Missing Scales

[MGrant]

Will a Chinese algae eater be aggressive enough to de-scale angels?
I have had a pair of tri colored angels in my 30 gl. with the algae eater for a few months now and suddenly both of the angels are missing a lot of there scales. They both seem to cower at the back of the tank. I had a dead tiger barb yesterday. It didn't look to have been bitten and had all fins intact.
This tank has a pair of Chinese algae eaters, six glo-fish, the pair of angels and now, one tiger barb. It has been set up for about eight months.
I,ve seen the angels spar together but not to the point of damage.
The algae eater is the bigger of the two in the tank, the other is much smaller and always hides. Can this fish be sucking the life from its tank-mates during the night?
Any ideas anyone?

[Lady Hobbs]

Yes. Get rid of it. They are aggressive, mean and useless IMO.

Thought I should add to this with an edit! Pleco's can not be kept with Discus for the same reason. Suckers like those flat sided fish. I don't "personally" know if Chinese Algae Eaters do this but they are aggressive and nasty and if this is another of their nasty traits, I wouldn't be surprised!

[Lady Hobbs]

As the algae eater (http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=chinesealgaeeater) matures he gets tired of working so hard. The sucker fish that used to be helpful and hardworking is now a pest, and quite a large one at that. This fish has the potential to grow up to 12 inches in length although captivity usually brings them up to only 6 inches. Mature algae eaters (http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=chinesealgaeeater) prefer meatier foods and they prey on the fish with broad, flat sides so that they can suction their mouths to it. They are quick enough to chaise down and suck slime coats off tankmates as they go by, stressing everyone else out and weakening their immune systems. Many fish die as a result of the algae (http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=algaeeaters) eater’s behaviors and this gives them a bad reputation in the aquarium industry.

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=chinesealgaeeaters

[MGrant]

Thank you! Want it? :)

[Lady Hobbs]

I had 5 of them and canned them!