B. Vaillantii Aggression/Territorial?

[Blakewater]

Has anyone else had experience with their LauLau's [or other Brachyplatystomas] not necessarily going out of there way to chase/hurt other bottom dwellers, but becoming pretty territorial over a portion of the tank? Mine is around 6" and currently shares the bottom of the tank with two 8" RTC's, one 7" Common Pleco and 1x 14" Achara. Pretty much all day he's snuggled up on top of, or next to my Achara in the back corner but if the Pleco, RTC's, or even a Datnoid come by into the area he will relentlessly pursue them out. Even if it comes to fin nipping. I ask because I wanted to know if this is the natural behavior or if he feels too exposed and could be doing it out of a stressed out defense. I have plenty of wood in the tank but nothing big enough to cover the full body.

 

[Rpul]

Has anyone else had experience with their LauLau's [or other Brachyplatystomas] not necessarily going out of there way to chase/hurt other bottom dwellers, but becoming pretty territorial over a portion of the tank? Mine is around 6" and currently shares the bottom of the tank with two 8" RTC's, one 7" Common Pleco and 1x 14" Achara. Pretty much all day he's snuggled up on top of, or next to my Achara in the back corner but if the Pleco, RTC's, or even a Datnoid come by into the area he will relentlessly pursue them out. Even if it comes to fin nipping. I ask because I wanted to know if this is the natural behavior or if he feels too exposed and could be doing it out of a stressed out defense. I have plenty of wood in the tank but nothing big enough to cover the full body.

My vallantii has always been a pain over his usual spot with tank mates. Something they lose when older I’ve seen.

 

[Fishman Dave]

No experience of Vaillantii but in my experience Brachyplatystoma are not a group of cats which either care for or require cover or caves of any kind (and I love to provide seascape for my cats). If I have a cave of any sort mine will swim above it, presumably just because the flow is faster there. The achara on the other hand is completely different, that will want to be under something. Maybe being next to the achara calms it down and that in turn helps the Vaillantii so they have an agreement on that back corner. ?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

My experience with one and only vaillantii is similar to Rpul's.

When it was 8"-12" in a 240 gal, all other Brachyplatystoma tank mates it had ever been housed with carried some fin damage, except the vaillantii, who had been always intact; although I have almost never caught it in action, it must have been done by night.

The fish has been in a 4500 gal from 12" to the current roughly 22" (either didn't grow or grew 1"-2" a year in the last couple of years) and it seems to have mellowed down but not entirely. It's dorsal remained badly and permanently damaged from the younger years of fighting and establishing itself in the 4500 gal and it often carries damage these days too from what I assume are night scuffles as there are plenty of well armed and aggressive fish in the tank.

Also vaillantii is the only smaller and younger Brachy that has been successful and long-term-surviving in that 4500 gal, apart from the much larger piraibas. Capapretum, tigrinum, and platynemum all got killed off in that tank, sooner or later. Juruense almost got killed, I got lucky and pulled it out in the nick of time. Vaillantii is the only one that remains, in agreement with it being more assertively natured (read more aggressive) fish.

I agree with Dave too in that none of the Brachies need cover whatsoever it seems.

 

[Blakewater]

My experience with one and only vaillantii is similar to Rpul's.

When it was 8"-12" in a 240 gal, all other Brachyplatystoma tank mates it had ever been housed with carried some fin damage, except the vaillantii, who had been always intact; although I have almost never caught it in action, it must have been done by night.

The fish has been in a 4500 gal from 12" to the current roughly 22" (either didn't grow or grew 1"-2" a year in the last couple of years) and it seems to have mellowed down but not entirely. It's dorsal remained badly and permanently damaged from the younger years of fighting and establishing itself in the 4500 gal and it often carries damage these days too from what I assume are night scuffles as there are plenty of well armed and aggressive fish in the tank.

Also vaillantii is the only smaller and younger Brachy that has been successful and long-term-surviving in that 4500 gal, apart from the much larger piraibas. Capapretum, tigrinum, and platynemum all got killed off in that tank, sooner or later. Juruense almost got killed, I got lucky and pulled it out in the nick of time. Vaillantii is the only one that remains, in agreement with it being more assertively natured (read more aggressive) fish.

I agree with Dave too in that none of the Brachies need cover whatsoever it seems.

Interesting, alright I guess he's just going through his grumpy teenage years. Good to know and thanks for the info!