Not sure WHO did it....

[Suzie Q (Lori)]

I lost one of my SAE the other day...one day he/she had a nip out of his/her back (not bad...only a few missing scales) and the next thing I know his/her side is ALL chewed up!!! I had to clean and sterilize one of my 2.5 Betta spawning tanks (for the heater) and less then 24hrs he/she was attacked again and ended up dying...too little too late ...this fish was 6 inches long...as are the other 2. The only new residents to this tank are the Black Bar Endlers and 2 clown loaches (only about 2 in if that) and one skunk loach (same size as the 2 clowns)...the bite marks on the SAE where HUGE!!! Im guessing maybe the others attacked him/her...maybe spawning aggression? If Im correct...2 of them were courting...spawning behavior...no spawn though...not that I can tell anyway.

I had this fish when he/she was just over an inch...for a little over a yr or more...maybe closer to 2 yrs....RIP "little" SAE

[Carl]

Sorry Lori

Did you observe any aggressive or courting behavior before this?

Carl

[murdock6701]

I too am sorry Lori - from my experience, once a fish is seriously wounded, which could have come from anything, it becomes a target or prey for the others and SAE can be aggressive - I know it doesn't help much now and am truly sorry

[Suzie Q (Lori)]

Feb 9, 2010 15:30:50 GMT -5 Carl said:

Sorry Lori

Did you observe any aggressive or courting behavior before this?

Carl

Yes...although the one killed was the one courting the other two...that is what I don't understand ...I have read to keep these in groups of 3.

[goldenpuon]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Best of luck with the others.

[Carl]

Not to make a joke of this, but it sounds like you have a "Black Widow Fish" in your tank (the female kills her mate after mating).

I wish I had an answer for this but I do not, other than agreeing with John's (murdock) point.

Carl

[Suzie Q (Lori)]

All is well in the tank now...the other 2 SAE hang out together with no problems. The one killed may have been harassing the other 2 to the point that they killed him .

I did find one of my female betta with a bite on her dorsal and another with bruising on her "tail" but this happened before the SAE died. I pulled the bite victim and she is in a jar healing . I just home the perpetrator is the dead one