Anostomous Questions

[Dublin_Lad]

I bought an Anostomous fish (striped headstander) and have some queries. Firstly, they are quite a shy fish so when it comes to feeding time they tend to shy away from the general carnage that ensues and sometimes die of starvation in tanks. Any suggestions as to how to make sure he eats? Also, I've noticed he seems to be bothering my pleco quite a bit. I know they're both algae eaters so maybe that's the reason? Finally, a day after I got him I noticed the remains of 1 of my neon tetras on the bottom. Could the headstander have eaten him? Seems the obvious choice as they were all living together fine before now. His tankmates are (now) 11 neon tetras, 2 marble hatchets, 2 swordtails (a male and a female), 1 molly and 1 pleco.

 

[CFC]

Anostomous are fairly aggressive territorial fish which will nip at the fins and eyes of other fish, really they are best kept in groups of their own kind in a species tank set particularly for them with lots of rock/slate for them to shelter in and pick food from the cracks and crevices. They don't usually work out well in community tanks.

 

[Dublin_Lad]

Anostomous are fairly aggressive territorial fish which will nip at the fins and eyes of other fish, really they are best kept in groups of their own kind in a species tank set particularly for them with lots of rock/slate for them to shelter in and pick food from the cracks and crevices. They don't usually work out well in community tanks.

Thanks for the quick response. Interesting that you should say they're aggressive because anything I've found on the net and what the LFS guy told me would suggest the opposite which is why I opted for him over siamese fighters.

 

[Dublin_Lad]

Update: I decided to get rid of this fish as another neon tetra 'disappeared' overnight so I brought him back to the shop and replaced him with a betta and some sailfin mollies.