fish eating goldfish

**lukester85** · 10-21-2012, 02:42 PM

Hi,

Came here looking for some advice, we have two sucker fish (don't know the type) one yellowish and one greyish. The grey one is fine and eats the stuff on the stones but the yellow one seems aggressive towards one of our two goldfish and are wondering why.

It doing to the goldfish like one of those fish that attach themselves to sharks in the sea and is eating away its dorsal fin and a lot of the scales on its back. The goldfish is a gonner pretty much but would like to know if this type of sucker fish is predatory and likely to do it again to the next fish or if some thing else is going on. My thought as its not doing this to other fish is the goldfish has a parasite or something on it and the sucker is helpfully cleaning it.

Image of the offending sucker is attached...

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide.

Luke

**Aeonflame** · 10-21-2012, 03:01 PM

Thats an albino chinese algae eater. They can be aggressive towards other fish and feed on their slime coat.

**madagascariensis** · 10-21-2012, 03:28 PM

that fish is a chinese algae eater. They are sold to unsuspecting people who think that this species will actually combat the algae in their tank. Unfortunately the name is misleading and these fish will not only stop eating algae when they mature, they will also grow to half a foot long and terrorize everything else in the tank in the fashion you have experienced.

**AllenIsbell** · 10-21-2012, 03:29 PM

HOLY RESIZE PICTURE, BATMAN.

Do you think it could be the goldfish causing the problem with the one "aggressive" algae eater?

Goldfish can be especially temperamental against fish that aren't a type of goldfish or Koi.

**lukester85** · 10-21-2012, 04:54 PM

Thanks for the replies, i am looking into what i can do to prevent this now i know the type of fish. Maybe going back to the pet shop to swap for a new goldfish!

Cheers
luke

**AllenIsbell** · 10-21-2012, 05:14 PM

See compatibility for goldfish:

http://www.petco.com/assets/livefish...aterChart.html

**Goes to 11!** · 10-21-2012, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by lukester85

Thanks for the replies, i am looking into what i can do to prevent this now i know the type of fish. Maybe going back to the pet shop to swap for a new goldfish!

What size tank is this?

**lukester85** · 10-21-2012, 08:45 PM

i have lost the ability to work out volume - the tank measures 60x25x25cm

As i now only have one really small goldfish, two of these chinese algae eaters and some other kind of sucky thing (possibly a hong kong plec) i am thinking i may give away the goldfish and just have these algae eaters. We like them 'cos they seem to move around a fair bit.

I've had a look into what may survive with them and cloud minnows seem to be recommended as well as other fast swimming fish. Can anyone suggest how many other small fast swimming we could have with a tank of the size?

Also i have just noticed my filter is on its last legs - can anyone recommend a cheap easy to clean one?

Thanks
Luke

**Goes to 11!** · 10-21-2012, 09:01 PM

According to the math it is a 10g [US] tank.

This is far far to small for any GF so rehoming is a good idea.

There is no commonly available pleco I can think of that is suitable for a 10g tank so the odds are very good that it will grow too large for that tank.

An Aquaclear 20 or 30 would be an excellent filter for that tank IMO.

**lukester85** · 10-22-2012, 05:35 PM

cheers, good to know the volume.

The fish that i think is a honk kong plec is currently just under an inch long, as is the remaining goldfish. They will have to live with what they got for the time being!

Can anyone recommend a type of fish that moves around a fair bit, is small enough to live in the tank (and if they really small how many should i put in) and which gets on with the chinese algae eaters?

Thanks for the previous goldfish compatibility chart...
Ta muchly,
Luke