PlanetCatfish.com

I have a Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus and a catfish blochii. They have been housed together for about 8 years. I received them about a year and a half ago from a friend who had them from when they were babies. The past 3 weeks they seem to be fighting. I don't know why. They are starting to damage each others fins. Both have chomped fins. They even fight during the day. I'm not sure why they are fighting, but I've seen the pleco chase the blochii. I named my plecoCujo, and my catfishSassy. Maybe Cujo wasn't the best name, lol. I don't have another tank, and I'm getting scared I might have to seperate them. Is it coming into breeding season or something. I don't know the sex of either of them. I have the pleco(5-6 inches), blochii (8 inches), raphael striped catfish (3-4 inches), and 3-2" gouramis in a 55 gallon. Do you think I need an upgrade, like a 75 gallon? I don't know what I should do. Today the pleco's top fin had a huge spot missing, and the blochii had pretty good size piece missing from his tail. I already have 5 tanks.............

Have you changed anything since they started fighting? Could it be over food?

They both like the same area of the tank. I don't think it's over food, but I don't really know for sure. I did add a fake silk plant to the tank, that they both seem to like. It's strange.

Is there enough hiding places in the tank for both fishes to have a nice place to hide? If in doubt, add more caves and such...

Fights between fish are for three reasons:
1. Food
2. "housing"
3. domninance to mate/spawn.

Since they are (completely) different species, we can rule out #3. And if you say it's not over food, then it's over a place to hide by process of elimination.

Also, it may help to completely re-organize the tank to make the fish re-start on the territories, rather than them both thinking "I'm familiar with this corner, I'll stay here and fight for it".

--
Mats

I think there was a case very similar to this a couple of years ago. Personally I think Pimelodus blochii should be kept in a shoal, as with Pimelodus pictus. When you've got just one, it either sulks and hides, swims up and down the tank all the time, or (as in this instance) becomes aggressive.

Sarajute wrote:Maybe Cujo wasn't the best name

Sounds like Cujo might be rabid....