It's this black (about 3 inches, maybe 4) algae eater and I don't know what the heck it is. I bought algae bottomfeeding flakes, but it won't eat it. What should I do?
2007-04-09 14:45:13 · 8 answers · asked by fishyfish777 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
test for this
2007-04-09 14:50:49 · update #1
by the way the goldfish keep on feeding on the wafers i bought. thats a problem.
2007-04-09 14:51:36 · update #2
Lol, let me guess. You went to petco and saw all the cute little fishes and you went and bought yourself a 10 gallon combo tank with 2 little goldfish and the algae eater (pleco is the name) and you asked the petco "fish specialist" what do you need to take care of these little guys. He told you fill it up with water and feed the pleco with a algae wafer. First off id like to say the guy you asked is a DUMB *** he knows nothing and you should come to me for help instead.
Pleco (your little dark glass sucker) is nocturnal and only eats during night. It is not necesary to feed him with wafers, because your goldfish eat everything and by the time the algae eater decides to eat there will be nothing left. Your tank will develope enough algae on its own for your pleco, trust me. Right now your pleco might be hungry, but in about a month he will be pooping really long strands of waste that you will be really annoyed by since they clog everything. Just make sure the ammonia in your tank is not high as it will be sensitive. Im also guesing you dont know what the tank cycle is well its very important and let me describe it to you.
When you buy a new fish tank, your petco specialist tells you "go ahead put 500000 fish in there all you needa do is a 20 percent water change". What he doesnt tell you is that your new tank has "raw" water, that needs to be toned for your fish to sruvive.
First off, the tank cycle or nitrofieng cycle, is when beneficial bacteria develope in your tank that removes ammonia (made from fish poop) and turns it into nitrate which can be removed from your 20 percent water change.
This usualy takes 6 weeks, but with store bought beneficial bacteria the time can be cut down to 1 week.
You know your tank is not cycled when your tank turns murky white and your fish become less active.
2007-04-09 15:53:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Most algae eaters will not eat algae. They like veggies, but so do your gold fish. That is ok. Feeding your goldfish veggies is good for them and the algae eater. Go for it. As algae eaters get older, they won't eat algae, your goldies will eat just as much algae as he does. Forget the wafers they are a wast of money since everyone is eating them.
Try peas, beans, spinach things like that. your fish will love it.
2007-04-10 02:03:15 · answer #2 · answered by leemucko 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could possibly be a pleco or bristlenose algae eater. If it is a bristlenose then it won't get much larger. Pleco's will grow to a large size, and they will outgrow a tank. More than likely the reason it isn't eating is because of stress from moving into your tank from an established tank. Pleco's and bristlenoses are night feeders too, so when you turn the lights out maybe you can sit and watch, perhaps he will eat then.
I would wait 24-48 hours, monitor his activity closely and feed him at night when all the lights are out. I would say that it is mostly stress right now. I would also do a small water change and see if that doesn't perk him up a little bit. Good luck!
2007-04-09 21:52:44 · answer #3 · answered by charity_j_thornhill 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have had numerous algae eater of differing types apart from plecostomus it's some times difficult to know when they are eating as they just go around the bottom of the tank sucking the stones. As for plecs being night feeders ours go to the top of the tank hang upside down and vacuum the food off the surface
2007-04-09 22:34:54 · answer #4 · answered by Dreamweaver 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just supplement his diet with algae wafers or those algae flakes. Sometiems they don't go to the wafers as soon as you drop them in the tank because they're still hard. He should get interested afterthey soften up, otherwise he'll eat when hes ready.
2007-04-09 21:49:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try algae wafers. You can get them in any pet store that supplies fish. I have never had an algae eater that won't eat them. Good luck!
2007-04-09 21:49:19 · answer #6 · answered by purple_lily76 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Boil up a few peas and lightly smash them so he can eat them. Some people also put a lettuce leaf in the water so he can rasp it with his lips.
You can also buy some seaweed, but the plecto likes algae better to eat.
2007-04-09 21:54:49 · answer #7 · answered by Amanda J 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i dont feed my algae eaters at all...they just eat the algae in the tank...they'll be ok trust me
2007-04-09 22:05:30 · answer #8 · answered by Karie 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋