Spinach Aggression

[FroFro]

My BN plec, who I at first found funny when she'd get moody about spinach leaves, has become territorial to the point I might have to stop feeding spinach or fresh veggies in the future. I don't want to do this as this is the first food I've seen her respond to so well. She shows little interest in algae wafers, brine shrimp pellets or freeze dried food or flakes. I honestly don't know what she lived on prior to this.

I placed two leaves in the tank. One high up on the glass in the veggie clip and another weighed down by the edge of some driftwood. My angels started showing an interest in the one on the glass as the BN claimed the ground one for herself and chased off any curious mouths. I came back to my room when I heard something smack against the tank hood. Apparently she did something enough to cause my largest angel to smack itself against the hood in its rush to get away from her. I know it was her because she decided to finish the leaf on the clip first and none of my angels would go near it again. Usually they don't care who is eating food, as long as they can reach it they'll eat it. Lesson learned, don't place the clip so high next time.

Has anyone had this issue before or something similar? My angel is not hurt thankfully and showed great interest in the blood worms I fed him for his trouble. Should I put more leaves in next time? Or perhaps hide one in the coconut cave so that if she wants it she needs to go inside and therefore can't see any of the other fish on the other leaf?

 

[hobby5]

Difficult question, as we know not enough about your fish. It is quite normal that BN plecs claim the food and defend it against other fish. This also happens with pellets etc. So I would not blame it on the spinach. I suspect that your BN has just become confident and large enough to exhibit this kind of behaviour. So it is always wise to feed many small and distributed portions of food simultaneously, so no single fish can claim all or most of it.

 

[NickAu]

Now that he/she is confident in the tank try teaching him to be hand fed, Wash your hands ( do not use any type of soap just clean water) grab a bit of spinach and hold it near the bottom in no time your BN will be eating out of your hand.