Firemouth Stocking Compability

[Rick bose]

Have 2 questions.
1. Can a single firemouth in a community tank eat fully grown zebra danios and small corydoras ( they are half the size compared to fully grown corydoras) ?

2. Can the firemouth be a fin nipper too and tear the tails of veiltail serpae tetras eventually leading them to death and also tear the fins of veiltail small rosy barbs(2-2.5 inch in size) though none of the rosy barbs are dead yet.

P.S. - Asking these 2 questions on behalf of a friend as he is not very good in English. I neither own any firemouth nor owned any serpae tetra.

 

[A201]

An adult Firemouth is capable of eating Zebra Danios and Cory Cats, and certainly can be a fin nipper. That being said, Firemouths are far less likely to do those things as compared to other similar sized CA Cichlids. Firemouths do much better in groups rather than keeping solo.

 

[Rick bose]

See I too have known firemouths to be a gentle fish and do those things less likely.
My friend also bought the firemouth thinking it would do well in a community tank considering that firemouths are not that aggressive cichlid.
But since the last few days, the firemouth has obviously grown a bit more than it was purchased.
I would be say close to fully grown.
Now my friend is seeing 1-2 zebra danios vanishing from tank every other day.
Sometimes 1 zebra vanishes sometimes 2 like this almost every day. The tank used to have 14 zebras now it got left only 2.
Also 6 small corydoras has vanished along with this but all the fully grown corydoras are left unharmed. Also the serpae tetras died too probably because of excessive fin nipping and the rosy barbs are small, they are showing fin nipping behaviours too.
Since only the smaller fish is dying of 2 particular species and then only the smaller ones of the corydoras died, so I thought this is not a water issue but maybe some other fish is eating them.
The firemouth is big enough to eat them and its mouth's size is enough to swallow them.
So I thought maybe the firemouth was the culprit but I was not sure as I never had kept firemouth before.
Now the tank also has 2 other fish that might be the culprit too but I highly doubt it.
It has a small 3 inch sized gold severum (the severum is temporary though) and a 4-4.5 sized featherfin squeaker.
I know that it could be severum also but it is so small and gentle that I have my doubts. Plus he says has never seen the severum showing any signs of aggression. I know the severum could not be kept there permanently as it grows bigger, my friend also says he plans to rehome it in 6 months.
The tank is 35g.
So who do you think is eating those fishes?
What should I advice my friend?
What is the solution?

 

[Rick bose]

scarface DoubleDutch Platylover david1978

 

[goldface]

Sorry, I do not have any experience with cichlids and have even less knowledge on Firemouths particularly.

 

[david1978]

I have had convicts and an Oscar. Never had or been around a fire mouth.

 

[A201]

I've kept Firemouths at several different points over the years.
They are mildly aggressive cichlids as compared to other Central American Cichlids. The biggest any of mine reached was about 6". Firemouths do better in groups of four & up. They establish a heirarchy. Most of their aggression is limited to "Flaring" at each other. Like any fish, FM's are capable of eating any fish that can fit in their mouth. I don't recall any of mine knocking off any of the Buenos Aires Tetras kept with them. Firemouths are a great fish to keep & IMO an under rated species.

 

[CCinBama]

My firemouth got harassed by my serpae tetras.. they were far worse in the fin nipping game, bugged everyone in the tank. Had to switch to switch to BA and Colombian Tetras and we both liked them much better. The fire mouth seemed more agitated alone. He got much happier once he had 2 FM friends, and quit bugging everyone else. They really are one of the more peaceful cichlids, just picky. Once you figure out what makes them happy, they’re awesome.

 

[DoubleDutch]

I think most cichlids will have a snack of fish that will fit in their mouth. Rememvering a thread about a Pygmy Cory stuck in an Angel's mouth. Thry are small but smart !

 

[Rick bose]

I've kept Firemouths at several different points over the years.
They are mildly aggressive cichlids as compared to other Central American Cichlids. The biggest any of mine reached was about 6". Firemouths do better in groups of four & up. They establish a heirarchy. Most of their aggression is limited to "Flaring" at each other. Like any fish, FM's are capable of eating any fish that can fit in their mouth. I don't recall any of mine knocking off any of the Buenos Aires Tetras kept with them. Firemouths are a great fish to keep & IMO an under rated species.

See I get that firemouth do good in groups and mildly aggressive unlike other cichlids.
Also yes, I know cichlids can eat any fish that can fit in its mouth.
That's what I thought but I am not sure.
You seem experienced in firemouth keeping and I assume you know the size of zebra danios too.
So can you tell me what do you really think about this?
Is the firemouth eating all the zebra danios?

 

[Rick bose]

Sorry, I do not have any experience with cichlids and have even less knowledge on Firemouths particularly.

I have had convicts and an Oscar. Never had or been around a fire mouth.

Do you guys have any knowledge about featherfin squeaker or a severum?
Do you guys think maybe any of them could have eaten the zebra danios and the cories?(though the severum is 3-3.5 inches only)
Any help would be helpful.
My friend could return the fish that's eating my smaller fishes to the LFS but we are unable to decide which fish is to be returned as really could not determine which fish is eating them.
Also he has never seen any 3 of the fishes harassing, eating, chasing or trying to eat the smaller fishes.
It's just that they keep on vanishing day by day after the severum, firemouth and featherfin squeaker have been added. The 3 fishes were added almost around the same time.

 

[Rick bose]

I think most cichlids will have a snack of fish that will fit in their mouth. Rememvering a thread about a Pygmy Cory stuck in an Angel's mouth. Thry are small but smart !

An adult Firemouth is capable of eating Zebra Danios and Cory Cats, and certainly can be a fin nipper. That being said, Firemouths are far less likely to do those things as compared to other similar sized CA Cichlids. Firemouths do much better in groups rather than keeping solo.

So everyone of you guys are saying that firemouths though are mild aggressive but can eat any fish that fits in its mouth.
What I want to know is do adult zebra danios can fit into firemouth's mouth?
And also what do you guys think about the severum and the featherfin squeaker?
Could the featherfin squeaker or the severum (only 3-3.5 inches) have eaten the smaller fishes?
He would return the fish who is eating the fishes but we can not determine which fish to return as we are unable to identify the culprit fish.
Or if anyone could tell me why only the zebra danios and corydoras vanished when no other fish died. So I don't think the water quality can be an issue. The tank has a school of rosy barbs, red eye tetras, rainbow fishes, giant danios and 2 gouramis and a loach. Everybody is fine, even the large corydoras are fine too. Only the small cories and zebra danios are getting vanished.
Can anyone state the reason behind this?

 

[CCinBama]

If it fits in a cichlids mouth, it’s a snack. So if the Danio and zebra were small enough, either the fire mouth or Sev could be guilty.

 

[Rick bose]

Hey please help us guys...who do you think is eating the the danios and the cories?
Is it the severum or the firemouth or something else?
Or are they dying out for some other reasons?
We can return the fish responsible for this to the LFS so please help us guys identifying the culprit or maybe culprits.