Tail biting lei

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sevank21

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2012
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In My House
So I just recently got a 15" lei and when I bought it it had slightly shredded tail, didn't think much of it. Recently, I noticed that he's chasing/and biting his own tail. My water perimeters are good, temp is 85° and I add salt. Trying to heal his tail but it's never gonna heal if he keeps picking at it. He has tank mates, 4 large peacock bass. He also has drop eye.

My question ISN'T, WHY he's biting his tail. But what I can do to stop him from biting his tail.

Previous owners didn't take good care of him and should be banned from keeping fish. They had it since 4" and kept it in a 60g it's whole life until now, he's in my 300g. Yes, a 15" lei in a 60 gal with a tiny HOB filter. God knows how very little they did maintenance on his tank. I asked them to feed him pellets to see if he's actually eating pellets and they didn't have any, I asked to feed him whatever they have, and they didn't have anything to feed him. He was incredibly skinny. Idiots!

With that being said, this is a cry out for help as well as a rant!

I'm trying to make him and keep him nice and healthy :)
 
I think the solution would be to transfer him into my tank.

Honestly, I know how you feel. I have saved a couple fish from bad keepers.
 
Rescued one a bit bigger once that was tailbiting also kept by itself in a small tank. Put it in a dam so not sure what happened .
Drop eye says it was banging around in there as well, feed him plenty and wait a bit more room and some thing other than his own tail to see moving may help.
 
aussiemonsters said:
Rescued one a bit bigger once that was tailbiting also kept by itself in a small tank. Put it in a dam so not sure what happened .
Drop eye says it was banging around in there as well, feed him plenty and wait a bit more room and some thing other than his own tail to see moving may help.
Click to expand...

No clue how exactly or what exactly.. but I would try and give him some stuff to break the habit. I've given ping pong balls to Oscars to cure bad habits... I believe the phrase is "enrichment objects" But I also imagine good care/tankmates/ect should go a long way to helping.. also may want to watch him and see if stress triggers it ect... if he's got a trigger its easier to cure ime. Also find a treat he likes .. distract him with another behavior when hes tail biting .. then give him a treat ( If you use the treat as the distraction it only re-enforces such behaviors). Might be worth doing some research on dog training techniques to rewire such behaviors and go from there. If he's smart enough to do such behavior he's smart enough to fill it with a more healthy one.
 
I used to have a three black aros all were fine ate pellets super healthy two went to 300 gallon tanks and are both doing excellent six months later, one went to a 90 gallon, within a month it started chasing its tail and biting it, stopped eating except for a piece of shrimp every three days. Anyway, I found out n bought it back for a friend who put it in a 210 and two weeks later it eats multiple foods n is no longer tail biting.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Wow that's unique. An aro chase it's own tail. love to see a vid of that.
 
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