You wouldnt believe it unless you saw it!!!

[monster eel]

I have a 150 tank containing 2 baby severums - about the diameter of maybe 5-6cm at best.

A Zig Zag eel - about 20cm long - had her for about 1 year.

A salt and pepper catfish to help clean the gravel about 6 cm long

2 Red Spotted Piecostomus's about 7cm long at BEST.

Now here is the problem

I have caught the Piecostomus sucking on the eel and the eel is a gentle soul and swims away - I have also caught him chasing the catfish

And then I notice that one of the Red Spotted Piecostomus's is dead - cleaned to the bone!! thought it was the Salt and pepper at first wasnt till i got it out and thought what the hey!!!

So I turn the lights off and im watching the Piecostomus and hes chasing the other fish around all nasty like attacking them - all of them!!

Even the eel ... now i feed him 2 different types of chips - or wafers as they call them I feel veg and he cleans up the bloodworm and he also cleans up any flakes.

Is he sick? a canabil is this normal? help

If it goes on like this then im gonna have all dead stuff coz of a damn cleaner fish.

And if anyone asks

PH 6.8
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Amonia 0ppm

Temp 80

Lots of wood in there - 3 chunks with Java fern all over it so lots to eat lots of places to hide.

Whats the problem

 

[copeina]

Some / many / most plecos are not exclusively herbivores. The sucker mouth is only indicitive of a fish living in fast-flowing water.

The red-spot is obviously one of those that appreciates more than a bit of meat in their diet. I have adonis plecos, and the only time I see them is when I toss some krill or other meaty food in the tank. They also do a very good job of preventing any eggs laid in the tank from hatching.

In discus circles, most breeders will not keep plecos as they are known to suck on the fish. It makes sense then, that the eel which is slimy and lives on the bottom, would also be a prime candidate for some pleco attention.

As far as the pleco stripped to the bones, that is unusual due to their heavy armor plating, but any sick or dead fish is a potential meal for most other fish. I would suspect the severums probably did the hard work of breaking the body apart, but the other pleco could easily have done it as well. As for cause of death, I would guess he likely starved to death.

Try feeding more meaty foods. Wait 30 minutes after the lights go out and toss some krill or frozen (unsalted) shrimp in the tank. You can probably make him less predatory with a full tummy.

Failing that, mail him to me! I love plecos!

Good luck,
/Kris

 

[monster eel]

Thanks for that - I thought he had gone mad!!!

Had a clown loach once that went completely mad - he lived with my old Spiney Eel used to follow him everywhere and eventually was the prime instigator in killing the other fish!! told the fish shop they told me that I was completely mistaken so i videoed the bugger - they were dumb founded and took it back.

Question though - I had noticed that the other one was slightly smaller then and skinner then the other one ( the killer ) but I put in 4 chips a night - in separate parts of the tank so I would have assumed that there was plenty of food available.

Ill start throwing in more meat for him although I did expect him to clean the tank a little at least - if he gets nastier ill post him to you - but by the time he arrives from New Zealand I would assume hed be very very hungry!!!!!

 

[copeina]

Question though - I had noticed that the other one was slightly smaller then and skinner then the other one ( the killer ) but I put in 4 chips a night - in separate parts of the tank so I would have assumed that there was plenty of food available.

If you are tossing in algae wafers, they're likely not eating them, or at least not getting what they need from them.

Try the krill. I think it will resolve your 'issue'.

/Kris

 

[monster eel]

Yes I also feed JBL Krill for the Severums ....

Well see what happens if it dont work out expect a package