My Angel Fish is Sick cant figure it out!

kitten_penang

but algae eaters only attack sick fish and eat their slime coat.thay are like indicator fish and tell you which one is already sick.so don't blame them please.

isimek

i am not sure i would consider chinese algae eaters true algae eaters...

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,...ae%20Eater.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrinocheilus

pretty much any website you come accross about them says the same thing.

and both of these mention to not keep them with slow moving fish with disk shaped bodies i.e angelfish.

apparently their mouth isn't for sucking algae either, it's for holding onto rocks... they live in fast rivers.

1077

Have problem with zero nitrAte readings in two year old tank. No nitrate reading would indicate biological filter (good bacteria) has been compromised,, or is non existent.(unless tank is heavily planted).
Judging from the photo of Angelfish in specimen container, the fish is quite small for three years old as are the chinese alage eaters at one year old at reported one inch.
Looks to be food in bottom of specimen container with the fish? Often is recommended not to feed sick fish for if food is not eaten,, it then contributes to ammonia levels becoming issue with maintaining water quality.
Have these fish been moved recently from another tank? If so,, then changes in water chemistry from one tank to another could have placed the fish under considerable stress if not acclimated slowly,
Ditto if tank is not cycled.
Water must read zero for ammonia,zero for nitrites all day ,,every day,,and if biological filter is working and filters have not been subjected to sudden removal of all filter material,or cleaning of all material in water containing chlorine, then Nitrate reading of some level should be evident and 20 to 40 ppm would be ideal.

kitten_penang

yes they do use the suckers to hold onto rocks in their native highland rivers but even normal plecos suck on our aquarium fish when they are sick.most of the time it's and indicator like i said before.we've seen this behaviour on large fish and predatory fish Koi,arowana and flowerhorns and each time the larger fish that are the ones that are showing signs of early sickness and we give them special attention by removing the algae eater and monitoring and medicating the fish as they are expensive and mistakes are costly

1077

Kitten,
Most often the reason that these fishes begin rasping on the slime coat of other fishes is in large part due to diet imbalance. (something missing )
I have found the same to be true with various loaches and plecos. When their dietary needs are met,, they leave other fishes and plants alone in large part, and only eat dead or dying plant leaves or matter.
The chinese alage eater on the other hand, is reportedly not from China, and is very poor alage eater even when small and as it grows,,it becomes even less of an alage eater and more of a belligerent fish that takes delight in terrorizing tank mates healthy or otherwise.
Is not true that they only seek out sick fish although sick fishes would be easy target as would dying or dead fish.