sucker fish...............I think?

[neon]

I'm not sure what they're real name is.....they are quite ugly....but I do ugly.:yes:
when he was small...he was fine..........(they swim everywhere and eat the dirt etc.)
(they are often seen stuck to the tank while eating and they have big heads)

now that he is around 5 inches long, I saw him one day with my large scissor fish in his mouth chewing on it........:realmad:


girl at the pet store said once they get big...they may eat the fish......so he is going back to the pet store.

why on earth didn't she tell me that when I bought him? She knows me well and knows I have a community tank?

do they all do this, as the past month I have either found fish dead, or they have disappered and one has a bite mark on his head.:realmad:

[GaryofMontreal]

How do you know he is killing the fish, rather than scavenging them? No fish eats dirt, so he may be one hungry fish if he wasn't being given food specific to his needs.

The big question is - what is he? Unless it's the "Chinese algae eater", the story from the clerk sounds fishy - like a guess.

[Laura]

It sounds like a pleco. They don't hunt fish, but it one politely died, it wouldn't turn down the free meal.
They come in different sizes depending on sp., and there are lots of species.....

[neon]

How do you know he is killing the fish, rather than scavenging them? No fish eats dirt, so he may be one hungry fish if he wasn't being given food specific to his needs.

The big question is - what is he? Unless it's the "Chinese algae eater", the story from the clerk sounds fishy - like a guess.

I shouldn't have said dirt...these suck off something off the glass, rocks, etc.

-he is given 3 tablets of algae each week........which is more than recommended.

I saw it one day with the scissor fish in his mouth.......

[neon]

It sounds like a pleco. They don't hunt fish, but it one politely died, it wouldn't turn down the free meal.
They come in different sizes depending on sp., and there are lots of species.....



thank you......I will google that and see what it looks like.

[neon]

Hi Laura, I did google and mine is a pleco........thank you so much.:yes::yes:



As I had done some research I've also read of plecs eating other fish and becoming quite aggressive. It is likely my plec, ate my mollies. Plecs are nocturnal so sleeping fish at night are easy prey for them, which I had no idea of, especially if the fish are small, now some of mine are not that small.......LOL.. The plecs will also "suck" other fishes slime coat off because it is a source of protein. This means that even if your fish are too big for him to swallow, he may be sucking their sides at night and leaving them vulnerable to other infections.


As they grow larger plecostamus become more aggressive and more hungry than when they were small. If the algae source is low which in my tank, there is none, then they will turn to alternative sources of food. I will be feeding mine those algae tablets nightly now, before I go to bed and hopefully he will keep off my other fish. I think the bristlenose plecs are what I've heard is best recommended for a community tank because they stay small and are more peaceful.



funny Laura, how I had mentioned losing my mollies.

I just bought 2 black mollies one week ago...one died and the other is missing.

[GaryofMontreal]

"Plecs" are hundreds of species of Loracariid catfish, with only a couple being common as inexpensive aquarium fish. They don't hunt fish. They scavenge the dead sometimes, even though they are algae eaters. I've had some jump on late stages dying fish, but even that is uncommon unless they are really hungry.

The bite marks on your fish are probably the result of post death munching.

This isn't opinion. You should take the time to look up and research any fish you plan to keep before you get it. "Plecos" may be the fish where this is most called for, since some grow to 18 inches in the fishtank. They are one of the most common "mistake" buys in the hobby, where we get fish we discover we can't care for as they grow (and it's hard to unload a big pleco).

They eat enormous amounts of food, and poop accordingly. A five inch common pleco is good for a couple of algae wafers per night.

They do kill other fish in a small tank because they pollute the water with their wastes. You have to change a lot of water with a common pleco type catfish. That could be the cause of your fish deaths, but I doubt it's the pleco hunting. You'd have to have a rare psychopathic vegetarian turned carnivore....

[CACAdmin]

I did have an incident a few years ago with a common pleco and a molly. He didn't eat it but latched onto it. It could have been that the initial molly wasn't well (had purchased 3 and lost 2), insufficient protein in his diet, a territorial dispute or any combination of the above as he did latch onto the molly. The discussion thread is this one: http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377.

My mistake was to get common plecos which would quickly outgrow a tank. They grow too large for the average tank. I rehomed both my commons and switched to smaller plecos like BN's and a clown which are a treat to have around and are a source of constant entertainment.

[thegrandpoohbah]

I agree with Gary on this. Neon, that person's opinion that you quoted was just that: an opinion. And not a very well educated one at that.

What size tank do you have? If I recall correctly it was a smaller tank and is relatively new. As Gary mentioned a 5" common pleco eats a lot and poops even more, thus polluting the water. I would do some water tests and check your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Mollies tend to be rather sensitive and do not tolerate poor water quality. You may just simply need to do more frequent and/or larger water changes.

And as mentioned, you may want to think about re-homing the pleco now while he is still relativey small. It becomes harder to do that when it is 12+ inches. A Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.) would be a good alternative. They max out around 4-6".

[neon]

"Plecs" are hundreds of species of Loracariid catfish, with only a couple being common as inexpensive aquarium fish. They don't hunt fish. They scavenge the dead sometimes, even though they are algae eaters. I've had some jump on late stages dying fish, but even that is uncommon unless they are really hungry.

The bite marks on your fish are probably the result of post death munching.

This isn't opinion. You should take the time to look up and research any fish you plan to keep before you get it. "Plecos" may be the fish where this is most called for, since some grow to 18 inches in the fishtank. They are one of the most common "mistake" buys in the hobby, where we get fish we discover we can't care for as they grow (and it's hard to unload a big pleco).

They eat enormous amounts of food, and poop accordingly. A five inch common pleco is good for a couple of algae wafers per night.

They do kill other fish in a small tank because they pollute the water with their wastes. You have to change a lot of water with a common pleco type catfish. That could be the cause of your fish deaths, but I doubt it's the pleco hunting. You'd have to have a rare psychopathic vegetarian turned carnivore....

There is so much I do need to learn. A post death munching sounds to me like other fish know that fish is ill.....thing is,that fish is alive and doing quite well.

I had looked closer at him today, he is around 3 inches long.....

My tank is a 28gallon hexagon if that helps, but I don`t think of it as smaller tank.

[neon]

I did have an incident a few years ago with a common pleco and a molly. He didn't eat it but latched onto it. It could have been that the initial molly wasn't well (had purchased 3 and lost 2), insufficient protein in his diet, a territorial dispute or any combination of the above as he did latch onto the molly. The discussion thread is this one: http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377.

My mistake was to get common plecos which would quickly outgrow a tank. They grow too large for the average tank. I rehomed both my commons and switched to smaller plecos like BN's and a clown which are a treat to have around and are a source of constant entertainment.

Mine would be a common pleco also Jay as my fish store only sells regular fish and all of her tanks have the pleco in them.

mine is a 28 gallon hexagon, maybe there are to many fish in my tank.

[neon]

I agree with Gary on this. Neon, that person's opinion that you quoted was just that: an opinion. And not a very well educated one at that.

What size tank do you have? If I recall correctly it was a smaller tank and is relatively new. As Gary mentioned a 5" common pleco eats a lot and poops even more, thus polluting the water. I would do some water tests and check your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Mollies tend to be rather sensitive and do not tolerate poor water quality. You may just simply need to do more frequent and/or larger water changes.

And as mentioned, you may want to think about re-homing the pleco now while he is still relativey small. It becomes harder to do that when it is 12+ inches. A Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.) would be a good alternative. They max out around 4-6".


Hi!

I have a 28 gallon hexagon that I have had now for 8 months.......and as I really had a good chance to look at him today (whenever I go near the tank, he swims away) he would be around 3 inches).

I do at quarter tank change once a week, due to a major ammonia problem months ago, filters are washed out then and changed every 2 weeks.

[thegrandpoohbah]

Have you checked your water parameters lately? What kind of filter are you using? One thing I dislike about some of the HOB filters is that you have to change all of the media at once which can result in mini ammonia/nitrite spikes.

[GaryofMontreal]

I have to say that I hate common plecos, although I really like Ancistrus and other cats. The commonly available pleco is just too big for a 28 gallon, and a 28 is not a small tank. They're monsters.

So the fish that got bitten is still alive?

Weird pattern. Other than Jay's experience, I've never heard of a pleco going after a swimming fish. Even if the intent were there, I never thought they could catch anything. They swim like I play hockey.
Then again, the shape of the hex might limit escape for a targeted fish. I'd trade in the pleco and get an ancistrus if I could find one - or live pleco free.

[Laura]

My BN used to get grumpy and chase my goldies, scraping at their tails with his mouth. He tended to do this esp when there was something yummy in the tank, or when a fish was too near his cave (he was a mite territorial). I don't think he ever did them damage, although there was one time a goldie had his tail destroyed - I never did work out why.

Even given that, I would be surprised to see one actively hunt a healthy fish. I can only imagine it if it was extremely hungry and if the fish was extremely weak.

If it's a common plec and not a bn, he will get too big for the tank and poop it up a lot while he's growing. If it hasn't gotten bigger than 3" in 8 mths, perhaps it's a smaller sp like a bn.

You say you clean the filters every 2 weeks - can you describe what you're doing? Do you wash out the pads in old tank water or chlorinated water?

[neon]

Have you checked your water parameters lately? What kind of filter are you using? One thing I dislike about some of the HOB filters is that you have to change all of the media at once which can result in mini ammonia/nitrite spikes.


B filters and I use two.

[neon]

I have to say that I hate common plecos, although I really like Ancistrus and other cats. The commonly available pleco is just too big for a 28 gallon, and a 28 is not a small tank. They're monsters.

So the fish that got bitten is still alive?

Weird pattern. Other than Jay's experience, I've never heard of a pleco going after a swimming fish. Even if the intent were there, I never thought they could catch anything. They swim like I play hockey.
Then again, the shape of the hex might limit escape for a targeted fish. I'd trade in the pleco and get an ancistrus if I could find one - or live pleco free.


this is werid......as the sell them for any size tank.

yes, the swordfish that gotten bitten is alive and doing fine.

i`m thinking the same thing........the design of my tank....so I am now feeding him every night and see what happens...if it doesn`t improve.....my pet store will take him back.

[neon]

My BN used to get grumpy and chase my goldies, scraping at their tails with his mouth. He tended to do this esp when there was something yummy in the tank, or when a fish was too near his cave (he was a mite territorial). I don't think he ever did them damage, although there was one time a goldie had his tail destroyed - I never did work out why.

Even given that, I would be surprised to see one actively hunt a healthy fish. I can only imagine it if it was extremely hungry and if the fish was extremely weak.

If it's a common plec and not a bn, he will get too big for the tank and poop it up a lot while he's growing. If it hasn't gotten bigger than 3" in 8 mths, perhaps it's a smaller sp like a bn.

You say you clean the filters every 2 weeks - can you describe what you're doing? Do you wash out the pads in old tank water or chlorinated water?

oh see your was doing the same thing, being aggressive and from what I read yesterday, its usually due to lack of food.

I was only putting in 2 algae tables....once a week...and that food is also for my snail.

I bought him around 2 months ago...and is 3 inches long...

so I will now feed them nightly, and keep a close eye on him and because of the style of the tank...see, I hate to give him up......I love him....hes just so ugly...LOL

[thegrandpoohbah]

B filters and I use two.
Sorry, no idea what that means. What brand of filter is it? Do you change both filter cartridges at the same time or do you stagger them?

[GaryofMontreal]

The selling of fish that are too big is part of the buyer beware side of the hobby. I love ugly Loracariid catfish, and I've had to learn that. Soon to be oversized plecos are easy to mass produce and cheap, but they outgrow most tanks. Stores get them for next to nothing, and prefer to sell them over the smaller, more appropriate ancistrus because of their price. They aren't algae eaters past a certain point, and most die of starvation as they outgrow their food supply. Or, they die of their own wastes fouling a too small tank.
Stores will never tell you this, in part because the minimum wage sellers often don't know it. They've sold the same old plecos for decades - why change? It's a mentality that harms their businesses, but it goes hand in hand with our wish to always get the cheapest fish, a mentality that harms our hobby.
A pleco can retail at $3-5. A better suited catfish usually runs at around $9 or up.
If you don't have a good fish book that gives eventual sizes, ecological needs, diet and such for all the fish you consider buying, and that you use before you ever bring a fish home, this hobby can be frustrating and can become a good thing you stopped doing very easily. It's a reader's hobby, really.

[catinthehat]

Gary, I couldn't agree more which is why there are so many people with an empty tank in their basement..So many shops are only interested in the sale at the moment and not the long term good of each individual new fish keeper.....

[thegrandpoohbah]

On the flip side, you have lots of consumers who don't give a rats behind and just want the cheapest fish available. I worked at a LFS for 1.5 years and more times than not, my attempts to persuade someone from buying an unsuitable fish was wasted effort. I've sold many 2" common plecos to people with 10G tanks AFTER informing them that they can grow to 18" long. I've even offended many customers by doing that. I had one guy walk out on me loudly proclaiming that he had never had such difficulty getting help at a pet store. I was trying to convince him that buying 3 2" plecos for a 10G tank that already housed 10 2" fancy goldfish was a bad idea...

Like Gary says, it makes it easier to be successful in this hobby if you research first. Don't trust every pet store employee that you talk to. It may take more time to buy a fish if you have to go home first and research it on the internet but you will be less likely to get one that is incompatible with your tank.

[neon]

The selling of fish that are too big is part of the buyer beware side of the hobby. I love ugly Loracariid catfish, and I've had to learn that. Soon to be oversized plecos are easy to mass produce and cheap, but they outgrow most tanks. Stores get them for next to nothing, and prefer to sell them over the smaller, more appropriate ancistrus because of their price. They aren't algae eaters past a certain point, and most die of starvation as they outgrow their food supply. Or, they die of their own wastes fouling a too small tank.
Stores will never tell you this, in part because the minimum wage sellers often don't know it. They've sold the same old plecos for decades - why change? It's a mentality that harms their businesses, but it goes hand in hand with our wish to always get the cheapest fish, a mentality that harms our hobby.
A pleco can retail at $3-5. A better suited catfish usually runs at around $9 or up.
If you don't have a good fish book that gives eventual sizes, ecological needs, diet and such for all the fish you consider buying, and that you use before you ever bring a fish home, this hobby can be frustrating and can become a good thing you stopped doing very easily. It's a reader's hobby, really.


Oh I know how the market works out there.......just din`t think after going there for 9 months she would pull a fast one over on me.........

before I buy anything now........I will read up on it first.

if he goes......then I will buy a catfish.

[neon]

lGary, I couldn't agree more which is why there are so many people with an empty tank in their basement..So many shops are only interested in the sale at the moment and not the long term good of each individual new fish keeper.....


that`s what made me angry as I had asked her why didn`t you tell me they could become aggressive in a community tank....she said all of them don`t.

she also should have told me to feed him more often than once a week, 2 tablets...and those are also for my snail.....and that was just last week.


I am now putting in 3 per night.......so well see.

[neon]

On the flip side, you have lots of consumers who don't give a rats behind and just want the cheapest fish available. I worked at a LFS for 1.5 years and more times than not, my attempts to persuade someone from buying an unsuitable fish was wasted effort. I've sold many 2" common plecos to people with 10G tanks AFTER informing them that they can grow to 18" long. I've even offended many customers by doing that. I had one guy walk out on me loudly proclaiming that he had never had such difficulty getting help at a pet store. I was trying to convince him that buying 3 2" plecos for a 10G tank that already housed 10 2" fancy goldfish was a bad idea...

Like Gary says, it makes it easier to be successful in this hobby if you research first. Don't trust every pet store employee that you talk to. It may take more time to buy a fish if you have to go home first and research it on the internet but you will be less likely to get one that is incompatible with your tank.


this consumer should give a rats ...this family has been in businesses for over 30years.......now I may find out I am wrong at guessing where the others went.

I had also lost all of my guppies.... I would say at least 10 now....boughten at different times and well know places....Big Al`s was one.


who knows....but time with proper food will tell me.