Chineese Algae eater Alternatives?

[noclueman]

"2. Don't buy a Chinese Algae Eater aka "sucking loach", "golden loach", "Chinese sucking loach", "Golden Algae Eater" etc. as it'll grow big, aggressive and will soon give up algae for a diet of other fish's slime coat and eye-balls."

I have had my tank for about 6 months now and all the advice I got before setting up my tank was from a friend, and from the fish store. I hadn't heard about this baord until I started having a problem with a fish, now I come here all the time.

Anyway, when I bought my tank I was told one chineese algae eater would do the trik for my 10 gallon tank. He was small (an inch or less), now he is about an inch and a half or so. From time to time I see him chasing after the other fish now, I assume this means he is becoming more aggressive, and I'm afraid I'll come home one day and find him sucking on a dead fish on the bottom.

I tried a pleco (that's the black sucker fish right?) twice, but both times it died within 2 days of entering my tank. I was not sure why, so the algae eater is still here, he is a survivor I guess, heh.

Any advice?

Noclueman

 

[gadazobe]

Return your chinese algae eater and see if you can exchange him for about 3 ottos. They're small, algae loving, peaceful fish. By the way, if your pleco had survived, he would have reached well over 12" so you would have had to return him anyway.

 

[Nisha]

I will second the Otos. They are lovely additions to the tank, peaceful yet with character. They don't grow too large and are great algae cleaners.

 

[Tednol]

if i only i knew bout the chinses algae eater,
o i have it,
no way of getting rid of it,
getting BIG,
murdered a gouramis,
total stressy (word is not apropriate).

 

[noclueman]

Ottos huh? I'll go check it out tonight.....thanks for the advice.

Do I have to get 3 for them to be happy? Or is 1 ok?

 

[noclueman]

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