Fish question

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I know very little about fish so I'm hoping someone here can answer this for me. I am trying to find out if my 2 very large gold fish will eat my son's little neon tetra. The neon lived in a small tank with 4 other neons and a slightly larger fish (I have no idea what it was lol in fact I'm guessing that the little survivor is a neon based on his flashy colour) something happened (I think the water got too hot during the really hot weather we had) and all but this one little fish died. In an attempt to be sure it wasn't something in his tank we caught the survivor and emptied/cleaned his tank. Since I have a large tank for my goldfish in winter (they are pond fish all summer)that was already filled with water we transferred the neon to my tank. It has continued to live and do well but winter is fast approaching and I'd like to bring my goldfish in soon. I hate to make the little fish live all alone in the smaller tank and would be happy to leave it with the 2 bigger fish if they are not going to make a meal of him. Anyone know if they are likely to?

 

[Snapple]

The general rule with fish, is that if it *might* fit inside of their mouth, they will try to eat it. If you think the tetra could be eaten, the goldfish probably will too.

 

[Jill]

YES! I'm sorry but, yes they will. If it fits into the mouth, they will eventually catch up to eat and make it no more. H and I keep several large tanks including some very big fancy goldfish. I have watched very fast (like slips of lightening) zebra danios -- a cold water fish often sold as "tropical" -- go missing one by one in the goldfish tank

It is such a fun hobby, though. So relaxing and interesting... I think H and I agree that our favorite fish are the fancy goldfish and the blood parrot cichlids. We do keep some neons as well and they are very attractive fish

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Jill, I have seen some of the pictures you've posted of your fish and have always thought they were all very pretty. A friend once had a huge salt water tank but I only admired it, never asked what went into keeping it healthy.

I'm really very much a neophyte to fish keeping. I have had the gold fish for about 6 years now (so as I said they are quite large now) and got them initially to ad to my koi population. Its a bit of a story but I'll try to keep it short; There was an add in our local buy&sell for small koi for sale and since I had only 3 and wanted more for my pond I went to look at them. What I found was a mentally challenged individual who had a small tank so thickly populated with small colourful fish that they were touching each other at all times. One look told me (even tho I know next to nothing about fish of any type) that these were more what is referred to as 'feeder' goldfish that can be purchased for a dollar or so at any pet store (at least then, haven't priced them lately) and the seller was asking $10.00 each. I tried at first to tell her they were not koi but rather goldfish and she got confused and unhappy, she looked like she might actually cry trying to convince me these were really koi. I don't know how she came by them but being a pit of a push over for anyone with a mental handicap (always think "this could be my daughter" ) I finally agreed to buy 3 of them from her. I was given my choice and a net to catch them and a small container to put them in so I took a silvery one, a gold one and a 'pinto' one with a long flowing tail and fins. My husband laughed at me for being such a shmuck but what could I do? Anyway I have since given the koi away to someone with an even larger pond, they outgrew mine about 4 years ago and the silvery fish leaped out of my pond during its first night out 2 years ago so...only 2 large and very resilient fish remain. (ok that was NOT short )

On the topic of the neon, I feel bad for it, it is a choice between living in solitary or risking being a meal. I've tried to convince my son to get more of its own kind but he says he is not a good fish keeper because he is gone to often so he doesn't want more. Hmmm, maybe I'm going to have to adopt and get the little thing some 'family' that won't make him a snack. How hard are they to keep, how do they reproduce? If I get more is there a risk they'll multiply (that would not be a good thing)