# bristlenose pleco eating my fish?



## JNB (Apr 19, 2011)

I always thought bristlenose plecos were peaceful, but this morning 2 neon tetras and the tail of a red tetra is missing. The bristlenose is the only thing big enough to have done it and it can't be hungry - there is plenty (too much really) algae in the tank and I tried giving the fish some algae wafers a couple of weeks ago and the bristlenose had no interest. Is anyone awary of this issue with bristlenoses?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I would not suspect the BN of killing fish. It will likely eat a dead fish, but not attack healthy ones. What else is in this tank?


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## Inga (Jun 8, 2010)

I can't imagine the BN doing that. I suspect you have a different fish doing it.


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## JNB (Apr 19, 2011)

All my other fish have relatively small mouths, and this was not just the tail fin - there is just a stump left - it was a big bite.
I have:
2 mollies, 2 guppies, platy, neon tetras, smaller clown loaches, and a cory catfish.

something else odd happened last week - about 5 stems of my plants were eaten down one night about 2 inches each. Thant was the only time and he is in a 55gal with plenty of algae for him.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

That sounds like fin/tail rot. I'm not well versed in health issues, but if you could perhaps post a photo of an affected fish someone may know more about it.

Aside from that, any fish with teeth can nip off fins. Even Neon Tetra have been seen doing this if they are stressed. Guppies have been known to as well.


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## JNB (Apr 19, 2011)

Here is a picture from the internet with a line marking what disappeared between last night and this morning. I don't know how it is still alive, but it is swimming around (sort of). There were no rot issues that I had noticed and all the others are fine.


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## JNB (Apr 19, 2011)

he's dead.


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## Bens-fish-advice (Jan 8, 2022)

It was probably the clown loaches.


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