Fish Killer!! Beware!!

[OneCuteShasta]

Hello! I have a fish that looks like a CAE but is a pinkish cream color without any stripes. It was sold as a CAE, so is it? It would make sense if it is. It's about 3 inches. I've lost all but 1 of my male Endlers, and a few FT guppies. I have my last male Endler in a breeder net because I had heard something about the CAE attacking fish while they sleep. Too bad I didn't remember till I lost most of my Endlers.

 

[sylvia]

ModernHamlet - Too bad the girl died but that's great about the fry. They realy are stunning fish those pearls!

OneCuteShasta - you probably do have a CAE but if you post a picture I'm sure we could identify it for you. You'll eventualy need to re-home your CAE as they do get big and, as you've already found out, they can kill other fish.

fishdudein - I wouldn't reccomend a common plec for anyone's typical community tank. They grow to 18 inches so are almost as unsuitable as the CAEs. However, there are other plecs that do a good job with algae. My personal prefference is for the bristlenose because it also has such an interesting appearance and they don't grow larger than 5" and don't need driftwood like many other plecos for proper nutrition.

Otos, SAE/SFF, flying foxes and false flying foxes are all suitable for community tanks and generaly excellent to reasonable algae eaters. None grow larger than 6" and otos only to about 2". Unfortunately, they are all easy to confuse if you don't know what to look for and they have also often been mis-identified as CAEs or the other way round.

 

[Nenya]

I have a cae he was very cute at 1 inch, I did buy 2 but thank goodness 1 died, He has grown to 6 inches since august. He's getting territorial and I'm a bit worried for my other fish, but don't know what to do with him. he's quite an impressive fish though.

 

[fishdudein]

fishdudein - I wouldn't reccomend a common plec for anyone's typical community tank. They grow to 18 inches so are almost as unsuitable as the CAEs. However, there are other plecs that do a good job with algae. My personal prefference is for the bristlenose because it also has such an interesting appearance and they don't grow larger than 5" and don't need driftwood like many other plecos for proper nutrition.

I always recommend otocinclus for the "typical" community tank. I have never had a problem with them, they are peaceful and do a great job grazing on the algae.

If a person has a large (55 gallon or more, preferably more), then "common" plecs are an excellent alternative. The larger fish usually housed in such tanks would necessitate another large fish to be housed with them. Why do you say they are almost as unsuitable as CAEs? I have a 14" plec that I have kept for at least 10 years now, and he is the most non-aggressive fish you could ask for. CAEs I have kept in the past have been holy terrors, I don't recommend them to anyone. But I have never, ever had a fish die due to harassment from a plec.

edit: I have heard of incidences where plecs have harassed discus, trying to suck the slime coat off of them.

 

[Ben]

Mine started killing platy's at about 4-5 inches.
It got a ride in the Amazing Disposer Ride in the kitchen sink.

wrong thing to say dude.....


i ahd a CAE and my bristlenose killed it

 

[Ferris]

I tried 3 CAE's in my Mbuna tank when I had an algae problem. Bad idea, the next morning, all that was left were 3 heads. Bought a sailfin plec instead who gets on fine with the Cichlids (in fact, he's the boss) and the tanks is absolutely spotless.

 

[sylvia]

You misunderstood me. I didn't mean a common plec was just as bad because of aggression - I meant due to size they are as unsuitable in most tanks as the aggressive CAEs are.

I agree that otos are great for most communities but they can be fragile and need live algae to thrive.

 

[The-Wolf]

ok i'm confuzzled!

I have a golden sucking loach; is this a golden from of Gyrinocheilus aymonieri?
I'm under the impression it is a Semilabeo prochilus, am I wrong?

I have observed absolutly no aggression from this fish whatsoever, if fact he get bullied from my yoyo's at feeding time. he is currently 5" long.

 

[Dwarfs]

Most of the time the golden sucking loaches are just CAEs, I haven't owned one so I hve no clue why yours is acting differently

 

[Dwarfs]

fishdudein - I wouldn't reccomend a common plec for anyone's typical community tank. They grow to 18 inches so are almost as unsuitable as the CAEs. However, there are other plecs that do a good job with algae. My personal prefference is for the bristlenose because it also has such an interesting appearance and they don't grow larger than 5" and don't need driftwood like many other plecos for proper nutrition.

I always recommend otocinclus for the "typical" community tank. I have never had a problem with them, they are peaceful and do a great job grazing on the algae.

If a person has a large (55 gallon or more, preferably more), then "common" plecs are an excellent alternative. The larger fish usually housed in such tanks would necessitate another large fish to be housed with them. Why do you say they are almost as unsuitable as CAEs? I have a 14" plec that I have kept for at least 10 years now, and he is the most non-aggressive fish you could ask for. CAEs I have kept in the past have been holy terrors, I don't recommend them to anyone. But I have never, ever had a fish die due to harassment from a plec.

edit: I have heard of incidences where plecs have harassed discus, trying to suck the slime coat off of them.

Not from personal experience but I have heard that common plecos and gibbiceps will suck the slime coat off of polypterids

 

[rick999]

any one want one it's abour 3" long but i can't even catch it to get in into the tank with the big boys