First major bichir aggression! ARgh!

[Cohazard]

I just picked up a weeksii and another lap this weekend at about 7" which is the average size for the bichirs in my tank.

After the first day everything was okay, the new girls were eating and exploring the tank like normal for new polys.

But today when the lights turned on and I was checking out the tank, my weeksii got it's ass kicked at night.

The tail was almost completely bit off, and the right side of it's face was bitten too. Hopefully it doesn't loose an eye, but time will tell. The top jaw seems ripped with a small piece of stringy white flesh hanging off, and it's 'lip' is swollen and enflamed. The new lap is untouched.

I found a similar piece of flesh hanging out the mouth of my 12" polli.

This has never happened before, so I'm hoping it was an accident or something, but it just doesn't seem that way. That polli has not shown any aggression to any of the other 14 polys, including the 4.5" senegalus!

Argh I'm so pissed right now.

 

[lymiq]

just like anything else, there's only so much they can handle .. hehe ..guess you have to quarantine and try the weeksi again .. wish you luck on 2nd try

 

[Cohazard]

just like anything else, there's only so much they can handle .. hehe ..guess you have to quarantine and try the weeksi again .. wish you luck on 2nd try

Not really sure what you mean by the first part.

The weeksii was settling in the back corner of the tank, and there is no competition for food because I feed a lot.

I'm leaving him in the main tank and taking care of him in there. I don't want to seperate him and possibly have this happen again.

I figure by keeping him in there, the polli will just have to get used to him being in there.

 

[FishGoneWild]

Any idea which fish attacked the weeksi? Did you picked these up from Cichlid134? I got a Weeksii, Endi, and Polli from him on Friday. He's a cool guy and good person to do transaction with.

 

[estuary]

leave the lights on for a few days let the polli get use to the weeki without hunting mode

 

[Cohazard]

Any idea which fish attacked the weeksi? Did you picked these up from Cichlid134? I got a Weeksii, Endi, and Polli from him on Friday. He's a cool guy and good person to do transaction with.

I'm fairly sure it's my large polli since she had some flesh hanging from her mouth in the morning.

Yes I did get the weeksii from Frank. So far, I've purchased: 1 ornate, 2 laps, 1 weeksii, 1 congicus, and 2 polli from him.

He is a great guy to chat with, quality fish, and good prices.

 

[B.K.]

some times bichirs do get really territorial especially ornates do u have driftwoods hanging around?

 

[Cohazard]

some times bichirs do get really territorial especially ornates do u have driftwoods hanging around?

Yes I do have two large pieces of driftwood, and one of them has a hole in the center that the ornate likes to hide in.

The weeksi hasn't tried to hide, it usually hangs in the back of the tank and occasionally comes to the front, but it does hang out on the side of the tank where the ornates turf is.

Hmm... maybe a possibility, but I think I caught my polli with forensic evidence lol

 

[B.K.]

Yes I do have two large pieces of driftwood, and one of them has a hole in the center that the ornate likes to hide in.

The weeksi hasn't tried to hide, it usually hangs in the back of the tank and occasionally comes to the front, but it does hang out on the side of the tank where the ornates turf is.

Hmm... maybe a possibility, but I think I caught my polli with forensic evidence lol

so now we know who's the culprit, the ORNATE!! my ornate used to hang around the driftwood too and boy does he know how to strike when some other poly goes near his turf

 

[nachocheese70]

This has never happened before, so I'm hoping it was an accident or something, but it just doesn't seem that way. That polli has not shown any aggression to any of the other 14 polys, including the 4.5" senegalus!

Sorry to hear that ! I wonder if there is a natural pecking order, and the weeksii, being new to the tank, ticked off the "alpha" poly (or just as likely, tried to dethrone the Polli). This could explain why the small 4.5" senegalus is still alive and intact. It may not be the Polli's fault (or his/her aggression), but just a fight.