Aggresive bristlenose

[susiejames101]

Hi
Have any of you had any problems with aggresion with a bristlenose pleco? I was led to believe he would be an easy going tankmate for our puffer but he seems very territorial and I have seen him lunge at the puffer a few times and twice I have caught him sitting on the puffer when he was buried in the sand!! The puffer puffed this evening so we are going to return him to the LFS tomorrow.We are a bit sad about it as he was our first fish but the puffer seems terribly stressed now and is not eating a lot, so he has to go

 

[Karnaaj]

What size tank do you have them in? I have always considered bristlenoses to be territorial. Maybe if you had more fish in the tank it would help. I wouldn't keep a bristlenose in anything smaller than a 30g tank.

 

[Blinky]

I've got a 3" bristlenose in my 65g, he's VERY territorial. He's incredibly protective of his algae wafers and the cave he's made at the base of the driftwood, and will chase off any fish who get too close when he's eating.

 

[nursie]

I had a bristlenose in a 50 gal tank and he was very terrotorial also. He kept my loaches in hiding and the driftwood was HIS!!!