How voracious are Dianema toward fry?

[snowball]

I have a 4x2x2 with sand substrate, leaf litter, some moss and driftwood, and miniature water lillies.

In this tank I have a breeding group of Sturisoma (sp?) royal whiptails, the fry are successfully raised in the same tank.

I have a group of Dianema urostriatum in another tank that I would like to move into the 4x2x2 in the hope that them may eventually spawn in there on the underside of the lillies. How likely is it that adult flagtails will eat the newly hatched royal whiptails? Has anyone successfully bred any other fish in tanks with Dianema? Or, for that matter, large Corydoras or Brochis (which appear to have similar foraging behaviour)?

cheers

[Bas Pels]

I would not consider Dianema voracious.

But then, I would also see a lot of differences betweeen Dianema and Corydoras - where you wiuld consider tham as rather similar

[wrasse]

Hi Snowball,

I agree it's fair comment that dianema share similar behaviour with some corys and brochis, but I think few aquarists could say for sure if they would eat fry or not.
Keep them well fed and provide dense cover and then the fry may be okay

[Jools]

Hi Snowball,

I agree that larger

Corydoras

(and

Brochis

) show similar foraging behaviour to

Dianema

. A long time ago I bred angelfish in the same tank as

Dianema longibarbis

. The cats did no harm but were removed as were eating a lot of the brineshrimp I was trying to feed to the fry!

Cheers,

Jools

[snowball]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I will move the Dianema into the 4x2x2 after the next batch of Sturisoma eggs hatch and keep an eye on them, I'll report back if it becomes apparent the flagtails develop a taste for them fry.

cheers all

[Bwhiskered]

I am sure that the Dianema will think of the fry as live food.