Countdown... thoughts?

[PuddleDuck]

Back in the spring I got a dozen neons, and managed to get down to about 2 before I finally figured out that (likely) my striped raphel was slowly picking them off.

A few days ago I picked up another dozen, and sure enough the next morning I woke up to seven! The night before I removed my Australians because the neons were quite small...but I guess someone else was hungry. Another night goes by and Im down to 5 I was racking my brain to figure out who it was- theres a smallish pleco but I've never had any trouble from a pleco. Theres a number of different fish in there, but none that are very large (and no, there are no angels) and its only happening at night. I couldn't figure it out unless I saw a dark tail wiggling in the driftwood- apparently I have a spotted raphel I havent seen in years!! I've moved this tank and dont remember seeing him...but there were lots of fish to catch, or maybe he just hung out in the wet gravel. Im down to 4 (plus the 2 original surviving ones)

Now I know raphael's aren't renowned for eating neons, but the problem stopped when my first one was removed, and the second one was signifincantly smaller. Perhaps the second was just waiting to a) get bigger and b) have some smaller fish to munch on. 


Either way tonight I discovered a stowaway I didnt know that I had, and have hopefully solved my neon problem. Im mad because I cheaped out and bought the young neons...

Currently there are 3 clown loaches, a few cories, a guppy or two, a molly or two, 2 hatchets, a young female betta, 2 female kribs, 2 juvy pearl gouramies (still small), and 6 neons.

Thoughts?

[babblefish1960]

I have to say that I had a striped Raphael that actually ate all of my cardinals and apistogramma agassizi before I even remembered he'd been there for a few years. Believe me, these things have huge appetites, and with a blue or red light you can see just how big their mouths can get when they swoop in for lunch in the wee hours.

[PuddleDuck]

Glad to know I haven't necessarily make false accusations 

[Eric]

Great story on the stowaway!  I think you found the culprit.  I had a striped raphael about 2" with 10 biggish neons.  They were all fine for maybe a year until there were 7 one day.  I had to go hunt him up (not easy) and his stomach was as big as he was.  Funny, he never ate black neons about the same size -- I figured the neons sitting on the bottom at night looked like a buffet.  I moved the neons but finally gave him away.  Neat fish but a bit of a monster.  I was told that they can make a grinding noise when excited, but never heard anything.  Are you going to keep him?
Cheers

[PuddleDuck]

Yep, theyre both in my 120g now. 

They do make a clicking  noise when theyre mad.