What happened to my daughters sucker fish?

Question

She has a tank with 1 sucker and 4 goldfish and she noticed the water turning a weird cloudy color and white funky stuff growing on the filter. We started cleaning it out and noticed that her sucker fish is gone? Did my cat get it or did he dissolve or what. It is really freaking my daughter out.

Answer 1

Mine once jumped out of the tank and I didn't even realize it until I reached behind my desk to grab a scrunchie that had fallen behind there and he was stuck to it all dried up and sticky!! Ughh...I will never forget that memory. The white cloudy stuff growing on the filter could be excessive fish food that has gone moldy.

Answer 2

maybe it got sucked into the filter?

can your cat reach the fish? If so, maybe that's why...

or maybe SOMEONE took it out to play with it and accidentally killed it. Possible?

Answer 3

A plecostomus or pleco. If he has completely disappeared he may have jumped tank (which is unlikely for a pleco), or the cat must have got him. It takes a while for a fish to break down and even then the skeleton would still be there. With a cat in the house you need a sturdy aquarium hood. With four goldfish, I hope you have an enormous tank.

Answer 4

Actually, it's a combination of him "dissolving" and of the goldfish snacking on him. The cloudy water is full of bacteria that have also been helping to decompose his body. Gross, I know.

Answer 5

Plecostomus or pleco is the name and this fish probably died from water shock from the temperature, ammonia build up, or ph shock.

Goldfish need running cold water (52-70) degrees and smaller pleco's prefer but don't need  warm water (74-82) degrees. The fish died and the body dissolved in to a mucus and bacteria form that fed off the ammonia and nitrites in the water. This happens allot in aquariums. its ok.   just get a bigger pleco or a larger tank. Ive seen pleco's get 3' long in a goldfish in-door pond.  Good luck !!! have fun..

Answer 6

I would pin the blame on you kitty. Cats have this natural instinct to hunt fish...and it was probably to irresistible to him watching them swim and play..he snuck a snack when you turned your back! Naughty boy! Next time make sure that Mr.Sneaky Puss can't get your aqua buddies by securing the hood.

Answer 7

she might have dropped it when u guys were cleaning

Answer 8

What the h**l is a sucker fish?