Decided I don't want to be bitten

[dan518]

I have a big lump of hard wood in my tank, it's been dropped and kicked and didn't leave a mark, now my male vieja bifasciatus has started chewing it and leaves teeth marks like it's butter. Been bitten a few times by various fish this is the first one I really want to avoid.

 

[PYRU]

Get some gloves. I rarely use them, because I have a long siphon so my hand rarely goes in the tank. I have some cheap chain mess ones that held up to a 18" dovii and 16" jag. I've used Kevlar ones for an African bullfrog. I think I bought them off eBay years ago.

 

[ehh]

 

[dan518]

They should do,,,, still can't believe the bite force vieja / Paratheraps have, my zonatus was the only cichlid I have seen in 13 years of fish keeping bite another fish in half 7 inch zonatus 2 inch swordtail he used to eat the heads,

 

[Stanzzzz7]

My old veija pair used to make me nervous when they had fry.The big male really gave it some when I was tank cleaning.
It came really sharp when he did make contact.
I tried to respect their boundaries as much as possible.

 

[dan518]

Mine give it large through the glass, keep out my way when my hands in the tank,

 

[AZ Red]

Granted, I've never really had that big of fish, but the only 2 bites that have left an impression on me was when my 18" snowflake eel decided to latch on to my knuckle (left some nice shallow cuts and decent sprain), and a 4" picasso trigger that cut a small but deep gash between my thumb and forefinger.

I know cichlids are fairly aggressive, but is it really a concern while maintaining/cleaning a tank? Just curious because my tilapia are around 6" long right now, and I have to dive head first into my pond to maintain it (4' deep).

 

[fishfanatic80]

Granted, I've never really had that big of fish, but the only 2 bites that have left an impression on me was when my 18" snowflake eel decided to latch on to my knuckle (left some nice shallow cuts and decent sprain), and a 4" picasso trigger that cut a small but deep gash between my thumb and forefinger.

I know cichlids are fairly aggressive, but is it really a concern while maintaining/cleaning a tank? Just curious because my tilapia are around 6" long right now, and I have to dive head first into my pond to maintain it (4' deep).

Did you have to watch out for bacterial infections after the eel bit you? More and more guys are telling me to make sure I wear gloves in the tank. Especially with corals since they release toxins

 

[dan518]

Granted, I've never really had that big of fish, but the only 2 bites that have left an impression on me was when my 18" snowflake eel decided to latch on to my knuckle (left some nice shallow cuts and decent sprain), and a 4" picasso trigger that cut a small but deep gash between my thumb and forefinger.

I know cichlids are fairly aggressive, but is it really a concern while maintaining/cleaning a tank? Just curious because my tilapia are around 6" long right now, and I have to dive head first into my pond to maintain it (4' deep).

I have found that if you go in like a bull in a China shop most cichlids keep out your way, still can run the risk if there spawning, my midas got me a few times, drew blood but not really that bad and certainly can't do the damage a eel or trigger fish can

 

[AZ Red]

It was slightly infected both times, but not too bad.

Especially with salt, I have heard the cautions to use gloves, but I never bothered. Even my anenomes never really irritated me. Of course, I'm a chef, so I have tough hands and thick callouses to begin with.