Who ate my Chinese Algae Eater?

[margelef]

I'm new to the aquarium thing...just started my tank a couple months ago.

I started a 20 gallon (long) tank with 3 zebra danios and a red wag platy.

After about a month, I added 2 small catfish (corydoras?) and an angelfish. Followed shortly thereafter with a small 1.5 inch rainbow shark.

Just last week I bought two chinese algae eaters to take care of a red algae outbreak in my tank.

When I got home yesterday, I noticed what looked like a spine sitting on the bottom of my tank. After taking a headcount, I determined that it was the remains of one of the algae eaters!

My obvious conclusion is that the rainbow shark killed and ate the algae eater, but after doing some reading online, most documentation says that these sharks will pick on other fish, but doesn't say that they will kill / eat them.

Is the rainbow shark the most likely suspect? Should I worry about my other fish? None of the others have been killed of prior to the algae eater.

Thanks for any pointers

 

[SerLunchbox]

yes ... The "shark" would be the one to kill it and eat part of it. Your angelfish and your platy would be the other possibilities to have taken a nibble or even the corydoras.

 

[Mez1974]

Im having a similar problem with my Rainbow shark too. I really wished i hadnt brought it to be truthful even though its a great fish.

I lost a cory first and thought it may of been my betta so i moved the betta into my smaller tank , then i noticed a white cloud had gone awol then yesterday i found 1 of my pearl danio dead with wounds on his body. I read that moving decor around may help the shark reestablish a territory so try that and make sure the shark got plenty hiding places too.

Keep us informed im interested to see how u get on.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Are you sure the CAE didn't just die? Do you think that the Rainbow shark did it?
With the bad rap that rainbow sharks get, their individual temperment changes from fish to fish. Some agressive, some rather peaceful.

Look at the tank. Is he chasing or going after any other fish or the other CAE? He just mighta been the one to eat the remains.

 

[margelef]

Is he chasing or going after any other fish or the other CAE?

Actually, the rainbow shark is constantly pestering the two catfish. It doesn't look like the shark is attempting to harm the catfish, merely annoying them. Many times the catfish let the shark swim right next to them and they don't scatter.

It is also very possible that the CAE simply died on it's own and was then eaten. I have not fed them anything since I got them....assuming they would just survive on algae. Now I don't see any noticable algae on my tank walls...should I be feeding them some sort of supplemental diet? (Like I said, I'm brand new to this stuff)

Also, thanks for the advice about lots of hiding spots....Right now I only have one large castle in the tank, and the shark does spend all of it's time inside of it. I will get some other smaller hideouts and see if that has any effect.

 

[patryuji]

Yes, make sure they get a chance to eat something other than the algae in your tank.

 

[Mez1974]

What food do u suggest ?

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

algae discs

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

they also love shrimp pellets (as do your catfish) (at least my gold's do)

 

[margelef]

I've been putting in shrimp pellets...but I haven't seen the algae eaters take any. I went out today and bought some algae discs and a couple small hideouts for the shark. Hopefully that'll keep my sole remaining CAE alive.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!