Wow!... What Growth.. Chinese Algae Eater.....

[Ludwig Venter]

When my display tank sprung a leak, I suddenly had to improvise, so I moved all of the fish to and outside pond. Amoungst these fish, was my 4cm Chinese Algae eater.... They've been in the pond for (around 4 months now, and because of all the logs and other ornaments in this pond..... I have not seen some of the (nocturnal) fish in all of this time.

This afternoon, I saw my 4cm Chinese Algae eater for the first time after putting him in there.... It was actually a shock..... I've never seen them at 11 to 13cm..... It was a brief encounter before he dashed into hiding again,.... but that is what I saw.... An 11 to 13cm Chinese Algae eater.

 

[Joshwainwright]

How big was he when you put him in?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

How big was he when you put him in?

"I moved my 4cm Algae eater across".... so, he was 4cm when I put him/her in.....

 

[Joshwainwright]

Woops, I shouldn't skim read as much!

Sorry.
I wish I could set up ponds and paddling pools up for tropical fish The UK sucks!

 

[Carlovel1]

When my display tank sprung a leak, I suddenly had to improvise, so I moved all of the fish to and outside pond. Amoungst these fish, was my 4cm Chinese Algae eater.... They've been in the pond for (around 4 months now, and because of all the logs and other ornaments in this pond..... I have not seen some of the (nocturnal) fish in all of this time.

This afternoon, I saw my 4cm Chinese Algae eater for the first time after putting him in there.... It was actually a shock..... I've never seen them at 11 to 13cm..... It was a brief encounter before he dashed into hiding again,.... but that is what I saw.... An 11 to 13cm Chinese Algae eater.

1.Yep, CAE grow extremely fast compared to other fishes. You should take caution though...they are very aggressive fish so should be kept with aggressive fishes...these can be kept with Central American aggressive Cichlids (Green Terror...) or aggressive African Cichlids, or even very aggressive Lobsters. By all means these are mean aggressive fish

2.They will hunt down other fishes...what fish are with them?

3.You may think it is large now but le'me tell ya something...it will doublein size over this year

4.CAE are NOT catfish of any sorts, they are infact Cyprinids so maybe the thread should be moved to the 'Cyprinids, Characins and Atherinids'?

 

[Baccus]

I am guessing that Chinese algea eaters are the same type of fish where ever you live ( in Aust years ago they used to just call them sucker fish but now I think most of the pet shops give them the algea eater name), and they do get HUGE. I used to regularly put my bigger ones into my pond, but the trouble with them is that the bigger they get the less effective they are at eating algea and they become real bully's in the tank. Even my poor godlfish had a tough time with the algea eaters and the goldfish where bigger than them. Also Chinese algea eaters are prone to trying to suck the mucus off their fellow tank mates and that I am sure you know all to well is not good. I have leant my lesson and stick to Bristle noses (although I recently ventured into Borneo Sucker Fish) they may get huge but at least they don't feel the need to bully everyone else in the tank. Something else I found out with having CAE in a pond (in Central Queensland) they couldn't handle the colder winter months its that or they commited surcide or my local king fishers managed to get them. Either way from memory I only had them survive outside 1 winter and they had usually disappeared by the next.