Botia: full-on predation

[andyroo]

Right, folks- someone a few weeks ago suggested that their clown might be eating their neons/little tetras. YES IT WAS.

The story:
I occasionally get a chance to collect local gobies. Right now there is a mass migration of both local spp. They are about 1.5-2cm long and very active, cute and generally wonderful.
So my neighbour's little daughter and i collected about 50 or so and QT'd them etc... We took 50 as the angels are pure evil predators and the cats aren't much better. The thought was that we'd end up with 10-20 or so nice "smart" ones that grow beyond the predation problem. It's worked fine before and i eventually let the extras go.
SO- they went in yesterday noon. Angels went nuts, then the school spread out and moved into the plants and all went quiet.
This AM the cats and angels are normal size (ish- a little fatter) and the (##$@@&*) Y. modesta are like purple golf-balls. Every little goby is gone. If i'm/they're lucky there might be a few in the stones, but i've looked very carefully and nothing. Fingers crossed.
I don't know if i'm annoyed or impressed.

How have i trained all of my so-called detritivor/non-predatory and even docile community fish to be these drooling, psychotic predators?

Talk about a "varied and balanced" diet. They do-bone any lizards and frogs that fall in as well.
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[wasserscheu]

... frogs and lizards ... wowCruel report

I guess with all fish, that are not vegetarian, you never know what they are up to ...

[soul-hugger]

Wow..,

That is crazy.., Not quite sure what to say except that in the wild the fishes wouldn't be in a closed system, and when they are in such a system, which is unnatural, unnatural things may happen.

I think a lot of fishes will eat anything that will fit in their mouths...especially if you don't usually feed them live foods. (I don't blame you if you don't with the disease risk.) Perhaps it was impossible for them to pass up a meal that moved. Other than that I have nothing intelligent to say to explain what happened.

As with any predation, there is always a mixed emotion.... respect for the predator, and sympathy for the prey.

[andyroo]

As this thread has re-emerged: an update.
6 swam up the external filter drain-pipe. They descended the day before yesterday/the day before that, and nobody is troubling them since.
They are doing little goby stuff right out in the open without drama, but get lost quick-like when another fish comes around.
Fingers crossed. They're fantastic little dudes.
Will send photos when the opportunity comes.
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