I recently moved across the country and I just set up a very nice forty gallon aquarium. I'm still waiting for the new tank to cycle and establish itself before SLOWLY adding fish one at a time to it.
Now here is the story. Before moving I donated my fish to a high end and family owned tropical fish store and kept my pleco by sending him over night mail.
I've had this pleco for about 3 years now. He's an Albino Bristlenose Plecostamus and has always been indifferent to other fish in the aquarium even the other bottom feeders like my albino cory cats before I had to give them away. I've always had a love for small species pleco and I attempted to adopt over 4 different species over a period of time. None grew larger than 5-7 inches according to the information I looked up on them. Non aggressive and I made sure to get pleco's around the same size or slightly smaller to avoid any "bullying" should it happen, even though my pleco is pretty chill. All four died overnight after introducing them to the main tank once they passed quarantine. I couldn't fathom how they kept dying when they were healthy and disease free and none of my other fish showed signs of illness or distress. My water parameters were normal, tank clean, strange!
Until I found him gnawing on the empty face hole of my brand new rubber-lipped pleco. The other fish I had at the time consisted of the 3 cory catfish, 2 Silver and 1 Koi angelfish (all male so they weren't mated and aggressive) and my pleco in a thirty gallon tank. The few times I would discover a dead or sick fish in my tank my pleco was usually no where to be seen (hiding in his favorite hollow rock most of the time).
So tell me, has anyone ever had an issue like this before? Any theories to why he kills other pleco's even when there isn't competition for food or mates or anything? I'd really like to have another small pleco species and have thought about buying another young albino bristlenose but I'm afraid he'll go on another murder spree.
Now here is the story. Before moving I donated my fish to a high end and family owned tropical fish store and kept my pleco by sending him over night mail.
I've had this pleco for about 3 years now. He's an Albino Bristlenose Plecostamus and has always been indifferent to other fish in the aquarium even the other bottom feeders like my albino cory cats before I had to give them away. I've always had a love for small species pleco and I attempted to adopt over 4 different species over a period of time. None grew larger than 5-7 inches according to the information I looked up on them. Non aggressive and I made sure to get pleco's around the same size or slightly smaller to avoid any "bullying" should it happen, even though my pleco is pretty chill. All four died overnight after introducing them to the main tank once they passed quarantine. I couldn't fathom how they kept dying when they were healthy and disease free and none of my other fish showed signs of illness or distress. My water parameters were normal, tank clean, strange!
Until I found him gnawing on the empty face hole of my brand new rubber-lipped pleco. The other fish I had at the time consisted of the 3 cory catfish, 2 Silver and 1 Koi angelfish (all male so they weren't mated and aggressive) and my pleco in a thirty gallon tank. The few times I would discover a dead or sick fish in my tank my pleco was usually no where to be seen (hiding in his favorite hollow rock most of the time).
So tell me, has anyone ever had an issue like this before? Any theories to why he kills other pleco's even when there isn't competition for food or mates or anything? I'd really like to have another small pleco species and have thought about buying another young albino bristlenose but I'm afraid he'll go on another murder spree.
