Need Advice- Bristlenose Pleco

[Obsidian]

Hello,
My bristlenose seems to be very protective of food that sinks. I have been watching her attack other fish for several seconds at a time before they can get away from her. She mostly seems to like going after the Cories.

My question is how dangerous is this behavior? Can they withstand some of this? Or should I bring her back to the fish store due to her aggression? She only does it when I feed the sinking food (1-2 times a week), and I am careful to spread that across as much of the tank as possible. I notice that everyone gets more aggressive during this time, but with her she is able to actually attack. I don't want my Cories to be hurt.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. I really like her but I am worried about the others.

[Clerk]

Well, if you are feeding your bottom feeders only 1-2 times a week, I wouldn't be surprised if their protective of their food.

[Obsidian]

I hadn't been worrying about it because they all come to the top when I feed the flakes. I will try increasing the sinking food though and see if that helps.

[jones57742]

Originally Posted by Obsidian

I hadn't been worrying about it because they all come to the top when I feed the flakes. I will try increasing the sinking food though and see if that helps.

Ob:

Top feeders eat food on the surface and bottom feeders eat food on the bottom.

This example is simplistic but I believe to be informative.
I have never seen a yellow cat, blue cat or channel cat break the surface of the water to get food but have seen many bass, perch and minnows do so.

I have quite a bit of experience with sterbai but limited experience with bristlenose plecos.

Based on this experience I believe that when the sterbai are really hustling groceries on the bottom of the tank and the bristlenoses are not bothering them that I have achieved an appropriate feeding protocol.

I have fed spirulina wafers, algae wafers and sinking shrimp pellets (as well as frozen blood worms and brine shrimp) and still do but more infrequently as I now mostly feed my home made mixtures.


Have you made one of my recipes and fed it.

The mixture will disperse such that the top feeders, the mid level feeders and the bottom feeders are happy.

TR

[mousey]

My BN is also protective of it's food.It comes to the front of the tank every morning waiting for it's bit of algae tab. When it sinks, it huddles over it. If the horse faced loach gets near the food it is chased away by the BN.
Other than eating time the 2 seem to get along ok. Sometimes I put in cucumber for the BN. It will eat that in preference to the algae. That leaves the loach with a bit more food.

[Obsidian]

I have narrowed it down: she only protects shrimp pellets. She chases away from algae wafers, but does not try to latch on like she does with the pellets. I will increase the shrimp so it is not so much of a "treat." When I fed those last night she attacked still but it was much less than the night before. She leaves them alone otherwise from what I can tell.

Crossing fingers it will work out.

[Chloe'n'Holly]

I just read an aritcle all about cories and other "bottom feeders" that said you should feed them as often as the other fish because contrary to popular belief that do not scavange all of their food, they just prefer to eat food that is found on the bottom of a river/lake/stream/ocean/tank etc etc...

I am no expert but just thought I would toss that out there.