Thanks for sharing, I too feel this is important for newcomers. I'm pretty new to the hobby, but I have had a few fish snap on me trying to mix different fish. Luckily I was able to catch things before there were too many casualties. I sadly lost 2 fish out of it all, but now most of my fish seem to be fine for now. Only time will tell how long my current stock could coexist with no major issues. I almost feel like this should be a sticky for newcomers.
Thanks and sorry to hear about your loses. I don't know about a sticky, but I think it's important to share all aspects of this hobby, not just the ones that say "Hey, I've got a 125 with 30 12"cichlids in it and everything is great". I envy folks who can pull it off, bit I often wonder how many hiccups and speedbumps they hit along the way. I think as long as we, as fish keepers, are quick to separate fish and address issues, there nothing really wrong with trying complex setups with multiple large fish, but there are limits and I found one of them for my setup for sure. It's funny as I sit and watch my tank today. It's almost like yesterday was landfall for the category 5 hurricane and today is bright and beautiful with clear blue skies. I just gotta be ready for the next storm to roll in....... and being prepared for it whether it happens or not is ultimately my responsibility.
But either way, if an unfortunate situation can help another aquarist out then I feel it should be shared. Lots of other forum members helped me and still do. The least I can do is share my experiences, good and bad.....