bristlenose

[new2Lnumbers]

Will 2 female bristlenose fight over territory?

[Barbie]

Yes.

Barbie

[jimmyB]

So how big is a typical territory of an Albino bristlenose female, which is about 3.25" total length? I have 2 in a tank that is 36" x 18", and 30" tall. Lots of driftwood and artifical plants.

[drpleco]

So how big is a typical territory of an Albino bristlenose female, which is about 3.25" total length?

I would be interested in knowing this as well...

I have one male and four females in a 24" x 12" x 16" tank. This morning, I found my biggest (3.75")female dead. She appeared to be very scratched up from head to tail, and was also bloated. I don't know if she was chewed on overnight, or if she died from fighting. when I found her, her odentodes were locked in the outward position.

I have plenty of caves and haven't seen the fish fighting with eachother at all. Water quality is great and I do a 25-30% change every day. there are also some very small fry in there and all are healthy and thriving.

[Barbie]

They don't necessarily have a territory as much as they have a dominance hierarchy and the other fish are expected to hold to it, IME. The dominant female will be the one that gets to spawn with the male first, so it's a heavily battled for position until it's figured out. I've also had males kill females that wouldn't stop fighting to get into their caves to spawn when the males weren't ready. We definitely are forcing the fish into unnatural roles in keeping them in aquariums so much smaller than their natural habitat. It drastically limits their choices of males and also the way they handle territorial disputes.

Barbie

[nightowl1350]

They do have a definite hierarchy. My females will swish tails at eachother and chase around, but have never hurt eachother. I have one male with 3 females and they spawn regularly. They all spawn on the same day, but the one thing I've noticed it is in the same order. The largest female is first, then the second largest and then the smallest.

This has happened every time. It takes all day for them to lay eggs and the females who haven't layed yet wait by the cave for their turn. It is easy to tell by the flat tummy who has spawned.