Aggressive Bristlenose?

[SouthernCross]

I've had a little bristlenose for a couple of weeks now - it is still tiny - he is smaller than my corydoras. The problem is, he seems to be getting very aggressive at feeding time. I put in hikari sinking wafers and shrimp pellets for the corydoras - (the bristlenose gets veg and algae wafers too) but obviously no one sticks to their own food and tries to get a piece of everybody's. The problem is if the bristlnose finds a wafer or something, and one of the cories (or even one of the top dweller fish) comes over and tried to have some too - the bristlenose will jump up and chase them away, before coming back to hoard it all to himself. The other night I even saw him chase a bronze cory from the front to the back of the tank before coming all the way back to continue eating.

I usually put in multiple wafers, so its not a big deal - everyone's getting food somewhere, but I know the bristlenose have spines and he might be putting them out when chasing the others away - I'm worried he might do some serious damage to somebody . I can only imagine it might get worse as he/she gets bigger.

Thoughts? Do other people's bristlenoses do this?

 

[Teelie]

I doubt it. I've only ever seen my BN's flare with their spines and never use them against another fish. It's mostly a deterrent for other, larger fish to eat them than it is to poke at other fish. Bristlenoses are also omnivores and so they like protein in their diet. Worms, larvae or other sources of protein like that might help reduce some of the aggression or at least give them something else to focus on.

 

[SouthernCross]

Yeah the wafers and shrimp pellets I put in (mostly intended for the cories) are mostly protein - so he's getting it there when he steals it from them. Maybe that's why he likes them so much and guards them when he finds them so dutifully..., But yeah, I have five cories, so I usually put 2 wafers or 3 pellets in so I know everyones getting some. Because as soon as all the flake is eaten, my top dwellers - platies/gouramis/tetras are coming down also trying to have a nibble on the wafers too.

Thanks

 

[dane261]

its like saying to you would you share your mac donalds with someone thats what the bn is thinking with his wafer


cheers dane

 

[DarkEntity]

My male BN is very aggressive, he chases everything in the tank apart from the baby Polypterus lol

 

[SouthernCross]

But has he ever hurt anybody?

Seriously, when the chase is on, its ON in my tank. He literally had a cory zipping all over the tank trying to get away from him for at least 30 seconds...

Only ever when there's food to defend though.