Are they fighting or mating?

[abpositive]

I'm afraid that's fighting.
I have two male commons in a 125 and they get into it occasionally---looks just like that.

I have solved the problem by overfeeding, AND putting identical food at extreme ends of the tank. That way, when one sulks off after an argument over the food, he finds another stash of it on the other side--nearly 6 feet away.
Makes them much happier and skirmishes are very infrequent now.

As for what they are, they sure look like Liposarcus Pardalis to me. As a matter of fact, I'd put $$$ on it...

 

[abpositive]

I could not find exoticfind on the internet.

It's exoticfinds
You need the "s" on the end.

Great place for plecs!!!

 

[OSH]

Give them seperate hiding caves at opposite ends of the tank, same thing for food. You'll start seeing damage on the fish long before a fatal wound is incurred. Hopefully one will accept the dominance of the other, and they'll start hanging out together.

I've got three commons (hypos) in the same tank, and there's always a little bumping and pushing when someone wants a choice cave, or a choice slice of zuchini. Thankfully the worst damage it's caused is some split fins, which heal up in a few days. Fatten em up a bit and that ought to mellow them out.

 

[COL]

Liposarcus are not habitual cave dwellers (save breeding season), so cover, though probably used, will go largely unappreciated. Furthermore, I wouldn't worry too much about the fighting--it is fairly common amongst loricariids (as are most biofilm feeders; after all, they must be fiercely competitive to secure a territory with copious amounts of awfuchs), and rarely will it get serious in this species. On ocassion, a lightly scraped fin will ensue, but nothing to lose sleep over.

 

[davo]

Sorry for any confusion, the site, is .net, not .com. so www.exoticfinds.net