Golden Loach / CAE questions

[JDS]

Quite a while ago i decided to buy a fish that might clean up some of the algae in my tank. I went to a garden centre and was advised an "Albino Loach" might be the way forward. I took this advice and bought the little fella.
Anyway, having thought about it and done some research, what i bought wasnt an albino loach at all, I think that its a golden loach / chinese algae eater - type fish
He is about 2 1/2" / 8cm long and looks like this : -

(This isnt actually him, the above pic "borrowed" from http/www.sundive.co.uk/tank/maintank.htm ) )

He seemed to be a bit aggressive with some of the other fish, so he now lives in a 10g tank of his own.

1) Can anyone please confirm (or otherwise ) what he is ?
2) I'd like to add a couple of other fish if possible as it looks quite an empty tank with just him. Are there any that ppl would suggest that wont get harrassed by this fella?
3) What conditions should he be living in (temp etc) ?

Hope some of these can be answered
Cheers
JDS

 

[rdd1952]

That indeed does look like the gold variety of a chinese algae eater. They can and usually do get aggressive as they get older. If you put something else with it, it should be thin bodied fish as flat bodied fish like angels and gouramis are more susceptible to CAEs trying to suck the slime coat off them. If you can return him, that would be the best option.

 

[modernhamlet]

Chinese Algae Eater

 

[JDS]

Thanks for the prompt reply

As I do with pretty much all of my fish, I've got rather attached to "Alan" and don't really want to take him back

I guess he'll be ok on his own ??
If anyone could let me know what temp he'd be happiest at I'd be grateful
Since he's got a tank to himself I might as well make it to suit him

There's a bit of algae for him to eat and I've given him an algae wafer now and again.
Water is ok for Ammonia, Nitrites & Nitrates ... Any other hints / tips ?

 

[Bloo]

I know, they are interesting fish full of character indeed and I can understand your attachement. I have a golden CAE as well, though I'm probably one of the lucky ones as I've been able to keep it in my community tank for about three years now. I got him when he was teensy and he's probably around 3" now. I know the day will come when I too will have to seperate it and I'm not quite looking forward to that.

I would say a temperature of around 26 (78) will be fine

 

[rdd1952]

Here is a profile for a gold algae eater and one for a chinese algae eater. I think they are the same just a different strain but may be wrong. As a general rule they aren't great algae eaters, especially as they get older/bigger. Also, they can grow to near a foot long.

 

[JDS]

Many thanks for all the info...

I think i'll just tweak the temp a bit and give him another plant or two to hide in and I suppose just wait til he outgrows the tank
At the moment he still seems pretty content to suck on the algae, Ill keep an eye on him to see if he goes off it as he gets older.

Again thanks for the info to those that have responded and also all the other info on this great site
Cheers
JDS

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If you keep him he'll need a bigger tank enventuallly as they can get the 10inchs in captivity, 15inchs in the wild....So he'll need a 30gal all of his own enventually- he'll also start to go off cleaning the tank of algae as he matures too. CAE's will readily accept (dead and de-shelled)prawns, large bloodworms and krill and algae wafers and catfish pelets- if you rehome him thats fine but the chances are he'll end up in another community tank like he did when you first got him so you may just be passing this problem unto another person...

 

[ncjharris]

Its a shame about CAE's as they are brill little things when you first get them, but they are usually missold and so it comes as a shock to most people what little ratbags they can be as they grow up.

We used to have two (laurel and hardy) but laurel didn't last too long (mysterious death) leaving hardy, the hardier of the two (ho ho) . We used to watch them racing up the side of the tank, cleaning the algea - it was like a mini race in the tank.

Anyhow, (waffling now...) my point was going to be, that they were originally sold to us as Coldwater fish - so we kept them in a tank with Goldfish. When we carried out further research we found out they were also tropical, so when he got a nusicane, we moved him to the community tank, where he cleaned the glass with gusto.

Then the day came when he was causing too much hassle for the gouramis and so we had to get rid of him. Lucky our local LFS (a maidenhead aquatics) said they would take him as a tank cleaner.

So everytime we are there now, we keep our eyes out for him and lo and behold there he is everytime.
And I thought they were saying that to be kind and would flush him!

 

[JDS]

Nice tail, ncj
I think I'll be keeping mine on his own til he outgrows the tank, then I think i'll have to have a word with my lfs and hope they'll look after him for me
Oh ... and I nearly wet myself at your signature, the one about the fish in the tank

 

[Bloo]

Ah that's nice to know ncjharris. I once had massive tiger barb and all his mates died and he was reeking havoc with my other fish. So my lfs too said they'll take him in - and put him in their display tank with some mega huge fish - where he was one of the smallest but happy as Larry It's nice to know there some shops that would do that.