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My pleco fish is bullying my fancy goldfish that are in the same tank. What should i do?

My pleco fish is bullying my fancy goldfish that are in the same tank. What should i do?

Updated On June 27th, 2018

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Answered By Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

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You can try to provide more hiding areas for your goldfish, and this may allow for it to escape from the pleco. If this doesn't work, you may need to add a barrier into the tank in order to separate the two of them. Barriers can be purchased at your local pet store, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the type/size of tank that you have. If you are able to gather information on the dimensions of your tank (gallons, length, width, and height) and take that information with you, it may be helpful for the pet store employees. If this is a recent change, you may also see if your pleco is thin - sometimes fish will become aggressive if they are hungry. You can get a general idea of the body condition of your fish by looking at their heads in comparison to their body size - if the head looks too large for the body, that can be an indicator that they are thin. Another way to tell is by looking at the belly - if it looks sunken, that is another indicator that the fish is thin. You may be able to take photos into your pet store to see if the fish are thin, or you can post another question with photos here and we can take a look as well. If you would like to discuss things further, I would be happy to do a consultation with you as well. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck!

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