Are Bristlenoses Aggressive?

[saz326]

I have a community aquarium and my Keyhole cichlids have been getting Jiggy and flirting.

They have then totally lost the "motion of the ocean" When Mr Bristlenose comes along pushing and shoving his way info their cave.

Is there anyway I can reduce the bristlenoses agression? Would he take the agressive stance against other fish or do you think the cichlids could be firm enough to defend their spot if they were going to spawn?

I dont want to have to put a tank divider up as it is too restrictive on the other fish - could I temporarily put him in a shrimp tank until the eggs were fry.... or would he eat the shrimpletts?


Thanks

 

[KittyKat]

I have a community aquarium and my Keyhole cichlids have been getting Jiggy and flirting.

They have then totally lost the "motion of the ocean" When Mr Bristlenose comes along pushing and shoving his way info their cave.

Is there anyway I can reduce the bristlenoses agression? Would he take the agressive stance against other fish or do you think the cichlids could be firm enough to defend their spot if they were going to spawn?

I dont want to have to put a tank divider up as it is too restrictive on the other fish - could I temporarily put him in a shrimp tank until the eggs were fry.... or would he eat the shrimpletts?

How many suitable caves have you got? With a pair of keyholes (who are complete and utter wusses, on the cichlid scale) and a bristlenose male, you should have at least 3, and more like 5.

Bristlenoses are not aggressive, but they are territorial. The keyholes will just have to find another spawning site.

 

[Rynofasho]

+1 couldn't have said it any better. Just make sure there are ample caves and everyone should be happy.

 

[saz326]

Territorial... interesting. Thats probably why he has put himself in the cave right at the centre of the tank (= more territory!)

There are about 4 caves made of combinations of wood, slate, decorative "rock formations" and coconut shells. I shall add another couple - thanks for the info.

Agree with the wuss definition of keyholes... they are such cute little puppies looking up with their big brown eyes..

Do you think that If I put his favourite cave more to one side of the tank (1 metre long x 40cm wide footprint) and did a bit of territory shuffling (branches, plants etc moved) that he would set up a new territory closer to one end of the tank?

 

[KittyKat]

Maybe, but I've had my bristlenoses change caves randomly and my keyholes lay out in the open anyway (or on top of one of the bristlenose logs).

 

[Baccus]

My bristle noses get very attacted to their favourite hidey holes, so the trick might be to make the area you would prefer him to spend his days more appealing than his current day time abode. To get him to switch you might have to temporarily remove his current cave, to help him decide to make the switch to a new one. To help him make the decision even quicker, you could try and make another area of the tank darker, but having tall over hanging plants or moving your light along the tank so it doesn't light up the entire tank to the same brightness. One of my large males has claimed an arterificial tree stump as his and almost always has eggs or young fry in there with him, a couple of my black khuli loaches have taken a liking to the same tree stump. And it's nothing to pick up the stump only the have the male wedge himself further inside it and to have 2 or 3 khuli loaches tumble out back into the tank. The only aggression I have seen from my bristle noses has been directed at each other, females will argue occassionally and the boys definantly will, but as I don't have the 2 adult boys in the same tank the female squabbles only entail a bit of a chase with no damage done.