Florida Flagfish - Fin Nipper!

[Darkehorse]

OK folks, I did my research and the consensus was that the Florida Flagfish (Jordanellla Flordidae) is a good community fish. So I had my store order me a pair and I brought them home last night. One of them, whom I assume is the male if I indeed have a sex pair, is nipping at the tail fins of most of my fish. He's already taken some chunks out of the tail fin of a female dwarf neon rainbow and a couple of chomps out of a german blue ram cichlid. Is this normal? The other flagfish seems pretty laid back, but this one just goes from fish to fish trying to nip fins. I wasn't able to catch him yet, but I plan to return him.

Any thoughts on this behavior? Had I known they would do this I obviously would not have gotten him. Should I take the other fish back too? Will she(?) do the same thing? (I just checked her and her tail fins are nipped as well)

Currently he's in a 29 gallon with 2 Bolivian rams, 2 German blue rams, 4 Dwarf Neon Rainbows, 1 bumble bee catfish, 1 juvenile golden wonder killifish, and 1 otto catfish.

 

[dizzied]

They are nippy towards fish that have longer fins such as bettas and angelfish. I don't think the rainbow nor the ram fits into that category, so perhaps they go after colorful fins too. Great little algae eaters though.

 

[Darkehorse]

They are nippy towards fish that have longer fins such as bettas and angelfish. I don't think the rainbow nor the ram fits into that category, so perhaps they go after colorful fins too. Great little algae eaters though.

UPDATE:

After doing a bit more research, apparently it is not uncommon for these fish to nip briefly when they are first introduced into a community tank. After 24 hours, the Flagfish staked out a territory together in a tight grouping of plants and they mostly hang out there and don't bother anyone. They haven't nipped a fin since then, so I've decided to keep them. I really don't have any green algae and they haven't touched the brown algae, so I can't really comment on their algae abilities, although I have read it's quite good. At any rate, they are quite interesting fish, very curious and fun to watch. I'm glad I gave them a chance.

-Darke

 

[BigC]

They have been known to fin nip on occaisions, They adopt a trait not dissimilar to dwarf cichlids in that they form a territory (usually a depression is made in the gravel behind some plants and oncommers are chased). Feed them a little algae flake or the like to add a bit of green to their diet.
Regards
BigC

 

[Darkehorse]

They have been known to fin nip on occaisions, They adopt a trait not dissimilar to dwarf cichlids in that they form a territory (usually a depression is made in the gravel behind some plants and oncommers are chased). Feed them a little algae flake or the like to add a bit of green to their diet.
Regards
BigC

Wow. I wish I had seen these guys in action before I started stocking. I think they would be ideal in a small species tank. Their curiosity and antics are just fun to watch. Thanks for the greenery tip, I've got algae wafers collecting dust that they would probably enjoy.

Oh well, you live and you learn. Maybe when I move into a house with a basement I can set up a tank for them. Awesome little fish, highly recommended if you 're looking for something a little different from the normal mollies, platies, guppies, etc.

-Darke