Sucker Fish looking sad...

Question
QUESTION: I have inherited two goldfish from my grandmothers pond. Now that it is winter I have brought them in to a 5 gallon tank. I have had them in the tank for about 3 months now. About a month ago I got a sucker fish (I'm not even going to try to spell the name) He has been super happy. In the first two days he cleaned that tank so well it looked new. I was worried about him starving and was told to put a pea in the tank every day and he would be fine. In the last two days he hasn't moved from the same spot. He was black until i swooshed the water around him to see if he was alive, he swam away but turned white afterward. What am i doing wrong with this poor fish.... I don't want him to die...

ANSWER: Hi Keirsten,
Your pleco is starving.  He should be fed at least twice a day with special food that you find at the Pet Store or Wal-Mart.  These are pellets, and they sink to the bottom where the pleco, or sucker fish can eat them.  A pea is not enough for him, and does not have the vitamins he needs.  He is a fish, and should be teated well.  The goldfish may have taken the pea away from him seeing as they love greens.  Many people don't know this, and there poor pleco dies of starvation.  Get him food quickly, or you will lose him.
Hope this helps
Lynda

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QUESTION: I've read they are vegetarians and you should feed them different veggies like lettuce carrots cucumber and zucchini. The tank has green algae he's just not eating it. i was told that those pellets can create a different non edible algae in the water which would mean i would have to change all the water and then we would be back at square one... are the pellets the only way to go?

Answer
Your tank is very small, and you will need to do water changes more often than you would a bigger tank.  You must keep the ammonia out of your water.  This is very bad for all fish.  It is the number one killer of fish.  Your Pleco isn't getting enough to eat in that small tank.  Algae isn't enough for him.  I have never experienced problems when feeding my Pleco pellets, and I fed him three times a day. ( He was quite big)  I feel that a five gallon is too small to keep a pleco, and if you want to keep him you have to feed him.  You may feed him veggies, lettuce, zucchini, and cucumbers.  However, I don't think the Pleco will eat carrots. In a small tank it will surely cloud your water.  You can't get out of it, you will have to feed him one way or the other, or he will starve to death.  You will have to make water changes twice a week too.  25% of your water should be changed twice a week if you keep the Pleco.  Pleco grow very big, and they need space as much as any other fish, they need food too.  I'm sorry, but this is what happens when you put a Pleco in a small tank.  There is simply not enough food for him to live on.  There are three sizes of pellets especially made for Plecos.  Hikari is the best one, and does not cloud the water.  Cheaper ones do, especially in small tanks.  You really don't need a pleco in a 5 gallon, as it is easy to keep clean.  Maybe you could change him for another fish.  
Hope this helps
Lynda