Help bichir bullying

[senegalrb]

Ive read online why my 10 inch senegal is nipping my 5-6 inch delhzi's fin. Ive kept senegal alone in a 60 gal tank, and everytime i introduce the smaller delhzi(numerous attempts) the next morning the fins are ripped to shreds and bleeding, soo i scoop it out and put it back to the old tank, i think the senegal is just alittle territorial, soo my question will the aggression subside if i left my poor delzhi in with the senegal? Like let them work on their issues on their own? What should i do? I really want them to get along. I literally saw my senegal bitting the tail and pulling my delhzi down.

Ps i dont want to add anymore fish to the tank. Just the senegal and delzhi.

 

[DMD123]

You are adding a new fish to an established fishes territory. This will continue to happen and with just the two of them. Some ideas, I know you dont want more but aggression gets spread out more with more polys and no one fish get the brunt of it. You might consider removing all decor so that things to get territorial about are gone. Keep the polys well fed seems to help too, a fat happy poly seems more content and calm. And of course there is always trying it out in a bigger tank...

 

[senegalrb]

You are adding a new fish to an established fishes territory. This will continue to happen and with just the two of them. Some ideas, I know you dont want more but aggression gets spread out more with more polys and no one fish get the brunt of it. You might consider removing all decor so that things to get territorial about are gone. Keep the polys well fed seems to help too, a fat happy poly seems more content and calm. And of course there is always trying it out in a bigger tank...

I understand thank you for the feedback. i have another tank with a piebald walking catfish. Can i add that with the two bichirs? And its a heavily planted tank. I really love the plants. I feed my bichirs 3-5 times a day. Yet the senegal loves to bully my delhzi.

 

[DMD123]

I wouldnt trust the cat with the bichir.

 

[kno4te]

Those bichirs will get sucked up like spaghetti with a waking cat.

 

[senegalrb]

Those bichirs will get sucked up like spaghetti with a waking cat.

Ohh thanks for that advice lol now i know i wont mix those. Ill try and get the decors out of the way. Thanks man you rock

 

[clm08k]

have you tried introducing a delhezi at the same size as the senegal? something the same size might be able to fend for itself.....especially if you only want two fish in the tank. Otherwise, the aggression will probably continue unless if: 1} agressor (senegal) is removed. 2} victim (delhezi) is removed or 3} a 3rd party is added. MORE POLYS! haha kidding. but could help dissipate the aggression.

Have you tried rearranging all the decorations in the tank? Sometimes this confuses the fish and allows them to re-establish territories.

 

[JurassicFrank]

My polys never attack each other, but i always had "cichid temper made tanks" so that help making them not so territorial.

I agree with clm08k, before trying more invasive ways, i'll try to move all the decorations in the tank. when i add the male with the female, it worked great. they chose their "spots", altrough they often swim togheter. Maybe, also depends how do you move them. i'm more sure about cichids, but if you make to have "no eye contact" zone in the tank, it will really help. plants like vallisneria are perfect for this.

If even that wouldn't work... well .. remove everithing, or add other polys.