An aquarist observes her fish disappearing, only to witness an otherwise peaceful species consuming those that have gone missing. Is your normally peaceful fish really killing and devouring its fellow inhabitants?
Realistically, when one fish eats another it means very little. Once one dies the others quickly take advantage of this situation; even weak or sick fish that remain alive are quickly picked off by their tank mates – here’s why this happens:
Why Do Fish Eat Each Other? Fish are like all living things: when an opportunity presents itself for them to obtain sustenance, they take it. Even if that food was their friend yesterday, but now he or she becomes part of their meal. All part of nature’s circle.
How can a fish owner identify who or what is the real cause of fish deaths in their aquarium? Sometimes an obvious bully may be to blame; but sometimes death could result from a change in water conditions, outbreak of an undetectable disease, or simply stress. Careful observation will reveal any changes occurring within your tank – particularly after adding new fish or when something significant changes.
New Fish Can Take Time to Adjust
New fish in a tank must adapt over time in order to become part of its community, even peaceful ones. A pecking order already exists within their territory and eyes are watching to see which space the newcomer selects as his territory has already been established by existing inhabitants. Should any threats emerge against other inhabitants, conflict may erupt even among typically peaceful species.
As soon as a new fish enters your aquarium, observe all of them carefully for any signs of aggression. Rearranging decor may alter their territories and help ease tensions if that does not help settle matters down; otherwise you may need to remove either one of them if aggression continues.