Tail Biter

[nlangloi]

Ok, in my tank I have four fish: a Black Ghost Knifefish, a Jellybean Blood Parrot, a generic male Peacock chichlid and a generic female Mbuna chichlid. One of them keeps on biting the tail of the Knifefish but I don't know which one because I never see one of them behaving aggresively towards him. My question is this: is it possible it is the Blood Parrot? My understanding was that because of the way they are genetically bred, they could not bite or nip other fish. I want to rule out that it is him before I decide what to do...if anyone can answer this, that would be great.

Nadine

[Mad Hero]

What size tank do you keep them fish in?
I wouldn't rule out the parrot. After all, they can still feed and nip, just not as agressively.
Those fish come from different temperments if I'm not mistaken.

[nlangloi]

Mad Hero,
They are currently in a 30g tank and I realize that is too small. I need to buy a larger tank but because of current finances, it's going to have to wait. The Knifefish was the last fish added and had been in the tank for several months before this happened, then one day I was feeding him and noticed his tail had been chomped off...not just nipped or tattered. If the Blood Parrot was able to bite, he would be my prime suspect because when I first got the Knifefish, he would trail after his tail with his mouth open thinking it was food. But I didn't see the tail biting until just recently.

Nadine

[Mad Hero]

Still, the tank is expremly small and i would suggest you get rid of the knifefish either way unless you plan on getting a rather large tank in the future. This might anger some of the fish as the knife can be thought as food in such a small space.

I'd get rid of him.

[nlangloi]

Mad Hero,
I understand what you are saying...the thing is the Knifefish is my favorite fish in the tank and I don't want to get rid of him. My next favorite fish is the Blood Parrot and that's kind of why I wanted to see whether or not I could rule him out as the biter. The other two fish are just kinda there so my plan was if the Blood Parrot could not have done the biting to take the other two - one of which is doing the biting - and take them to the LFS store for credit. Do you think it is possible that the Blood Parrot could have chomped his tail off?

[Mad Hero]

Yes. Not likey but, sure.

[Tightdog1]

se the ting is that i have never seen a ghost knife kept successfully with cichlids before and i always thought they were community and not cichlid community fish, but just my 2cents.