SAEs fighting?

[lucy42083]

I have 3 SAEs (crossochcheilus siamensis) in a 29 gallon tank (always thought it was a 30 gal, measured it and it turns out its a 29). I've had one for about 6 months and the other two for about 4 months - they're about 3 inches, maybe 3 and a half right now. The other day, two of them got into it and wouldn't stop fighting and biting and chasing each other in circles for a couple hours. They finally broke it up only to do the next thing the following day at feeding time. Both seem to be fine, though one might be missing a scale or two (tough to tell), there is no other damage I can see. No one seems bullied or timid or stressed, but I've never had 2 fish fight like that, not even my male dwarf gouramis! They have chased each other a couple of times since then, but haven't really fought the past day or so. I was just wondering if this is normal, and if my tank is possibly too small for 3 of them? When I got them, I didn't realize their max. size was 6 inches.

 

[SchizotypalVamp]

Are you sure they are true SAEs btw?

 

[lucy42083]

Yeah I am, that's why I am confounded by the fighting. I will post a pic in a few mins - don't really have any good ones of them though.

 

[fishorama]

They do fight a bit to establish a pecking order but I haven't seen any damage. When my youngest 3 were small (1+ inch) they were in a 20 long, same foot print as a 29. As they grew they fought more. I moved 2 out & I will move the last 1 soon as he's 2 1/2-3 inches now, too big IMO for the tank.
One SAE I put in a 75 with a 5 inch one. The small 1 wanted to hang with the big but was snubbed or chased for about 2 months but now they rest near each other. The most aggressive 1 lives wth my clown loaches & sole surviving tiger barb. He chases the barb once in a while but I'm hoping he'll be nice to his old tankmate if I add him.

Do you have a larger tank when they get big? A 5 inch fish is a tight fit in a 29, 3 will be trouble.

 

[lucy42083]

Do you have a larger tank when they get big? A 5 inch fish is a tight fit in a 29, 3 will be trouble.

No, I don't have a larger tank (yet), and yeah, three 5 or 6-inch fish in a 29 is no good, I agree -- for some reason in my research I have written down their max. size as 3.5 in. and back when I planned my stocking that was what I was going with.

They have been playing together happily today in the bubbles like nothing ever happened, but I am sure the aggression will surface again.

We already have plans for a larger tank, 75 gallon planted, that we were planning to start up after we move a little over a year from now. I'm thinking with the way they've been growing, we may have to upgrade before the move? I was hoping to avoid moving a large tank somewhere 4 to 6 hours away - that was pretty much the only thing keeping us from upgrading sooner. So will we have to suck it up and start that 75 before then?

Anyway, the first 2 pics are my 1st SAE shortly after we got him, he looks so small! The other ones are more recent, the 4th pic was taken during/right after they were fighting and you can see a little bit how their usually solid black stripe got light and mottled when they were fighting.

 

[fishorama]

I haven't seen mine get blotchy like that, kinda like grayed-out loaches. My big 1 has gotten yellowish fins & is paler than he was.

If you have room now for a bigger tank you could keep an eye out for a good deal on craigs list. I like the size of a 75, will you do high light & CO2 or lower light, low tech? I have ~2 watts/gal. no CO2 but it's higher light than than my other tanks.(oops off topic)

 

[lucy42083]

Yeah, they looked like that (even more so than in the pic, black stripe was almost completely grayed out) while they were fighting, but within an hour after they stopped their stripe was completely black again. Weird.

But I guess we will be looking around for a good deal on a used 75 gal, I really just needed an excuse to upgrade to a bigger tank anyway. I just won't think about what a PITA it will be to move it. I was actually thinking of going ~2 wpg and no CO2 as well - low tech but hopefully enough light to get decent growth on some easy plants.

 

[cweg71]

I have 7 or 8 in a 125gal and they do have a pecking order. Mine will grey out and chase the hell out of each other. If 2 are fighting and another comes close, he gets chased as well. I have never seen any damage though.

 

[jones57742]

I am not a fish ID person by any means but I do not believe those to be SAE's.

Note the serious white reticulations in the black band which extend the length of the band.

Also note the white belly compared to the darker back.

TR

 

[lucy42083]

No, they are true SAEs.

I have not had anyone else so far tell me they look like anything other than true SAEs. I bought them through LiveAquaria which I have always had great success with and they assured me they were true SAEs. Looking at perhaps a dozen sites found on google, in every photo comparison I would say my fish look like true SAEs, and do not resemble flying foxes or false SAEs at all in my opinion. A couple of friends who have more fishkeeping experience than myself also assured me they were definitely true SAEs.

Also, as described in a couple of my replies above, usually the black band is very solidly black with no white reticulations whatsoever. When they were fighting, the black stripe grayed out almost completely, and when that photo was taken it was just beginning to get color back. Within the hour stripe was completely solid black again. Also, I don't know what you are talking about with the belly being slightly lighter than the back? Not exaggerating, I just went through 30+ photos on google images and pretty much every single true SAE had a lighter belly than back. Also have double-checked the sticky on this forum and I have no question they are SAEs.