Small tank=dead pleco...plz help!!

[kristie911]

I have a small 2 gallon (3 maybe?) tank for my son...we have 2 goldfish in it. The goldfish are probably 2" long and we've had them for about 4 years.

The tank is constantly covered with green algae...when I clean it, it's completey covered within the week. I've tried some of the drops that are supposed to keep it from coming back but they didn't work. So we bought a small pleco...I don't know what kind. He's kind of black with some spots on it...maybe an inch and a half long. That was Friday...this morning he's dead. Trust me, he didn't starve to death!

We've had others on occasion and while they didn't last long (the longest was 2 months) this is the quickest one had died.

Is there something about goldfish or the water that kills them so quickly? Is there another algae eater I should be looking for?

Can someone help me please?! My son is really sad that we have to flush yet another of his "glue fish".

 

[Fishies86]

I don't know if this is why he died so quickly, but thank tank is definitely too small for a pleco, and is actually too small for your goldfish too. I'm guessing the tank isn't heated either if you've got goldfish in it. As far as I'm aware, all places will need a higher temperature than goldfish. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though.

Do you have a filter in the tank? It could be a build up of toxins that are killing your plecos?

 

[Flossie]

I'm kinda still learning but I believe u would need at least a ten gallon with a filter just for the two gold fish... They produce a lot of waste and so do plecos... Gold fish are just messy ... I'm sorry about your pleco I'm sure someone on here can give u some better advice... I got my ten gallon at walmart I believe it was less than 40 dollars and came with hood light, filter, water treatment and food samples... A ten may still be to small for those guys.. Idk I'm sure there is someone on here that knows what's best for goldies and plecos

 

[Flossie]

The water was probably to toxic for the pleco to breathe ??

 

[jenatron]

You'd need larger than a 10 gallon for 2 goldfish, nonetheless a pleco.. Do you test your water? That'd be a great place to start. If you don't have a test kit, get a liquid kit (API is recommended), not paper test strips.

 

[fort384]

If it's a common Pleco you need a 100+ gal tank. And Jen is right, just for the goldfish I would recommend bigger than 10 gals. The tank you have is not appropriate for housing fish. I wouldn't even recommend a betta for that small of a tank.

Adding additional bioload to a tank to fix an algae problem is not a good idea either.

Using chemical additives to get rid of algae is also bad. You need to fix the root cause which in this case is obvious: a grossly overstocked tank.

 

[kristie911]

The tank has a light in it that keeps the water pretty warm. The goldfish have survived and grown for over 4 years, so we must be doing something okay. I didn't realize a pleco couldn't survive in a small tank. There's so much algae in there, I figured he would have enough to eat.

I guess I'll just get rid of the tank altogether. We don't have the space for a bigger tank, nor do I want the upkeep. I just wanted something small for my son who is 6 now...I bought it for him when he was 2. He's going to be disappointed but I don't know what else to do. The fish were a quarter a piece so it's not like I'm out much.

Thanks.

 

[fort384]

surviving is not thriving... 2 gal is not big enough for goldfish. It is a very common misconception. I am sure the ammonia level is through the roof, and thats why other fish dont survive when you add them. Gold fish are hardy enough to survive the torture.

 

[kristie911]

Okay, I get it. I'm sorry, you don't have to make me feel horrible. I would never willing hurt an animal. I didn't know, so you don't have to tell me I'm torturing them.

I came here looking for advice...I didn't expect to be called an animal torturer.

 

[fort384]

Sorry Kristie, it is a common mistake. Not trying to make you feel bad -- just explaining the current situation your tank is in.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Kristie, no one here said that you did anything wrong on purpose. Nonetheless, killing/throwing out living fish just because they only cost 50 cents isn't exactly humane. That *would* be on purpose. Can you give them to a friend who can keep them in a bigger tank? It sounds like that is the best solution at this point.

 

[kristie911]

My father in law has a goldfish pond. I'll give him the fish. My son will be disappointed but I feel terrible for having put these fish through this.

Thanks for your help.

ETA...I didn't say I was going to flush them!! I would never do that!! Contrary to what everyone apparently thinks of me, I would never hurt those fish on purpose. I. DID. NOT. KNOW.

 

[fort384]

Kristie, sounds like a good plan. Don't beat yourself up... thousands make the same mistake daily. There just isn't a lot of good info out there about keeping fish responsibly and local fish stores perpetuate bad myths and practices, which exacerbates the problem. The important thing is, you are seeking out the knowledge now, and it sounds as if you are ready to act on it, which great! Most people never get as far as you.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

I do not think poorly of you. I simply think you were un-/under-informed about goldfish. I was uninformed when I first set up my small tank and that ignorance resulted in several dead fish. I, like you, felt awful about that. It doesn't make either of us bad people.

As for flushing them, that is what I inferred from your previous post. Sorry if I read your words incorrectly.

 

[Flossie]

We are all learning something at least u care some ppl just flush fish and go buy more I wasn't sure about whether or not a ten gallon would work,.., fish stores really need better " fish ppl " that would help a lot of our " common " mistakes ... They tell u something and then u find out it was wrong after u have a ten gallon and five tiger barbs like me lol I'm in a pickle too lots of ppl put gold fishes in bowls ... Or bettas in cups... at least u didn't do that

 

[Flossie]

Also you don't have to get rid of your tank altogether... u can just get a betta or something that will work better in such a small tank everyone makes mistakes... We are all here to learn and help each other

 

[Flake]

90% of us are in the same boat. We all had our mishaps. Everyone is just trying their best to explain "Why" what you had going was wrong rather than just telling you it was wrong. Not everyone listens so we tend to reiterate a bit around here.

No one thinks poorly of you, we're just used to hearing the worst from people. Not many people are willing to give up their fish, even when in the fish are in a bad situation, the fact that you are willing to is a HUGE step. We're not after you, we just want to save fish.