my boyfriend bought one of those "ugly fish" as my 3 year old calls it - that eats the algea and crap out of a fishtank because he was too lazy to clean the tank himself. well the beta fish that we had died and now my boyfriend says that i dont have to feed the fish - that there is still enough algea in the water for him to eat even though the other fish isnt there to crap all over. is this true? should i be feeding him or not?
2007-01-23 04:41:50 · 8 answers · asked by kd baby 5 in Pets ➔ Fish
to those of you who are giving me attitudes about "not knowing how to take care of fish" no i really dont - thats why im asking and it was supposed to be his responsibility to take care of it - not mine so blame him. please dont be rude, im asking for help not criticism
2007-01-23 05:32:22 · update #1
first of all, it's a common misconseption, algea eaters (pleco, cats, otos etc.) eat ALGEA. THEY DON'T EAT FISH POO. they also eat leftover fish food that your other fish didn't eat.
if you have a small enough tank to move it, put it nearer a window. the sunlight will help the algea to grow, and give your sucker more food. if not, then get it some algea tablets. feed one every two or three days.
if your other fish died, and your boyfriend never changes the water, then chances are it died BECAUSE your bf didn't change the water. you don't change the water just to get the algea out, you change the water beacause ammonia builds up from the fish's skin and gills, and from the poo. there's no way to get the ammonia out of the tank without doing water changes. 20% per week. all fish create ammonia. and no fish thrives on ammonia.
good luck, hope that helps... if you have more questions, email me.
2007-01-23 04:54:29 · answer #1 · answered by Silver Thunderbird 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is no fish out there that eats crap. The only thing that comes close is snails, they sort through it to find undigested pieces of food. But they do not eat the crap either.
Uneaten food and fish waste (feces) decays and produces ammonia, nitrites and nitrates that are all toxic to your fish. As it slowly builds up, the ammonia burns the fish's gills and they slowly suffocate.
nic_sagit is right, your boyfriend doesn't know anything about fish.
I hope you are doing partial water changes now. That may save your catfish's life. Weekly 25-30% water changes are necessary to keep a tank healthy and the fish alive. I suspect that none were done and that is why the betta died.
Get some spirulina flakes for the suckermouth catfish or some algae wafers, they love those.
BTW, it is pronounced bet-tah, not bay-tah.
2007-01-23 05:28:20 · answer #2 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You do still need to feed it. You can get "algae" wafers at any place they sell fish. They are not actual algae, they are seaweed and dried veggies, meats, ect. to give the fish a more properly balanced diet. On top of that you need to feed it fresh veggies twice a week. Zuccini seems to be the best. Cut it in slices then freeze the slices, take a frozen slice and soak it in hot water intil it is thawed, then it will sink.
And you might want to show your boyfriend these answers, or tell him yourself, because he does not know anything about fish. Algae eating fish do not clean a tank, sure they eat algae, but they still poop just like any other fish, poop fouls the water. Most algae eating fish poop much more than many fish, and cause much more harm than good for a fish tank.
2007-01-23 05:44:17 · answer #3 · answered by fish guy 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
as the others have said, yes you need to feed it.
you may also want to look up exactly what kind you have, some stay small, some grow massive (we're talking almost 2ft long...)
feed him algae wafers (from a pet store), blanched courgette and cucumber will go down well also.
if you have a plec, these can be very rewarding handsome fish (in a kooky ugly way hehe). but if you have found yourself with a common plec you're going to be in troubletrouble, as these are one of the ones that grow to almost 1.5-2ft long and needing a 100 gallon tank once full size with beyond amazing filtration for all that poop they'll put out! check the link below and have a little surf around.
remember, these "algae eating" fish poop constantly, so you need to keep up on water changes and gravel vacs or your going to find yourself with another dead fish!
you need to ID your little fellow now...
2007-01-23 06:31:00 · answer #4 · answered by catx 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plecostemus are not a cleaner for your tank, all they will do is eat the algae, they will NOT eat the waste. Having a pleco means you have to clean your tank more often, because they are such huge waste producers, and they will grow very large, very quickly, hitting adult sizes of 1-2 FEET long. As for feeding, if you want your fish to live, of course you need to feed him, he doesn't eat "crap" he eats algae, and he needs algae wafers. Your other fish died from high ammonia and nitrite levels due to your laziness and refusal to clean your fishtank. Fish are pets and require a high level of care, more than cats, more than dogs. Proper husbandry is essential to maintaining a fishtank, and if you're not willing to put in the work, you should get rid of your fishtank. Plecos will live 15-20 years if properly cared for, and are a beautiful fish, not ugly. It seems to me that aquariums may not be the hobby for you, and I hope you either take responsibility for your pets, or give them to someone who can.
2007-01-23 04:52:33 · answer #5 · answered by brandi91082 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
if its one of the ones that suck on the side of the fishtank then it eats algea. but sometimes your fishtank is 'too clean', you should also give him/her tablets that are for them specifically, they an be bred in any petstore.
2007-01-23 04:47:45 · answer #6 · answered by </3 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
you might want to get some food just in case and your boyfriend dont know anything about fish
2007-01-23 04:47:53 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
i think you should be feeding the fish ;so it doesn't starve and die also...
2007-01-23 04:47:50 · answer #8 · answered by Cami lives 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋