Disappearing cardinals!!

**kimmers318** · 12-11-2006, 02:16 AM

Did you ever figure it out???

**jeffs99dime** · 12-11-2006, 04:01 AM

no i didn't

**kimmers318** · 12-11-2006, 02:19 PM

Bummer....

**tiptoegirl** · 01-25-2008, 07:36 PM

I know you wrote about this years ago but I just had the same experience and you are the only person who seems to have witnessed it.
I put five new cardinals in to my tank with my two keyhole cichlids and they ate four of them in front of me within an hour. I tried to fish them out but the keyholes were chasing them too and I was disrupting the tank too much.
I have other fish and they have never been aggressive towards those?

**Tooch** · 01-25-2008, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by tiptoegirl

I know you wrote about this years ago but I just had the same experience and you are the only person who seems to have witnessed it.
I put five new cardinals in to my tank with my two keyhole cichlids and they ate four of them in front of me within an hour. I tried to fish them out but the keyholes were chasing them too and I was disrupting the tank too much.
I have other fish and they have never been aggressive towards those?

Mystery solved! Case closed! At least it wasn't the ravenous neons... Never did trust those guys...

**Dave66** · 01-25-2008, 08:12 PM

Folks, any fish that can eat a much smaller fish will; its natural, as such a banquet is so rare in nature. The Keyholes at a bit over four inches, the cardinals at an inch and a half, and torpedo shaped; perfect bite-sized for the Keyholes. Had they been larger tetras, like Lemons, it wouldn't have happened. Keyholes are in no way aggressive towards tankmates unless they are breeding, and in a large enough tank, even that isn't a problem.

Dave

**tiptoegirl** · 01-25-2008, 08:56 PM

It has shaken me a bit as the shop have them living in the same tank and are baffled. They said they might be breeding? who knows they do seem quite pally

Anyway thanks for the advice on larger tetras. May be when I am brave enough to try again I will get some of those.

**tiptoegirl** · 01-25-2008, 09:01 PM

do you think they ate my shrimps too? Can you tell I am new to this game

**Demi ^_^** · 01-25-2008, 09:58 PM

Hmmm, I have not much experience, but it seems so :/ If they ate the Cardinals, are getting pally and now the shrimp have disappeard, I would believe they are the hungry suspect!