why aren't my so called "chinese algae eaters"

[lilmolly]

The first time I thought I had bought a chinese algae eater I found out later I had really bought a siamese algae eater. I was pleased. Now I thought for sure I bought chinese algae eaters since time but they don't seem to be growing very much, they aren't aggressive at all, and they have taken care of all the algae in my tanks. I was told chinese algae eaters only eat certain types of algae, are agressive, and grow large. (Over a foot) Did I end up with siamese algae eaters again?

 

[dwarfgourami]

How long have you had them? Perhaps there is still time. Many of us were delighted with our cute friendly efficient little algae eaters for the first year or so. I cannot now remember how long it took mine to turn aggressive but they were certainly nothing near a foot long by that time.

 

[emma12321]

Take a look at this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=101658 for pics to id what you have. There is a pic of a regular chinese algae eater in the profiles section of this site.

Hope this helps

Emma

 

[sylvia]

They grow to about 10" - not typicaly to over a foot - and start showing aggression when they begin to reach sexual maturity at between 4" and 6".

That topic by pica is excellent but, in case you need more help, here's another useful link with drawings for comparison: http/www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/ - note how CAEs are the only ones with a zig-zag stripe pattern. Plus, here are some photos that could be of use: http/www.aquatic-gardeners.org/saephotos.html Google.com is another useful place to look for images

What I don't understand is why you seem to have WANTED to get a CAE? In future, do try to note down the scientific name of the fish you want so that you can avoid buying the wrong fish on impulse. Also, you may possibly have ended up with otos - they are catfish, closely related to plecs - but can quite easily be confused with the cyprinid algae eaters or the CAE because they have similar markings. However, they don't get much larger than 2" while the SAE/SFF, FF, FSAE/FFF/FSFF and oblongus all get to about 4-6" and the CAE to around 10".

edit: BTW, only otos are catfish - this should realy be in the cyprinids section as the others are actualy types of 'shark' - except the CAE which is in the family 'gyrinocheilus', which, I suppose, makes it an oddball.

 

[GuppyDude]

mine is around 6 months old now and he is starteing to become very aggressive. hes about 2 inches long at this point and ripped up a cory yesterday the cory is ok thogh. y'ed i get scammed into a CAE, i have no idea

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

When i had my old CAE a couple of years ago he started getting very nasty when he got to 4inchs....I had some CAE's before that when i first started in fish keeping but i kept them together(which you shouldn't do, but i hardly knew anything about them back them) and they just picked on each other although the other fish did seem bothered about them and never went near the cave where they hung out.
Whenever a CAE turns nasty is a tricky issue but as noted its usually when they reach 4-6inchs although somtimes before that and some people(the lucky few) don't have any problems with them but this is hardly ever the case.

EDIT: better to rehome them before they start causing problems in my opinion as they can turn nasty very quickly, somtimes overnight, and you can lose alot of fish or get alot of badly injured ones.
They need protein in theirs diets more and more as they grow and algae doesn't offer enough which is why they usually go off it as they mature and start to turn on live fish, but feeding your CAE high protein foods doesn't always protect them from turning nasty as they are still terotorial fish by nature.

 

[The-Wolf]

I have a 5" 'golden' CAE and he is not aggressive at all.
I'm pretty sure this has to do with the fact that he is not the largest fish in the tank.

except the CAE which is in the family 'gyrinocheilus', which, I suppose, makes it an oddball.

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Just to pointout that gyrinocheilus are a Characiforme not an oddball; however I'm sure it is classed as such on this forum
Phylum Chordata > Class Ostariophysi > Order Characiformes > Family Gyrinocheilidae > Genus Gyrinocheilus

 

[lilmolly]

What I don't understand is why you seem to have WANTED to get a CAE? In future, do try to note down the scientific name of the fish you want so that you can avoid buying the wrong fish on impulse.

[snapback]916502[/snapback]​

This was meijers I got them at. They don't have scientific name there. You'd be lucky to find a price tag at all let alone a scientific name.

Also, you may possibly have ended up with otos - they are catfish, closely related to plecs - but can quite easily be confused with the cyprinid algae eaters or the CAE because they have similar markings. However, they don't get much larger than 2" while the SAE/SFF, FF, FSAE/FFF/FSFF and oblongus all get to about 4-6" and the CAE to around 10".

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These aren't otos. I've had them before.

edit: BTW, only otos are catfish - this should realy be in the cyprinids section as the others are actualy types of 'shark' - except the CAE which is in the family 'gyrinocheilus', which, I suppose, makes it an oddball.

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Sorry, that was pretty reckless of me, wasn't it? ::no sarcaism intended:: )

 

[lilmolly]

I have a 5" 'golden' CAE and he is not aggressive at all.
I'm pretty sure this has to do with the fact that he is not the largest fish in the tank.

except the CAE which is in the family 'gyrinocheilus', which, I suppose, makes it an oddball.

[snapback]916502[/snapback]​

Just to pointout that gyrinocheilus are a Characiforme not an oddball; however I'm sure it is classed as such on this forum
Phylum Chordata > Class Ostariophysi > Order Characiformes > Family Gyrinocheilidae > Genus Gyrinocheilus

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In all fairness she did write ''I suppose". Meaning she wasn't 100% sure, but you were right to correct her for my sake, and others that didn't already know this.

Wow, I have too much attention to detail today. aaahhhh!!!

 

[GuppyDude]

iv done research after i got mine, and it said that if u get them as babys (a lil under and inch long) and raise them in a community setting they can become decent community fish. but on teh other hand some just can be trusted to live with other fish

 

[dwarfgourami]

Most of the ones you get from the lfs are juveniles and have been kept in a community settings (2-3 in each tank to keep the shop tanks clean), but their dietary needs still change when they become older, and a lot of them still do get very territorial when adult. Whether we get to see that adult behaviour or not will depend to some extent on how long we manage to keep them alive (mine took a flying jump from the tank shortly after his hormones had kicked in).

iv done research after i got mine, and it said that if u get them as babys (a lil under and inch long) and raise them in a community setting they can become decent community fish. but on teh other hand some just can be trusted to live with other fish

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