Hi Everyone!!! I'm a complete newbie to the forums, so I'm hoping I'm posting this in the correct forum category! My husband and I recently brought home 2 new female rope fish to add to our existing female rope fish. Our existing rope burrows underneath some Java Fern when resting, but is quite active during the day (especially when there's food!). Knowing that ropes like to be in groups, and since we recently lost our Elephant Nose, we decided to get these great females from our fish store. They, of course, want to join our rope in her java fern blanket, and she pushes them out! Today (day 2) she occasionally chases them and tries to bite them (like a bichir)! The two new fish are pretty active as well, so they don't encounter the "big meanie" too often, but I was just wondering if this was normal when adding rope fish and if they will eventually get along a little better. Thanks so much!!
New Rope Fishes
- Thread starter CuteUsagi
- Start date
Well the little ones will most likely slow down a bit and if there's as much hiding spots as it sounds then everyone should come out okay. When a fish has become used to it's new home it gets all settled and then all of a sudden some new plastic bags appear at the top of the tank so the older one goes "oh boy whats this going to be?" and then it sees two new little hims swimming out now sense ropefish are pretty well tolerant of each other the older one was just showing the new guys strait and telling them who's the boss here!
Cohazard;2620890; said:I've never seen this behavior when I've kept them in the past, but it's very interesting!
The existing one is probably just establishing dominance, or protecting it's favorite spot, but usually ropes are found piled in the same cave
Just like a pile of logs next to a winter cottage!
Here's the latest from our 55:
Our original rope continues to chase, push, and bite our two new rope fishes when she runs into them. I've also seen her swim with them without chasing and biting, which is what we hoped for when we brought two more home. I have also observed the original rope fish biting our female Kribensis and one of our Leopard Ctenopomas. My hope would be that she was "aiming" for one of the ropes and "missed" as their eye sight is not the greatest. And maybe I'm making more out of this than I should be. Any ideas??
Our original rope continues to chase, push, and bite our two new rope fishes when she runs into them. I've also seen her swim with them without chasing and biting, which is what we hoped for when we brought two more home. I have also observed the original rope fish biting our female Kribensis and one of our Leopard Ctenopomas. My hope would be that she was "aiming" for one of the ropes and "missed" as their eye sight is not the greatest. And maybe I'm making more out of this than I should be. Any ideas??
Sometimes fish just got to have their space maybe that larger rope fish is just defending his own territory. My Oscars and Pacu are like that.