, anything with a similar body shape should be ok with them.
One thing I've noticed about Andinoacara, if given enough room, that they will attack en-masse in a cooperative effort to bring down even larger prey.
And these were not tiny prey items.
And these were not tiny prey items.