Damage by Common Pleco?

[Dalfrey86]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If I did not test my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.

Do you do water changes?

Yes

If I do not change my water...

...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.

Hey All, woke up and found this hole in the side of my Livingstoni Cichlid. He he over 8 inches if not longer. In a 125 Gallon tank I have 5 other various African cichlids and one 9 in common pleco.
It looks like missing scales but there is no way the other cichlid could have done this because at most they are 5 inches long. Sure there is the odd ball Red Empress but I’ve never seen it become aggressive.
Weekly WC around 50% with parameters at 0, 0, 20. This reading is pre water change.
no other fish have been marks on them.

 

[kno4te]

I have some doubt from a pleco. Keep the water clean.

 

[Dalfrey86]

I have some doubt from a pleco. Keep the water clean.

I was just taking a back by the size. Is that damage from aggression or something else? First time noticing anything with this group and they have been together for awhile

 

[Rocksor]

Hitting decoration is my guess. Hierarchy changes at any time, could also have gotten spooked at night.

 

[deeda]

Heater burn maybe?

 

[Dalfrey86]

Heater burn maybe?

Unsure how that would happen. The heater is only 2 weeks old and set to 79. I have 2 300 watt heaters in the back corners of the tank. I don’t see any movement in the corners.

 

[Red Cichlids]

I'm with Deeda on the heater burn. The mark is too clean to be a bite mark from a sucker mouth. You would see more damage around the edges.

I am thinking the fish could have tucked itself behind a heater at night, perhaps when the heater was off. When the heater clicked on, it took a while for it to heat up and start burning the fish, so the fish might not have noticed it before its skin got burnt. I wouldn't worry about it. Probably won't happen again.

 

[Dalfrey86]

I guess I should say nothing is impossible. I have noticed a little more spunk from the red empress today.
Appreciate the help all.

 

[duanes]

One of the strategies many, if not all Nimbochromis do to attract a meal/prey, is to feign death.
They lay on their side and effect the blotchy colors that attract scavengers, and if small enough, the cichlid quickly comes to life and eats them.
The death "fake out" could have easily attracted the big pleco (or any other fish in the tank), who put a start of a hole, before the cichlid had time to figure out what was up, and escaped with a minor abrasion.
Pleco's are not a normal part of an African cichlids instinctual cadre of creatures to be wary of (especially Pleco's that would quickly make use of an apparently rotting corpse), so in my opinion they have no place in rift lake African cichlid tank ( especially a nine inch one) .
Below.... a Pleco dining on a piece of fish flesh.

 

[Dalfrey86]

The more you know... type moment. I thought they were carnivores but did not realize they would go after a fish larger than itself.