How Violent Are Bristlenoses?

Dancake

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Hi,

I have added a male BN to my 240L tank to keep my female company and hopefully breed. Everything I read up on said that it should work out but there is some aggression between the two. I wanted to know if this dies down when they mark out their space? I know they are very territorial but I also read that they don't fight to the death (although I realise that stress can be harmful). There are plenty of caves and bogwood in the tank for them to share.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Dan
 
Hi,

I have added a male BN to my 240L tank to keep my female company and hopefully breed. Everything I read up on said that it should work out but there is some aggression between the two. I wanted to know if this dies down when they mark out their space? I know they are very territorial but I also read that they don't fight to the death (although I realise that stress can be harmful). There are plenty of caves and bogwood in the tank for them to share.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Dan
Ive never had problems with mine fighting. It should die down a little ones they work out territories. Are you sure they are male and female not both male? what size are they?
 
Hi,

I have added a male BN to my 240L tank to keep my female company and hopefully breed. Everything I read up on said that it should work out but there is some aggression between the two. I wanted to know if this dies down when they mark out their space? I know they are very territorial but I also read that they don't fight to the death (although I realise that stress can be harmful). There are plenty of caves and bogwood in the tank for them to share.

Any advice?

Cheers,

Dan
Ive never had problems with mine fighting. It should die down a little ones they work out territories. Are you sure they are male and female not both male? what size are they?

My female (absolutely no bristles) I have had for over a year so is about 12cm. I bought a more mature male from the shop so I could make sure he had plenty of bristles. He is about 8-9cm long. To be fair it was the first time they had met in the tank but the aggression seemed pretty full on.
 
Have they calmed down now? i dont see why there should be a problem i added a 2" ( hes about 5" now) male to about a 5" female with no problems and i have another 2" female in there now. I also have about 20 1.5cm in with them with no problems at all. It might just be because they where sorting out territory.
 
Well they have calmed down for the time being and are at either end of the tank. I guess we will have to wait and see the next time they meet.

Thanks for the reassurance.
 
Only a few hours ago.

Stocking

2 x BN's M&F
2 x Pearl Gourami (both male but not aggressive since being in a bigger tank)
1 x Red Tail Black Shark
8 x Cherry Barb 3 Male 5 Female
4 x Zebra Danios (low on correct numbers I realise)
 
Oh if its only been in there a few hours then it was properly just territorial the female might not be used to and want to share here territory. They should be fine within a few days.
 
my female bn ( no bristles ) killed my golden nugget pleco, she is also pretty territorial too.some are really naughty, others are tame.
 
It's the first time she has had one of her own kind in the tank so it's all new to her. They are still getting grumpy with each other when they meet up but not as bad as the first encounter. I am hoping to add some Polka Dot Loaches at some point in the future. Do you think they will get along with the BNs in the bottom of the tank?
 
The loaches should be fine. you could still add a fair bit more to your tank. I would go for something like
1 BN's 1M 1F
2 Pearl Gourami
10 Cherry Barb 3 Male 5 Female
10 Zebra Danios
10 hatchets
10 loaches or corys
3 apistogramma (1M 2F) or 2 keyholes
3 banjo catfish or 5 upside down catfish or 3 whiptails
I would drop the shark they can get big and aggressive.
 
The loaches should be fine. you could still add a fair bit more to your tank. I would go for something like
1 BN's 1M 1F
2 Pearl Gourami
10 Cherry Barb 3 Male 5 Female
10 Zebra Danios
10 hatchets
10 loaches or corys
3 apistogramma (1M 2F) or 2 keyholes
3 banjo catfish or 5 upside down catfish or 3 whiptails
I would drop the shark they can get big and aggressive.

That seems like a lot of fish. Wouldn't they be swimming on top of one another?
 
They are all at different levels. what filter do you have?
at the bottom you would have
2 BN's 1M 1F
10 loaches or corys
3 apistogramma (1M 2F) or 2 keyholes
3 banjo catfish or 5 upside down catfish or 3 whiptails

in the middle you would have
2 Pearl Gourami
10 Cherry Barb
10 Zebra Danios

and at the surface you would have
10 hatchets
 
It's a Juwel RIO 240L tank with the internal filter. I have quite a few plastic plants, 2 pieces of bogwood, 2 mangrove root decorations and 4 slate caves. It is a sand substrate.

It's the largest tank I have had so I am not used to what a comfortable stocking would look like. Maybe I am just over cautious when it comes to the bio-load.
 
You can stock it with less if you want. I personally would get bigger cichlids but that would mean no cherry barbs and tetra.
i would go for something like
2 BN's 1M 1F
3 whiptails
8 rainbowfish
2 festivums
pair of convicts, blue acara, firemouths or Tbar Cichlids
 

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