PlanetCatfish.com

Hello,

I have recently moved all my fish to a 250 gallon tank. The fishes are: some clown knifefishes together with 5 H.Fossilis and a synodontis hybrid(http://www.sethputnam.com/xx/synodontis2.JPG). They lived in peace in a 40 gallon tank earlier, now a week or so after the move, all knifefishes have been bitten quite much, small pieces are missing from their fins.

I know from experience that the knifes normally squabble a bit but these wounds are very different. It seems like the fossilis also have bite marks, don't know if they are the same though. They might fight eachother at night or something.

All fishes are about 3" - 4".

So who's to blame? the H.fossilis or the synodontis?

All suggestions are very appreciated!

Thanks
-FB

fossilis usually isn't nippy.

I'd suspect the hybrid; hybrids often show a lot more agression, take for example the "famous" Flowerhorns.....

their ancestors aren't wussies, but the hybrid Flowerhorn is a true menace, comparable to Mystus wyckii.
I'm not surprised if the Syno is the culprit; not in the least because he's also equipped with the kind of teeth (multi-pointed moveable scratchers comparable with a tiny garden-rake) fossilis doesn't have (those have bands of very fine densely packed single-pointed teeth, comparable with fine sandpaper).

Syno's -non-hybrid ones as well- can and do a lot of damage to each other when new territories have to be eshtablished; my group of petricola's for example see no difficulties ripping fin-partss, whole whiskers (!!) and skinparts off each other (or other fish) after moving the group to another tank.....

It's possible that the knives are reinstating the order of their group. I had the same with my black ghosts: they went on very well together (7 fishes), I did a huge redecoration in the tank and within days 1 animal looked like a dog had been chewing on it. This happened a couple of times and at this moment I have 3 individuals left.....
I can't judge from here, but don't wipe this possibility out.

Interesting, the synodontis is staying uner the same root as the knifes, it diden't do that in the old setup...

I shall try to remove it, and see if things get better.

I'll keep you posted

-F

It seems like tranquility has returned. I never knew synodontis cats could be so vicious, a lesson learned.

The syno now goes with a big Polypterus endlicheri, so now it won't be able to harm anyone

Thank you!