# I'm looking for a small predator fish



## D3monic (Jan 29, 2012)

Dario would work, blue ram ect.


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Any of the dwarf cichlids. Personally, Nannacara anomala is one of the best seek-and-destroy fry eaters. It's cool to watch them, too.


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

yeah dwarf cichlids are a good suggestion. but you know. I would have thought most tetras would have been fine for eating the fry. Almost any fish actually.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I am having a similar issue with black molly fry: neither cardinals, nor diamond tetras, nor Bolivian rams seem to be interested. I got several pea puffers and pearl gourami (in different tanks) today to see if they have the appetite.


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## mestar (Jan 22, 2012)

I have the same problem and have thought of getting a male or female (not both) swordtail. Do you think that would work?


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

LOL I cant keep anything in my tanks from not eating fry. What the heck.


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I just typed a really long reply, and my internet connection dropped out. Lolz. Well... here we go, again. 

I just googled 'dario', they look like badis fish. Is that what it is? I was actually thinking about getting one of those, so that would be kind of cool. I had a German Blue Ram Cichlid in my tank, but it died shortly after getting it. I wouldn't mind getting another one of them. 

My current stock list is... 4 diamond tetras, 4 head and tail light tetras, 1 red eye tetra, 1 female green cobra guppy (pregnant), 1 unknown male guppy, and several snails. I don't have any fry to worry about in my tank yet, and I don't believe that this guppy's batch is going to survive because the plants haven't grown up in the tank yet, and there is no cover. 

However, I'm going to be getting 3 red eye tetras, about 3 more guppies, 4 otos, and a gang of ghost shrimp soon, so I'm sure I'm going to need that predator fish about a month after I get those, to deal with the guppy, and shrimp babies. I don't think the tetras will breed, but if they do, I'm going to need enough of the predator fish to handle all the fry. However, I do want some of them to survive, because I'd like to try to breed some hybrid guppies in the tank as I go. 


... copy to clipboard, this time.


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## blink (Feb 22, 2012)

Ghost shrimp think nothing of eating their own larvae so that might not be a problem lol

As for fry eating, I had a scarlet badis that just went bananas for shrimplets, eggs and fry.


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## ptr (Sep 23, 2011)

I would pass on the red-eye tetras, maybe return the one you already have, and instead add 2 more diamond tetras and 2 heat&tails. 

Red-eyes (and the others as well) really like to be in a bigger school. And they all will predate on the fry anyway.


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## Postal Penguin (Mar 30, 2009)

Tiger barbs in a school can be quite the predators.


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I didn't really even want the red eye tetra, the guy threw it in with the head&tail light tetras (that he mistakenly sold me, after I asked for lemon tetras)... but eh, what are you going to do? I like the head&tail light tetras, though, so they'll be staying. I would like to get rid of the red eye tetra, because he definitely just throws off the tank. I don't want 3 similar tetra breeds in the same tank. 

I'm going to be redoing the entire tank soon, anyway. I'm going to remove all the substrate (it's white sand now, because I was going to do a reef tank at first), and replace it with dark eco-copmlete substrate.

I don't know why, but I get this really weird feeling all the time that I don't want the guppies anymore either. I just feel like they throw off the whole natural feeling of the tank. I love the color, don't get me wrong... but it might be too much color. It just doesn't feel right, sometimes. 

Does anybody else keep guppies in their planted tanks?


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I like tiger barbs, but will they kill shrimp as well?


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## SlammedDC2 (Jun 4, 2011)

You shouldn't have any problems with the ghost shrimp breeding, IIRC they have to go to saltwater to breed or at least the larve do to survive.

As for your predator fish, why not get a school of roselines? That's what I plan to do in a few months just to give that predator presence in the tank to hopefully make all my tetras school a little better.


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I really like those roseline fish. I never knew about them, until now. Where can I find them? Will they kill larger shrimp, like pumpkin shrimp?


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

As I was.... here they are, at liveaquaria.com... for 39.99 each. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+880+2217&pcatid=2217

I really like those fish. I'm not too sure about the price, though.


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## blink (Feb 22, 2012)

Indian flasher/denisoni/red line barbs normally go for about $15-21 locally to me so hopefully you can find some for less than liveaquaria's price.

Pretty fish and if I had a bigger tank I'd love to have some.


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## D3monic (Jan 29, 2012)

lamontcarter said:


> I just typed a really long reply, and my internet connection dropped out. Lolz. Well... here we go, again.
> 
> I just googled 'dario', they look like badis fish. Is that what it is?


Yes, there's several types you can get. Scarlet badis aka dario dario or theres also Dario Hysginon which is what I have (may be a few others available in trade). They remind me of tiny bass the way they hunt. I even seen my male chasing around his own newly hatched fry and eating them. They primarily hunt around the bottom, especially in my 75 gal. Sifting through the UG looking for little morsels to munch on. I have several in the 75 gallon, never seen them eat prepared foods and they are all fat. Honestly I pulled 3 out of there and moved them to their own tank because of this fact. I am trying to breed chili and CPD in that tank and I don't want them eating ALL the fry. 

Never seen them mess with an adult shrimp.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Don't worry about this problem until it is a problem. 
Put your female guppy in a breeder net or tank, let her pop them out and then you do with the fry whatever you want. 

Tetras will prob not breed or not a lot of fry will survive.
Ghost shrimp will die earlier die then they will breed and most species need salt water for the eggs to hatch or survive.

My Rams loved to eat the ghost shrimp in my aquarium, they would hunt them down in group, some shrimp were bigger than the rams  was awesome to watch.

What is the size of your tank?


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I have a 55 gallon tank. I am a huge fan of tetras (the diamond shaped ones, not the torpedo shaped ones). I like how they school, and linger, and sometimes dart around. They're very interesting fish to watch, in my opinion. 

As of right now, I have plans to buy 2 diamond tetras, 2 head&tail light tetras, 3 otos, 3 Siamese algae eaters, 3 x-ray tetras, 3 gold x-ray tetras, and 5 more red eye tetras. 

So... I should have 6 diamond tetras, 6 head&tail light tetras, 6 red eye tetras, 3 otos, 3 siamese algae eaters, 3 x-ray tetras, 3 gold x-ray tetras, and maybe some assorted guppies. 

I'm still up in the air with the red eye tetras, and the guppies. I just don't think that they mesh well with everything else, in there. I mean, the red eye tetras do, but they're just too similar to the diamond tetras, and the head&tail light tetras. It might be overkill.

What do you guys think of the stock list? Would I still have room to add a ram cichilid, and a badis... perhaps a few denison barbs later on. 

By the way, I have two emperor 400's, with ceramic rings, and filter pads. I also have several plants in my tank.


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## Leaky Filter (Nov 30, 2011)

SlammedDC2 said:


> You shouldn't have any problems with the ghost shrimp breeding, IIRC they have to go to saltwater to breed or at least the larve do to survive.
> 
> As for your predator fish, why not get a school of roselines? That's what I plan to do in a few months just to give that predator presence in the tank to hopefully make all my tetras school a little better.


Amano shrimp need salt or brackish water to spawn. Ghost shrimp do not.


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

+1 there.

Rams and badis may not get along. Better to get a few of one or the other.


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I think rams would be a better idea. I like them a lot more than badis. I think I'll just go with that fish, for my larger predatory fish. Oh, man... how beautiful would that tank be? Rams, Tetras, Guppies, Snails, and shrimp... swimming among Dwarf Hairgrass, Madagascar Lace, Hygrophilia angustifolia, Rotala indica, and Ludwigia peruensis. 

I can't wait until this tank is finished, and I can go several months, without adding any fish, or putting my hand in there all the time.


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

What are your honest opinions about the guppies?


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

lamontcarter said:


> What are your honest opinions about the guppies?


ditch them, get an endler

Or even better, ditch all fish that don't fit in an Amazon biotope (keep only softwaterfish that live in Amazon)


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## lamontcarter (Apr 27, 2012)

I like endlers. That's actually not a bad idea at all. I will definitely seriously consider your advice.


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## Aquaticfan (Oct 30, 2011)

Ive got 4 German blue Rams and 4 Roseline Barbs and TONS of Red shrimp and TONS of Amano shrimps in my 90 gallon and neither one of these fish touch any of my shrimps.


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## SlammedDC2 (Jun 4, 2011)

Leaky Filter said:


> Amano shrimp need salt or brackish water to spawn. Ghost shrimp do not.


 I knew the amano's required salinity to breed but thought ghosts did as well. Oh well learn something new everyday.


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## Leaky Filter (Nov 30, 2011)

SlammedDC2 said:


> I knew the amano's required salinity to breed but thought ghosts did as well. Oh well learn something new everyday.


We caught them by the pound in Florida's lakes for bait. No saltwater access.


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