aggresive bristnose

[Esco]

so, my oscar likes to lay and sleep alot, especially after eating. today i noticed me heater floating in the water, couldnt figure out how it got there, till just now. when the oscar hits the floor, the plec comes out and sucks on his side! freaks the O' out and he bumps around in the tank, resulting in a non-submersible heater ending up in the water. is this normal? oscar is around 9" and the plec is a 5" male i belive. how could i stop this behavior? they are currently in a 75g with other mates till i can finish re-caulking the 125g, also i should add, my pleco will NOT touch vegs, or sinking pleco waffers, he only like frozen bloodworms, and cichlid delight'. occasionally he'll eat color enhancing cichlid pellets., but mostly bloodworms.

 

[Weylin]

Wow.. I've never seen a black bristle nose before... I should get meself one of those...

 

[convict94]

maybe the pleco learned to have to compete for food with other fish so he became more aggressive...my bristlenose eats everything and is aggressive sometimes but i've nevber heard of them sucking to the fish's side.

 

[WyldFya]

He has developed a taste for slime coat. Do not feed him high protein food, or he will continue to suck on slime coat. Protein foods for BN's is only really used for breeding.

 

[davo]

He has developed a taste for slime coat. Do not feed him high protein food, or he will continue to suck on slime coat. Protein foods for BN's is only really used for breeding.

yup, but to be honest I'd be suprised if it stopped now it has the taste, even if you stop giving meaty foods, as then sucking the slime coat will be it's only source of what it wants. They should mainly take veggie foods (certainly make up a large proportion of their diets). You'll probably have to seperate the Ancistrus, as it will probably not stop doing it.