SAILFIN PLEC QUESTION...

[Linnyuk]

I BOUGHT 2 SMALL SAILFIN PLECS......THEY WERE FINE FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS....BUT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS ONE HAS BEEN HIDING A LOT,IT IS NOW SMALLER THAN THE DOMINANT ONE.



Do plecs normally chase each other AND IF THEY DO ARE THEY USUALLY AGRESSIVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER?

SHOULD I REMOVE THE SMALLER ONE SO IT CAN LIVE IN A TANK WITHOUT THIS OTHER PLEC?

CHEERS IN ADVANCE.


TANK DIMENTIONS : 36" BY 15" BY 12"
VOLUME : 23 GALLON / 106 LITRES
TEMPERATURE :81*f

MY FISH N' STUFF:

2 siameese fighters (m+f) / 2 dwarf gouramis (f+f)
2 frogs / 4 ghost shrimp
2 sailfin plecs + 1 red fin black shark
2 guppies (m+f) / 2 sucking loach /2 koolie loach
3 glass fish / black widow tetras
rosy barb2 / 2 neon tetras / 1 glo tetras
(lots of GUPPY FRY)

 

[Paul_MTS]

how big are these?

you realise that when fully grown they will be about 1ft long and require a much bigger tank.

 

[smithrc]

do they have somewhere to hide - away from eachother?

they can get defensive if there is only one hiding place.

and as said above - they do get big. WAY too big for a 23gal.

Your other fish look like a lot in a 23 as it is...

and 81 is a bit hot - 76-78 would be a better target.

 

[Linnyuk]

one plec is about 7 inch and other is about 5 inches...they were 2 inch when bought.

there are a few hiding places but the smaller one hides all the time now in same place....behind a sand fall feature.

aware of adult size of plec and plan two 4ft tanks on double deck stand in 6 months.

will try and post pic.not sure how?

cheers!

 

[Oddball]

It is normal pleco behaviour to act territorial in a tank, but i've found that it isnt limited to its own species, i own a clown, common and an angelicus in 36" tank (commons small at the mo) and they are forever chasing each other. This does not normally result in damage except for the odd frayed fin. The only time i've ever encounted damage dealt by a plec was when i owned two peckolita taparas which started to breed so they attacked anything and chewed the scales off anything that threatened the nest not good