Algae Eater?

Question

Ok I have a 55 gallon fish tank and 4 algae eaters. I already had 4 bubble eye gold fish and 2 plain gold fish and a cat fish lol, but surprisingly he's very sweet and doesn't pick on my other fishies. So anyways I bought 15 guppies and put them in there. They were fine until I put a large algae eater in there. I got him from my fathers friend and a week later my guppies started dying. I was thinking that it could be the new algae eater that I put in there with them because they were fine until he came along. I wish I had a good picture of him because I know there's different types of algae eaters, but I'll desribe him. He's dark gray, he has a tail like a sting ray and quiet frankly he's plain ugly, but it's like he freaks out when he spots something floating in the water.. he's quiet entertaining. So I wish I knew what kind of algae eater he is. Can someone tell me? And do you think he's the reason my guppies are croaking over?

Answer 1

You are very overcrowded. They could simply be dying from poor water quality. Testing your water should give you an answer on that. With the fish you have, you need about a 200 gallon tank. But, they shouldn't be combined anyway because goldfish and tropicals have different water and temperature requirements. It's difficult to say exactly which "algae eater" you have, but it's probably some type of plecostomus, of which there are several types.

Answer 2

Most likely, your algae eater is what is known as a plecostous. Truthfully, they're probably one of the ugliest cleaners out there, but they do their job. Also, the possibility that your new aglae eater may have brought a disease or problem with him is possible. What it sounds like, is that your algae eater created a lot of stress (even in a 55) for the little guppies. They are kind of finicky when it comes to changes in the tanks (sounds wierd, I know). I would have your water tested and make sure that your chem levels are still the same (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, pH, hardness, alkalinity, and chlorine/chloramine) or what they were before your algae eater came to live with you.

I hope this helped, if you have any questions just ask at my e-mail ([e-mail]). Good luck!

Stephanie

P.S. Go here and see a photo of what I think your algae eater is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plecostomus

Answer 3

Algae eaters are no longer meant to stay to tell the story on in simple terms Algae mine consume Algae wafers Shrimp pellets left over nutrition on the backside of the tank,Lettuce cucumber Zucchini and mine like driftwood besides. fairly relies upon on the form of Algae eater to what they consume .

Answer 4

Guppies are possibly one of the best starter fish because of their ease of care, inexpense, and beautiful array of colors and patterns.

To start, the first thing you will notice about guppies is the definite difference between the males and females. The females are much larger with often a pale body color and a twinge of color around the tails. The males are smaller in size with brilliant colors covering their entire body and, most notably, the size and flare of their tails. Most guppy enthusiasts start out with the beautiful males because of their appeal but quickly learn that guppies are easy to breed and may end up with a tank full of these cheerful tank additions.

We recommend that you start with at least a 10 gallon aquarium with no more than 5 guppies. Your tank should be equipped with an undergravel filter, air pump and heater. We also recommend that you have a smaller 5 gallon aquarium set aside to seperate the babies. Guppies are prolific breeders. Guppies like alkaline water which means the pH level should be around 6.8. We recommend doing 1/3 water changes at least once per week. Guppies can be dirty fish and with such a small tank to start out with, it is recommended to do frequent water changes to keep good water quality. Water temperature for guppies should be constant to prevent stress. The water should be kept around 78 degrees so your fish will be more active. The colder the water, the less active the fish.

Guppies should be fed twice daily with a good quality guppy flake food once per day and then brine shrimp and freeze dried plankton as supplements. The supplements can be fed once per day and rotated to keep it interesting. Feed only what can be eaten in five minutes. Cloudy water is a sign of overfeeding.

Guppies are a good community fish meaning that they get along well with other fish such as tetras, mollies, platys, and bettas. They should not be with aggressive fish. Because of their beautiful tails, they are an easy target for picking on.

The most fun part about Guppies is trying to pick the most beautiful one!

Guppy links:

http://www.guppys.com/Articles/guppy_care.htm
http://www.guppys.com/new/index.htm
Goldfish thrive in cool water (62-72 degrees Fahrenheit) and should not be kept with other tropical fish.http://www.fishedz.com/goldfish.htm
Your algea eater probably cought a disease. It may have left behind the disease. I know you have other fish but this may be a disease only algfea eaters can get. I suggest to do a full tank or half tank clean out and get new rocks. After his wait 1 week then purchase a new algae eater plus a stress reliever. Put the stress reliever in the tank (wont harm fish if you get bio-coat) while your fish is still in the bag then open up your bag and put the fish in and hopefully everything goes well.

Answer 5

Are you sure your guppies are cold water fish? Most guppies are tropical fish (need warm water) so if you put them in with goldfish (which are generally cold water..) they would probably die very quickly. Just a thought.

Answer 6

We call him a "janitor fish" Possibly yes. In fact they were cannibals, they eat other fish species. Our Pasig river in the Philippines were infested by Janitor fish, they were eating other fishes and water plants. Take it out of your aquarium. In my experience, you can mix german guppies with goldfish, black molly, and sword tail, black Tetra. But you have to know that guppies like black molly have short lifespan. Good Luck.

Answer 7

it might be the goldfish. goldfish produce crazy amounts of ammonia, and that can kill other fish. my goldfish and tropical fish are in separate tanks for that reason. i use AmQUEL to control ammonia in my tanks.

Answer 8

plecos will kill off each other and any other fish until they feel not so crowded.