Will my clown loaches keep attacking my bichir?

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Reventon

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 24, 2011
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Chicago
I have a school of 9 tiger barbs with 3 clown loaches, I also recently got a bichir. My tiger barbs kept nipping at my bichir and now my clown loaches started to. I have the tank divided right now and am looking to sell the tiger barbs, but if I get rid of the tiger barbs will my clown loaches still attack the bichir? My bichir is 3 inches if I get another bigger one will they still attack it?
 
So are the clown loaches bite the bichir?
 
i'd watch out on buying another bichir but if you do make sure they're the same size...long story short i had 2 bichirs combine into one...if ya know what i mean.
 
Theyre not really biting him(like his flesh) but they are nipping him, small difference. And I would sell the small one before I get the big one
 
yea i agrees maybe get another bichir depending on how many you want so that one might not be the target always
 
i've also heard plecos are bad for bichirs, something about them latching on the side of them. i'll take my chances cause my plecs are some of my tank favorites.
 
cali~budfish;5089900; said:
i've also heard plecos are bad for bichirs, something about them latching on the side of them. i'll take my chances cause my plecs are some of my tank favorites.
I have a BN pleco in with my 3 bichir and all he does is hide in his cave and doesn't brother the bichirs.
 
cali~budfish;5089900; said:
i've also heard plecos are bad for bichirs, something about them latching on the side of them. i'll take my chances cause my plecs are some of my tank favorites.

Sometimes they can get a taste for slime coat on any slow moving fish. This is usually due to improper feeding of plecos.

As far as clown loaches, I think the small number you're keeping them in could be contributing. They can actually get really aggressive when kept in small numbers. They can't really bite due to their mouth shape, but they do have the spines right below their eyes that can cause damage, and the rough behavior can stess a fish anyway and cause health issues.

My suggestion would be to add more clown loaches to spread out aggression between them. Another thing you could try is isolating the clowns for a bit and seeing if that "resets" the behavior--this works with aggressive cichlids sometimes as well.
 
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