Something eating Neons?

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midnightmadman

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Dec 21, 2005
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Is it possible that my Rainbowfish or Clown LOach could be eating them? They seem to be disappearing slowly and I don't ever see a body.
 

CEEEYE

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Jun 3, 2009
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I had neons disappear and noticed a large mystery snail eating all till nothing was left.I dont know if they died and were found or if they hunt,i seen them fall off the top of the glass and hit one once.It even dragged the neon around?
 

leeser28

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Jan 4, 2009
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Croton-on-Hudson, NY
I have never had a tank where the neons didn't disappear one by one. I believe that they die and get eaten - in fact I've decided to give up on neons all together once the 3 I have left finally go.
 

Lupin

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Sep 21, 2006
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Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
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I had neons disappear and noticed a large mystery snail eating all till nothing was left.I dont know if they died and were found or if they hunt,i seen them fall off the top of the glass and hit one once.It even dragged the neon around?
Predation of fish by apple snails has been discussed in Freshwater Invertebrates forum a few times before. My observation is that Pomacea diffusa are not capable of such unusual behavior unless they have been severely starved by the inadequate food supply. Even then, most of these snails prefer to die than to use up all of their energy to attempt latching on a healthy fish. A weak fish is easier to catch but not healthy fish. If you have observed your neons weakening prior to that, then it is understandable that the snail simply latched on it and the fish failed to escape instead.

The canaliculata complex on the other hand are much more capable of predatory instincts but again, this rarely occurs. The Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea insularum both share almost the same characteristics with the latter reported by Donya of Applesnail.net to be much more aggressive than the former. Feeding them fish such as tuna and salmon is discouraged because there is a likeliest chance once they acquire the taste of fish, they may likely go for their tankmates. These snails have indeed been recorded a few times to latch even on unsuspecting healthy fish but again, the incident rarely happens. However there are more cases of them eating other snails especially their fellows.
 

midnightmadman

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Dec 21, 2005
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If it is the Loach, is it possible he is snatching them alive right into his mouth? or is he somehow killing them and then eating them? I am really not sure if it is him, or if they are just dying off and im not finding the body because the loach eats it. I have 3 left now out of 7. But these last 3 have been fine.
 
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