Lake Tanganyika Species • who eats the fry?

[marius432]

I had Tropheus who always bred and I let them spit in my tank (I no longer have the Tropheus ). I was curious who do you think were eating them. I have 1 Julie transcriptus, 2 multie shell fish and 2 Petricola catfish.
The catfish are the laziest fish around , they sit and do nothing almost all day, they mostly move when its feeding time. I quickly realized they rely on smell to find food. When I feed , they don’t even see the food unless they swim over it when its on the floor. They certainly don’t catch it in the water column. So how can these catfish be eating fry as is commonly suggested that catfish do?

My hunch is that my Julie is more of a predator fish. She is always calculating her moves , is very observant of her surrounding and attacks other fish in lightning fast bursts.

So which of the 3 fish are more likely to eat fry?

[Fogelhund]

The Tropheus and or catfish.

[marius432]

thanks, why not the Julie?
The catfish act blind as a bat

[DJRansome]

Catfish, depending on the species, are active a night and maybe not so lazy or blind then.

It is unusual to have petricola (or probably lucipinnis) that are lazy or unobservant during the day. They like to be in groups, and are very active and social.