Pleco attacking gold fish

[Cato]

Hi all,

For weeks all was fine and everyone lived happily with each other inside the tank. Today one goldfish was swimming on top a little on the side. Trying to swim but could not move forward. So I checked and saw that one of his fin was missing.

Upon more investigation I found the pleco and one more fish (see photo) attacking the gold fish.

Both are trying to eat more of the fin and pleco also on the side. Please advise urgently. The second gold fish is not attacked as he escapes I think.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Plecos can get a taste for goldfish slime coat. Its reasonably common. It may be sign that the pleco isnt getting enough to eat, but now it has decided to eat goldfish slime it probably wont stop.

Seperate them.

 

[Cato]

Ohh. Thank you Aiken. This other fish is attacking the goldfish as well. I made a photo of it. Attacking its fin. I don’t know the type or name. Please see the photo. So the pleco and the fish in silver attacking both the goldfish. Both the fins and the pleco in addition the coat.

So that goldfish can’t swim anymore. Trying a lot. But can’t. I am so sad. I seperated the both goldfish.

How much food is optimum per fish in a tank? I first overfed as I fed 2-3 per day. And there was too much poop. Now with 1 time seems to be too less.

Thanks a lot

Best


Andi

 

[ColdKoi]

Like mentioned it’s not an uncommon issue to have. Fancy goldfish are slow swimmers at the best of times which makes things worse, they’re easy prey for the pleco if he gets the taste for slime coat.

Goldfish are gluttons, they’ll eat till they pop. Who knows what happened first the pleco eating slime coat or the fin damage. But I’d venture a guess that the pleco immobilized him and the others started picking away at his fins.

I’m not sure what can be done with the pleco at this point. He isn’t magically going to stop eating slime coat now. I think it would have to be re-homed to a tank with much more agile fish (or move your goldfish to another tank and find better tank mates for the pleco)

I find It’s hard to ensure a pleco is well fed in a tank with goldfish. Anything you put in there for a pleco the goldfish will gobble up in no time.

As far as feeding goes. Everyone has a different theory there. Anywhere from several times a day to once every couple days. Once a day should be more than sufficient to sustain the goldfish, but what if anything are you feeding the pleco itself? They really don’t get a chance to eat any scrap food that the fish leave behind as the goldfish are gluttons

 

[Cato]

but what if anything are you feeding the pleco itself? They really don’t get a chance to eat any scrap food that the fish leave behind as the goldfish are gluttons

Thank you ColdKoi. In my tank I have Neons, two yellow small as the neons, this silver one (who started to nap on the fins too), a black one with big eyes and the pleco. All in a 54l tank.

I have special tablets for the pleco from Tetra which the Gold fish also started to eat once they discover it in the tank. As the pleco loves to house itself inside the ship wrack I have in the tank, I put the tablet into there. So no other fish can eat it.

I rescued last night the other gold fish who was still ok from the tank. And put both gold fish into another tank. The injured gold fish cant swim anymore as the separated one small fin from the front and some small fin from the back, both on the same side. The gold fish is lying on one side on the top of the tank, getting weaker by the day. one side also has no gold anymore as I guess the pleco ate it.

I feel sad for the gold fish and think he will die.

I will make photos of the remaining fish in the tank and would be happy of advise if thats ok to be with each other. I put in the photos how many of each as I don't want again such brutal attacks. Thanks a lot to all of you.

 

[ColdKoi]

I’m no doctor but I’d have to say that goldfish is not going to make it.

If you’re stashing the plecos food where only it can get it, i think it’s safe to say he’s getting at least one good meal a day plus whatever he can scrounge up around the tank. I don’t think he was starving by any means, it was likely just an opportunistic event and he got the taste for the slime.

With gluttons like goldfish in the tank you pretty much have to hide the food where only the pleco can get it and/or feed late after lights-out when the goldfish have settled down

Now that the pleco has the taste for it, I’d keep a close eye on him. It’s not impossible for him to get ahold of a neon but a lot less likely than the goldfish.

 

[Cato]

Thanks again ColdKoi. So when I interpret you correctly, the rest of the fish are kind of save from the pleco except the neons and they are ok tank mates. I will keep an eye on Mr. Pleco. Thanks again!

 

[ColdKoi]

The pleco is likely to jump on any opportunity to have a feast of slime, but with slow fish like fancy goldfish it’s a lot more likely he is going to get ahold of the fish.

I’d think the rest of your fish are going to be agile enough to evade the pleco if he tries to get them.

I’d keep an eye on the pleco and if it’s constantly on the prowl for slime, he may have to be rehomed to another tank. Even if he can’t catch the fish, it doesn’t do any good having a tank mate that is constantly harassing the rest!