leo question need some help

[rico327]

hey all,
ok i had a 30 gal tank with 3 juvenile leos (all females). 2 are the same size and the other is a tad smaller. now one of the leos that is the same size as the other began to become a little aggressive. i talked to someone and i heard that that can happen with females when they become stressed or feel threated. but the main point of the question is the other 2 that were being nipped at and bothered. i seperated the one that was attacking the others into another tank, but the other seem like they havent been shedding right. there will be pieves of shed on them on parts of there body and it seems like there all also little scabs on then also that are forming. idk if all of this is just occuring from stress or something like that from before it was seperated from the other 2. the other thing is that before i removed the little nibbler it clampped onto the tip of the other leos tail that is the same size of it and it took a few secs to get it off and it seemed like it made some skin, well wat looked like it was shedding not likr ripped skin off and cause a cut, but now it seems like the tip is a little stiff now, not softer like the upper parts. and the last thing is it seems like there hasnt been weight loss but it doesnt seem like there has been weight gain either. the only reason i ask about the weight thing is because the removed leo has become larger and its tail and weight has gone up.

sorry this is so long, and any type of help is greatly appreciated.
thank you all very much
RICO

 

[aliceinwl]

The abraded areas you're talking about could easily be the result of bites. These abrasions become particularly evident as the leo approaches a shed. If the abrasions are minor, they should disappear with the next shed.

In terms of the tail injury, the aggressor may have removed the surface layer of skin. Circulation isn't great in the tail so this could happen without any bleeding. As the wound scabs, the tail will appear harder in that area. If it went deep enough, the tail tissue might also be dead in which case it would harden and eventually fall off. You'll have to wait and see which is the case, but watch the area for stuck skin the next time the leo sheds, because injuries in this area can predispose them to problems.

There could have been some competition for food going on the big tank. What were you feeding? Is it possible prey items were hiding in the big tank rather than being consumed? Maybe also now that the scrapper doesn't have anyone to fight with, she's placing more importance on eating. As juvies approach adult hood they will also naturally start to become pudgier as the food goes to fat rather than growth. So, the weight gain could be due to several factors.

Although not unheard of, there are not usually any problems with 3 well fed females in a tank as large as 30 gallons. Have you double checked the sexes of these guys? Some males are late bloomers and males will fight.

-Alice