Who is the aggressor? Tig, Slobering Cat or Lei

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rodger

rodger

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2008
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Kansas City
I have a Tig, a Slobbering Catfish B. Platynemum (A.K.A. 747) and a Leichardi that I got at the first of the year within a month of each other. They are all housed in a 40B, bare bottom. The Slob and Lei are the same size, about 5" and the Tig is 6". The lei stays up top, the cats on each end, no interaction I have ever seen. I just came home to a fairly heavily damaged Slob. I last sat and looked at them around 8AM and this is 1PM. Who did it? Most of the damage is fins, but there are contusions on the caudel peduncle with blood spots. It would appear that the tail was in someones mouth. I am pulling the slob but I need to figure out who. The Lei is staying at the Slobs end of the tank, very interested. I don't see the tail section of this guy going in his mouth. It would fit in the Tigs mouth. Long term I want these guys all housed in the 700 I am building. If it is the aro, that ain't gonna work. If it was the Tig I feel he will stay hidden most of the time. Lets hear some opinions and experiences.
Thanks.
 
Keep in mind, a month ago I didn't know if this Lei would live. He was on a food strike most of his life. There is a thread under Aro's.
 
gut says Tig... I'de expect the arrow to be spooked by both cats because chances are when it happened it wasn't a "mellow" encounter.. so he may be eyeing the cat to see if its going to do anything "scary" again. is the arrow posturing at all? if he is i'de blame the tig.. if he seems interested in the slob as prey then its possible he made a go and failed and is waiting for the slob to show weakness to attack again.
 
There is no more then an inch difference between the slob and the tig, but the tig is much bulkier. The aro is just kind of hanging at the slobs end of the tank. Actually he swims part way to the tigs end, not all the way. He isn't paying any attention to the slob. Yeah, all signs point to the tig. Surprised since they are so close in size and have been in the same tank since I got them. They were in a 20L until mid April when they got the 40B. I have another tank available just waiting for the temp to raise a few more degrees. Who gets to be alone?
 
I try and move the none injured fish when something like that happens.. stressing an already injured fish ime is just asking for a secondary bacterial infection to happen imo. I actually had a juvie TSN maybe 3" eat a 4" aba aba knife on me once... If the tigs pretty stable in general and eats ect i'de move him.. if he's a "hard keeper" may be worth moving the slob if hes in general more stable... but like I said I try and leave the injured fish in the original set-up if possible and move the trouble-maker. sounds like you got a smart lei lol.
 
That a tough one. Definitely, confrontations between two brachyplatystomas in one tank have been frequently reported, same species or not. On the other hand, if one thinks jardini aro is aggressive, I've read leichardti is 10x worse. I kept jardinis but never a lei before. My jardinies never paid any attention to any non-aro-looking fish.

Aros have hard, narrow, serrated edges on their jaws that leave marks distinctly different from large, wide, rough tooth patches of catfishes.
 
I'm leaning toward the tig damaging the slob as well. As for which one started it, it can be hard to say. One things for sure, the tig won!

Viktor brings up a good point about the teeth of an arowana. If the aro bit the slob, the slob would likely have a bunch of deep clean looking cuts. The aros have those tiny, sharp teeth all lined up and a struggling prey item could get cut up pretty bad.

The fact that the lei is staying on the slob's side is fairly telling to me as well. It appears as though the lei is avoiding the "scary" catfish.

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I have a dead Slob this morning. Dang, he was a nice fish. I really thought it was working out fine, until it didn't.
 
:( Sorry for your loose... always the hardest part when trying to comm big fish w/ teeth... sometimes it just doesn't work despite being careful ect.
 
The real deal will be later this year when I have the 700 ready and try and introduce 3 tanks of fish with teeth together that never met.
 
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