help me identify fish & illness?

[katym27]

my aunt gave me this fish out of her pond when she decided not to have a pond anymore (it was either take him or let him get flushed). we don't know what he is, he is about an inch long, silverish, with a black stripe down his middle. he hasn't grown. i attached the best pic of him i could get. he has an eye popping out and has been sitting at the bottom when he usually plays in the current with the platys. help please and thank you!

 

[Homedog98]

Looks like a Siamese or Chinese algae eater, with popeye. Get some aquarium salt and dose with one tablespoon for every gallon. Can you get another pic?

 

[katym27]

i tried but he won't sit still! i don't think he is an algae eater, he isn't anything my aunt stocked so we were thinking some sort of river fish (she lives in missouri). we just thought it was weird he didn't grow. is there a kind of freshwater salt we should get? would the salt we use for the saltwater aquarium harm him? thank you for your help!

 

[ejaramillo01]

Looks like a flying fox also....maybe

 

[Homedog98]

Well, the thing is, the names I listed above aren't real algae eaters. They don't get much bigger then 2.5 inches, and don't usually touch the algae. Rock salt and aquarium salt would both work, just get it in there ASAP!

 

[katym27]

done and done. Thanks!

 

[The_Desacrator]

I use API Freshwater Salt and I am quite happy with the results.

 

[shadyfish]

Uh that does not look like a alage eater to me more like a fat head minnow which are very common in ponds, if it doesn't get better they only cost .33 cents at petsmart

 

[katym27]

I added two tablespoons of salt and some pima fix. Hopefully that helps the little guy! Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[Viper]

Well, the thing is, the names I listed above aren't real algae eaters. They don't get much bigger then 2.5 inches, and don't usually touch the algae. Rock salt and aquarium salt would both work, just get it in there ASAP!

A Siamese Algae eater can get over 5 inches and a Chinese Algae Eater can reach almost a foot in length.

 

[James_in_MN]

Looks like a Siamese or Chinese algae eater, with popeye.

Well, the thing is, the names I listed above aren't real algae eaters. They don't get much bigger then 2.5 inches, and don't usually touch the algae.

That's not quite true.

The flying fox is the fish that barely touches algae at all. Chinese algae eaters are also known to not eat algae when they're fully grown, and they get very aggressive.

On the other hand, siamese algae eaters are actually supposed to be very good at eating algae. In fact, they're the only known fish that will eat black bearded algae.

All three of these fish will get at least 4 inches long, with chinese algae eaters getting the largest (as Viper suggests).

 

[Homedog98]

That's not quite true.

The flying fox is the fish that barely touches algae at all. Chinese algae eaters are also known to not eat algae when they're fully grown, and they get very aggressive.

On the other hand, siamese algae eaters are actually supposed to be very good at eating algae. In fact, they're the only known fish that will eat black bearded algae.

All three of these fish will get at least 4 inches long, with chinese algae eaters getting the largest (as Viper suggests).

Oh! That's helps a lot! Thanks for catching me there! Viper, you too!