Sailfin plec

[Nephtari]

I have a rather large and so I thought docile Sailfin Plec who has been in my tank for around a year, with other catfish, barbs, danios and cardinal tetras. At the weekend I added a Clown loach.

Today I cought my Plec attacking the loach, he eventually killed it and took a bite out of it?

I'm really really shocked! Does anyone have any idea why? He is rather a large fish do you think he may have just been hungry?

My hubby is hell bent on getting rid of him now but I love him

~Nephtari~

 

[Teelie]

Are you sure the Clown wasn't already dead? I know Sailfins can sometimes be aggressive but usually towards other large plecs. They'll scavenge and eat dead fish too as they need the protein but I've never heard of them actively attack smaller fish that way. Perhaps the Clown invaded it's territory?

 

[clunkster]

as teelie ask are you sure the clown wasent already dead because if dead then sailfins will graze on the body i have never heard of a sailfin activly killing another fish & niether have i witnessed this behaviour as i have a large sailfin in the same tank as 5 clown loach with no problem in fact they acctually feed at the side of him/her

 

[WILDER]

Can't clown loaches play dead, how big is the tank.

 

[LoachLover]

I highly doubt it actually killed the Clown Loach, more than likely it probably was already dead.

 

[Nephtari]

I highly doubt it actually killed the Clown Loach, more than likely it probably was already dead.

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Thanx everyone .. The guy in the shop said clown loaches can fall asleep on their side. I thought he was just sleeping he was probably already dead

I guess this is a reprieve for my sailfin .. Phew! Cos I sure do love him.

Anyone any ideas as to why the Clown loach didn't make it?? Are the difficult fish? I only bought the one.

~Neph~

 

[andywg]

Well, Clown Loaches are somewhat infamous for being succeptible to whitespot, though I guess you would have seen evidence of this.

They are a shoaling species with a maximum size in excess of 12". Do you have water details (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc.).

 

[bunjiweb]

probably partly due to the fact that you only had one. They are very activly social fish and if kept singly can suffer from stress. As you may already know Clown Loach are very suceptable to stress which may have triggered something else - an infection or something.

Ben