HELP!! FISH EATING OTHER FISH!!!!

[MeredithW]

I have three red eyed Tetras, and I had a cat fish type thing . . . my mom said it wasn't really a catfish. She got it to eat all the algae . . . and it worked! But, we went on vacation for a long time, and my dad was feeding all the animals, and he said he fed the fish everyday, and then he said one day, he went to feed them, and all he saw of the "catfish" was it's skeleton.

Are red eyed tetras cannibals, and do they eat fish alive?? I knew they ate meat when I bought them, but the guy at the pet store that I talked to said that they could live with any fish. I think they also ate my brother's guppy. If the case is that they are cannibals, I might want to get rid of them, because we are going to get some more fish.

Oh, and in case you need to know, the food we are feeding them is called Aqueon Tropical Flakes. I love my little Tetras, but if they are going to eat my fish, I can't have them anymore . . .

Any suggestions??

 

[Cowgirl71]

I doubt the tetras killed and ate your algae eater. What most likely happened is that it died, for whatever reason, and your Dad didn't notice that it was missing. And then yes, if you leave it in there, the other fish will often times eat a dead fish. Red Eyed Tetras are omnivores, so as gross as it sounds, I doubt they'd of passed up the fresh meat.

 

[MeredithW]

That's kind of what I thought. I didn't think they could kill a fish 10 times their size . . . I mean, I'm sure it's possible . . . X3

 

[Stacykins]

Agreed. The tetras would not actually kill the catfish (though many can be fin nippers, but catfish don't have big flamboyant fins normally, which are prime targets). But they would consume a deceased catfish, once the flesh was soft enough.

Also, most common 'algae eating catfish" have the potential to grow very large. The common pl*co (Hypostomus plecostomus) requires a minimum tank size of 55 gallons, 75 gallons is better. They start out all teeny, but they grow huge. And stunting them by keeping them in a dinky tank is cruel.

The otoclinus or Oto (Otocinclus vestitus) is a much better choice. They stay small. However, they are a social fish. So you need to have at least two otos in a tank. So your tank still has to be able to handle the additional bioload. And once the algae is gone, they need supplemental feeding with sinking algae tabs.

A better way to control algae is to control algae is not with another living organism that contributes to bioload. Instead, control what makes the algae grow. Excessive nutrients in the water (too many fish and/or not enough water changes) are the biggest cause. A lot of sunlight can do it too. A good old scrubby pad can remove a great deal of algae with a little elbow grease during a partial water change. Simply remove fish, scrub tank a bit, remove 15-25% of the water (be sure to suck out as much loose algae as possible), refill tank, and put the fish back in.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Agreed. The tetras would not actually kill the catfish (though many can be fin nippers, but catfish don't have big flamboyant fins normally, which are prime targets). But they would consume a deceased catfish, once the flesh was soft enough.

Also, most common 'algae eating catfish" have the potential to grow very large. The common pl*co (Hypostomus plecostomus) requires a minimum tank size of 55 gallons, 75 gallons is better. They start out all teeny, but they grow huge. And stunting them by keeping them in a dinky tank is cruel.

The otoclinus or Oto (Otocinclus vestitus) is a much better choice. They stay small. However, they are a social fish. So you need to have at least two otos in a tank. So your tank still has to be able to handle the additional bioload. And once the algae is gone, they need supplemental feeding with sinking algae tabs.

Very good info here. Plecostomuses (aka "Plecos") are the most common aquarium algae eater. But they shouldn't be, not for people with smaller aquariums. Like Stacy says, they can get very large, up to 20-24" long, over a foot long is not uncommon. 55 gallons is really the very minimum tank size to consider getting a pleco. A friend of mine once got a small (2-3") pleco, and put him in his 10 gallon tank with his other fish. Pretty soon, the pleco got bigger. And bigger. As he grew, my friend gave away the other fish to try and keep the tank from being overcrowded. The pleco had become his favorite. That pleco in that little 10 gallon tank got 11" long in less than two years. At which point, my friend built a much larger homemade (80ish gallons?) aquarium tank, set into his bedroom wall (very cool), and then was able to get some other fish to go in with it. The pleco was happy with the roomier aquarium, and continued to grow, and the last time I saw it it was 17" long. There's a lot of girth to a fish that size!

Otocincluses are a much better choice for small aquariums, they never get more than 2-3" long. They are very effective algae eaters. Like Stacey says though, get at least two. They are smaller fish, and quite docile, so make sure to do some compatibility research before adding them to your aquarium, as they can be picked on by aggressive fish.

Do NOT get a "Chinese Algae Eater." These occasionally find their way into pet store aquariums and in my opinion are adorable. As juveniles they eat algae, but as they get older they become aggressive and territorial and begin feeding on the body slime of their tank mates, leaving wounds that can be fatal, and out rightly killing smaller fish.

 

[MeredithW]

Very good info here. Plecostomuses (aka "Plecos") are the most common aquarium algae eater. But they shouldn't be, not for people with smaller aquariums. Like Stacy says, they can get very large, up to 20-24" long, over a foot long is not uncommon. 55 gallons is really the very minimum tank size to consider getting a pleco. A friend of mine once got a small (2-3") pleco, and put him in his 10 gallon tank with his other fish. Pretty soon, the pleco got bigger. And bigger. As he grew, my friend gave away the other fish to try and keep the tank from being overcrowded. The pleco had become his favorite. That pleco in that little 10 gallon tank got 11" long in less than two years. At which point, my friend built a much larger homemade (80ish gallons?) aquarium tank, set into his bedroom wall (very cool), and then was able to get some other fish to go in with it. The pleco was happy with the roomier aquarium, and continued to grow, and the last time I saw it it was 17" long. There's a lot of girth to a fish that size!

Otocincluses are a much better choice for small aquariums, they never get more than 2-3" long. They are very effective algae eaters. Like Stacey says though, get at least two. They are smaller fish, and quite docile, so make sure to do some compatibility research before adding them to your aquarium, as they can be picked on by aggressive fish.

Do NOT get a "Chinese Algae Eater." These occasionally find their way into pet store aquariums and in my opinion are adorable. As juveniles they eat algae, but as they get older they become aggressive and territorial and begin feeding on the body slime of their tank mates, leaving wounds that can be fatal, and out rightly killing smaller fish.

Wow. Thanks for all the info! When I got my Pleco, he was maybe 3 1/2 inches long. He seemed happy enough in my 10 gallon aquarium . . . but I guess if he had kept growing he wouldn't have been! I will look for the Otocincluses, and get those instead! Thanks