Aggressive High Fin Plec?

Question

Hi

i have a 1yr yr old high fin which is approximatly 10inch. He has been in a community tank from day one. However i recently just had him and a spiny eel in a tank as we are moving.

Recently the plec has become aggresive towards the eel even though theyve been together for the yr. I introduced a 14" senosedontis and well it was like a flammin world war. In the end i had to take the senosedontis back out.

Now the plec is 100% aggresive towards the eel. Any idea why and if this will calm off?

Tank is 2 and 1/2 foot. Ive had loads of plecs before common, bristles, albinos etc. Ive also just got rid of seven tropical tanks so im fairly experienced

This one just stumped me, no signs then wam. Just thought someone out there would maybe add light, maybe breeding, hormonal or water balance.???

Answer 1

That's one of the various problems with plecos as tank fish, they do get quite territorial and not just towards other plecos, but towards other bottom dwellers in general. That one is getting some good size and age and is no doubt mature and staking out a territory which is no doubt the entire bottom of the tank. I really doubt he will even calm down at all, it's just his nature.

MM

Answer 2

what size tank, when fishes get larger and in a small tank they will feel treatened for space and will fight,

Plecos can be aggressive and fighting isnt unheard of. I did see a video recntly of a pleco attacking a syno catfish.

Personally i would of thought a syno catfish to be more aggressive and kill a pleco, mines did.

But anyway, anything that lives on the bottom is fair game. The eel should be moved into another tank IMO.

It doesnt take much for a fish to snap, it will happen. Even if they were raised together, aggressiveness can just occur. I had my sunfish and large mouth bass together for many months, and the bass tended to be more aggressive. Recently the sun fish isnt taking it anymore and has been super aggressive to the bass. They were seperated into two different tanks. This might have to be done in your cas.e

Answer 3

As magicman said, plecs are territorial. You didn't state how big your tank is, but my guess is that it is too small. Fish did not evolve to live in a little glass box, so you have to provide room for the fish to be comfortable. In a large enough tank there would be plenty of room for the pleco and the other fish. You would see very little aggression then. You can try a large piece of driftwood to help break up the line of sight, but nothing is going to reduce aggression like floorspace.

Answer 4

a 2.5 foot long tank is way too short for a 10" fish.