Fish problem...?

Question

I have a 55 gallon tank and have several variety of fish in it. I have had the same fish in it for almost a year. However the past few days one of my rainbow sharks has been "attacking" the other rainbow sharks , it has already killed one. I have attached a picture of another rainbow that he has been attacking, in the picture you can see all of his fins have been bit and tore and he has little bits taken out of his side. Does anyone know why my fish is doing this, he doesnt bother any of the other fish in the tank.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/armywife_94e/fish.jpg

the fish circled in the picture is the one that is being attacked.. the other rainbow shark is the attacker

I have alot of hiding spots and do keep them in groups of 5 ...because I know how aggresive fish are, thats the only type of fish I have. I just never seen one do this before

Andy ...It was just a small mom & pop shop...and yes they told me that I need AT least 5...I didnt feel comfortable buying more then 5 but, as with my other agressive fish..I bought 5

Answer 1

Since you seem to know this species I won't bore you with the details. Nice pic btw.

The usual cause of an attack that extreme once you've made sure of space, hiding places, and school numbers, is usually do to some form of illness or injury. It's possible that something else started it but basically it doesn't matter anymore, now that he is definitely injured, he will continue to be attacked by not just the one but probably all of them. If you have a quarantine/hospital tank you can remove him to until he heals up would probably be best for now. Once he's back in good shape, then you can reintroduce him to the school. If you don't have another tank to put him in for now, you might want to get a tank divider for the interim. Until he's healed, he's prey.

Answer 2

These fish are Territorial, they only meet up to mate during the rainy season otherwise they are solitary fish, and i would suggest that they're not kept together in anything less than 150 gallons so there's sufficient room for them to set up a territory and get out of the way of other fish. Its not even just its own kind RTB red tailed black, Black, Chinese algae eater, flying fox's none of the above should be kept together or with each other, unless as you've seen. Even with large tanks you are still likely to have a seriously picked on fish.

Of course when you go to the shop you see 50/100 of sharks in the same tank, of course that amount of fish crammed into a tank means apart from the occasional squabble that instantly disappears as the next fish gets in the way stops 1 particular fish getting battered to death. Chances are when fish are packed into into a small amount of water like that some part of its gene's tell it that aggression needs to be toned down as many fish are like this, amazingly enough piranha are not a shoaling fish and only shoal when water levels drop needless to say there aggression diminishes also.


I don't suppose you'd tell us which nice shop allowed you to buy more than one?

Answer 3

Sometimes aggression levels in a tank can vary by species. Some speices can exhibit aggressiveness in different tank sizes. With cichilds, if you put a group of them in a smaller tank, you'll trigger aggressive responses because these fish guard thier territories very violently, but in a bigger tank, you may see less of it.

With your sharks, I think there must be one shark trying to exert dominence in the group, or that shark is sick, and the pack are attacking it before it can infect the rest possibly. You probably have some attacking going on you don't see from those tiger barbs as well. They are notorious fin nippers even with fish much bigger then they are, and if they sense a wounded or dying fish, that's liable to trigger them to attack as well.

JV

Answer 4

It is probably trying to show its dominance in the tank with other aggressive fish. Provide a lot of hiding places like small flower pots for the weaker shark to hide in. Rainbow Sharks generally do best in large groups (5+) or as the only shark in the tank. Good luck!

Nosoop4u

Answer 5

It's probably trying to show its dominance in the tank... Like the statement above Rainbow Sharks like to have groups of 5+ or like it by themselves... I think the one Rainbow Shark likes to be alone and not have 3 or fewer... Hope it turns out well

Answer 6

I'll take an ever so slightly different approach to some others and say ditto to Jon V in that it's territorial. In my opinion it's not that the rainbows are particularly aggressive but more territorial. I have kept them with many species and not had a problem with aggression, but kept more than one to a tank you almost always see fighting among them. They are quite territorial with their own species and even some similar species, such as redtail sharks.

I don't think you will solve the problem short of removing all but one of the rainbow sharks.

MM

Answer 7

hi, First, i could ask your self touching directly to the water high quality. i could initiate with a water substitute - consistent with probability 25%. once you're putting food in there and that they do no longer look to be eating, the water is probably getting undesirable, which will cause them to worse. Are they new fish? Do they look ill, otherwise? One constructive-hearth thank you to get fish to eat is to furnish them stay food. you may the two hatch some toddler brine shrimp, or see in the journey that your interior of reach puppy keep (no longer the chain shops-they do no longer carry them) consists of stay blackworms. stay food is in basic terms too difficult to withstand. in the event that they're ill (see any little white spots on them or something?) you additionally can ask your interior of reach puppy keep for some medicine. in the event that they have little salt-like crystals on them, it is ich (short version of an prolonged call). it truly is exceptionally ordinary to treatment in case you get on it top away. there are various stable ich drugs on the industry. stable success!

Answer 8

I tihnk YOoh SHould GOOh TO YOur NearEsT PET sTore ANd TellThem But Until Then I would aDvicE YOoH To Move Him TOoh A DiFF TaNK tILL Then

Answer 9

I sent a link to MM, maybe he can help
good luck



EB