What is the best handling of a non compatible aggressive fish?

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robmayolnyc

Aquarium Advice Newbie
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Oct 16, 2017
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What is the best handling of a non compatible aggressive fish?

I have a 30 G tank, with a angelfish, 5 black phantom tetras, ghost shrimp, assassin snails, a freshwater claim and a troublesome golden algae eater.

Everything except my golden algae eater is in perfect harmony. A few months ago I was dealing with some pretty heavy algae growth on the glass, and I went to the aquarium store looking for a solution. The manager gave me two options for my tank size, one was a very very small algae eater that lives in small schools. (They do best in schools, so it wasn't a very good option). The second option was to add a golden algae eater. As the expert (The aquarium specialist at the pet store) recommended this fish, I went for it.

When he was small, it was great, he completely resolved the algae issues within only a couple days, but as weeks and months progressed, he grew and became aggressive. At the console of another aquarium specialist, I added algae wafers to supplicant his diet. This did not ease the aggression at all. In fact, it might be making the issue worse. In the weeks that I have been feeding him algae wafers, he has grown significantly, and has brighter colors, and is more active (Which I guess is good because he is healthy). But he is becoming a serious safety concern for my other fish.

He does charge at the all the other fish like a bull. I've now read a lot online, stating that Golden Algae Eaters are aggressive, and they will latch on to the other fish in their tank. All of my fish are easy for him to latch on to. Its not an issue of if, its when he will finally attack my angelfish or my black phantom tetras.

I've consulted with the pet store, they can not take him back. Its a policy thing. What is the best handling for removing a non compatible aggressive fish? I have 6 other lives in this tank that I am responsible for (12 if you include snails, a couple ghost shrimp and the clam). I want to be the best pet parent I can be. I am willing to continue to work with him, if anybody has advice on calming him down, or how to best handle that situation, I would greatly appreciate it. Again I did try to supplement his diet, it just made him bigger, faster, more active and aggressive. What is the best resolution? I do need to protect the other lives in the tank as well.

Thank you
 
Chinese or golden algae eaters are one of those fish which shouldn't be offered for sale. They do a good job of algae cleanup when young, but less so when they mature. They also get very aggressive. A better option would have been a bristlenose pleco.

The pet shop should take the fish back since they gave you bad advice. Maybe try giving the fish to a different pet shop. You may have to euthanize the fish if it is unwanted.
 
There's not really a good option for keeping these fish. They latch onto other fish (in my theory) because they lack suitable food sources in Aquaria. Beyond that they are still aggressive and I've seen many instances where fish have lost eyes due to the actions of Chinese algae eaters. Your best bet is to keep looking around for a place to take it for free.
 
You can give it for free and the store will happily take it. You can give to any store. Once a aggressive fish is always a aggressive fish. Very difficult to do anything.
 
You could put an add in the paper, facebook,or any other site. Put it on the tack board at the pet store with a picture (free to good home). You could talk to the manager at the pet store about it. Tell them what's happening. And you don't want it. Or say, you want to give it back, exchange it.(Make sure it's a manager or owner!) Could just have someone else take it to the pet store as a donation. Have that person say someone gave it to them, and that person don't want it. Hopefully one of these will work.
 
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