I lost my first 2 fish this week. Ironically, it wasn't the fish I though I would lose.
2 weeks ago, my tank came down with ich. I have two clown loaches who got it real bad as expected. Heat, salt, 1/4 dose meds took care of it.
At the end of this, with my tank at 85 degrees, I began cooling it off. Got it down to 83 over a few hours, planning on taking it down to 80-81 the next day. I wake up in the morning, my Firemouth is laying at the bottom.
With the firemouth gone, my managuense suddenly develops a whole new attitude. I basically got him for free from my LFS because they got him by mistake and didn't have anywhere to put him. I knew that they are highly aggressive and figured I'd try him out. He did fine with the firemouth keeping him in check, went nuts after he was gone. Anyways, the following night he beats the crap out of a green severum and that guy died today.
I took the managuense back to the LFS and trades him out for 2 rock kribs. These guys ate right out of the bag and are getting along just fine with the remainder of the tank's inhabitants (2 clown, 2 blood parrots, and 1 green severum).
Lessons learned:
Don't buy any more super-territorial fish.
My tank is too small to "see what happens" (I know most of these guys will outgrow my 20 gallon and will either get moved to the 75 gal downstairs or traded out for smaller fish and repeat the process)
And any other lesson insights I might get from you guys.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share.
2 weeks ago, my tank came down with ich. I have two clown loaches who got it real bad as expected. Heat, salt, 1/4 dose meds took care of it.
At the end of this, with my tank at 85 degrees, I began cooling it off. Got it down to 83 over a few hours, planning on taking it down to 80-81 the next day. I wake up in the morning, my Firemouth is laying at the bottom.
With the firemouth gone, my managuense suddenly develops a whole new attitude. I basically got him for free from my LFS because they got him by mistake and didn't have anywhere to put him. I knew that they are highly aggressive and figured I'd try him out. He did fine with the firemouth keeping him in check, went nuts after he was gone. Anyways, the following night he beats the crap out of a green severum and that guy died today.
I took the managuense back to the LFS and trades him out for 2 rock kribs. These guys ate right out of the bag and are getting along just fine with the remainder of the tank's inhabitants (2 clown, 2 blood parrots, and 1 green severum).
Lessons learned:
Don't buy any more super-territorial fish.
My tank is too small to "see what happens" (I know most of these guys will outgrow my 20 gallon and will either get moved to the 75 gal downstairs or traded out for smaller fish and repeat the process)
And any other lesson insights I might get from you guys.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to share.
