Problems with Chinese Algae Eater

[catherder]

Hi, I'm new here. I have been having some problems with my chinese algae eater. My tank is 20 gal., planted and has been in operation for about 7 years (one move). I have coolie loaches (I think...), 5 corys (one of them was born in tank), danios and scissor tails. This algae eater (the devil fish) has been in the tank for about 3 years. Recently he/she has taken to pushing the rocks around, moving plants -- generally rearranging the tank. I thinking about getting rid of him because he's getting aggressive. Any suggestions?

[Roan Art]

Yes, get rid of the CAE ;)

They are well-known for turning aggressive like that and it will only get worse.

Roan

[catherder]

I feel bad but should I euthanize him or try to return him to a fish store? Petsmart won't take fish back.

[gershwin]

yeah...i just set up my 20 G tank. i've been doing a plant cycle and the first fish i got was a CAE- mainly because i ws getting algae and a lot of members recommend an algae eater. although they don't recommend the CAE, i got it thinking it was really just a pretty gold SAE.

i didnt' realise at the time that the CAE got such a bum rap.

anyway, a week later i bought 4 Harlequin Rasboras. all is well at the moment. at first i was going to take the CAE back to the LFS, but i have to say, i quite like the CAE, it has character, darting in and out of his little cave, peering out at me as i peer in. and also of course it has been fantastic getting rid of the algae.

so i'm torn. because i want to introduce lovely tranquil colourful slow moving, big fish into the aquarium like an angels, and from what i've heard the my CAE is going to turn into a menace and suck on fish fins and their SLIME. but right now i am liking my CAE more and more.

i'm actually a little curious about other people's experience with CAE and the sort of fish they recommend to go with a CAE.

[DeRo316]

I have 1 CAE about 4 inches in my 55 gallon peacock tank. He keeps the tank clean which is what I keep him for. He will occasionally nip or chase one of the peacocks but whenever he does the others(6-7) gang up on him and chase him away. Once he gets bigger who knows, probably trade him in.

[snakeskinner]

CAE are ok as long as you have small, fast moving fish. If you have larger bodied fish that hang out very long in one place, the CAE will feast on its slime coat.

CAE's generally eat algae well at first but when they are older, they prefer chewing on other fish. they especially like goldfish.

My personal opinions? I'd like nothing more than to see the CAE totally disappear from the hobby because it is not sold with the understanding that they will do this. I think the CAE is probably the very first algae eater that a newbie buys unless they are advised otherwise. I know when I first started it was at wally-world with a 10 gallon and I remember having CAE's. Same problems, they'd kill mollies, guppies, angelfish, betta's and whatever else we ever kept them with.

Some other fish I'd like to see disappear (or at least only show up in small numbers at an oddball store) is the pangasius catfish and the pacu (all varieties). Less commonly seen is the tiger shovelnose and redtail catfish but those don't have any reason to be in an LFS either due to their huge adult sizes.

my thoughts anyway, Kyle

[archer772]

Get that CAE out, see if you can find somebody with an agressive tank and see if they would take it if not I hate to say it but I would just flush it I dont think they are worth anything seen them kill too many fish

[Hurley]

Please try not to kill it. I have found that many chain stores will not take back fish but there are often many local smaller fish stores that will take them back. Some of the smaller stores will take them back as a donation and may not give you money or credit but it is much better then killing a fish. Also, you can try putting them up on the classified part of the forum or aquabid.com or even your local craigslist or freecycle. Flushing fish is a big no-no. Fish can live for years in a septic system and survive the journey through treatment plants. These fish then go on to live in the local water ways where they don't belong creating an imbalance in the local ecosystem. Unless a fish is seriously suffering euthanizing and flushing down the toilet should not be considered as an option because there are so many other courses of action.

[Walker Anderson]

Best I advice I can give you is buy a cheap 10 gallon tank and do what I did, put in a Betta of your choice (rescueing him) and net and put the algae eater in with him. You dont need a filter if you do regular water changes. I thought one of my cories had ick, turns out it was wounds healing from the Algae eater suckering on him in the night. His scabs looked white. A week in the hospital tank with some tlc and the cory is back in buisness. I will never purchase an algae eater again of any type. Mine is a CAE and hes not worth keeping for his selling point. SAE's are worthless. And any Otto cats I've had seem to be rather fragile. They dont last more than 4 weeks for me. :(

An algae scrubber and some elbow grease is a ton better than those nasty little beasties. I agree with Snakeskinner, I would love to see them disappear from the market place, but I would add in Bala Sharks. For some reason, every time I stop by to pick up filter stuff, or foods, there is someone buying a bala shark or two for a 20-30 gallon tank. Last time I was so annoyed that when the store employee walked off, I mentioned that they must have a big tank to get something like that. The guy looked at me funny, and I said "Yeah. when healthy and full grown, they would be about the size of your shoe. Imagine tossing your shoes in your tank." He changed his mind. :)

Walker

[Alestro Bakai]

I've heard so much about CAE's turning vicious when they get older,
but what's 'older' - 6 months old? 1 year? 3 years? I could not even find
any info on the web re: CAE life expectancy.

Oh yeah and I like mine too... they actually 'dig' tunnels underneath the
driftwood.

[tdalessa01]

I love mine as well because they have more character than other algae eaters; however my personal experiences show that they are only good with some fish. I used to have a large tank and between my Oscars, Snakeheads, Cichlids etc....they always killed common plecos, however I had an adult CAE live very well with them. I know have a very small tank-20G and I have 6 tiger barbs, 1 catfish, and the CAE. They all get along great. It is very funny if I throw a sinking algae pellet in the tank because he protects it. My last one did stop eating a lot of algae and pellets. My recommendation is if you have one, they should be kept with semi-aggressive to aggressive fish. They will terrorize smaller, slower, more peaceful fish.

[Snoozy]

I have to say that I liked mine too. He lived for 5 years in a 55g with a pink gourami and two angels. He bothered them a bit but never attached himself to them. He did like swimming with the clown loaches though. Once in a while he would start messing around with the rocks, and then he would park himself in front of the tank where I couldn't miss all five inches of him. This was my big sign that he was bored and hungry. I'd give him an algae wafer or two and he was good for a few days. He did like cucumber too. Sadly he jumped out of the tank one day and I couldn't save him.

Lisa

[dorkfish]

Petsmart won't take fish back.

Go to the fish department and ask if they will take donations. They won't give you money for them is what they mean, but they will take fish back.

[Wishful]

PetSmart/PetCo taking back fish...

I talked to the fish department folks at five of our local (Phoenix area) pet-chain stores. In every case, I was told that they absolutely cannot put any returned fish back into the tanks or resell them for quarantine issues.
One store said any fish taken back are thrown away immediately. Four of them said that if the fish were a desireable one in excellent health, it *might* end up re-homed with an employee. Otherwise they toss the fish in the trash as soon as you're out of the store. Basically they're letting their customers off the hook for the death of the fish.

Now, it might be different at your local store. My sister's nearest chain store has several employees who belong to a aquatic orgnization that runs rescue tanks and helps re-home problem fish. Even then, they generally only manage to save about 20% of the fish they accept due to the multiple transfers involved with a fish that's generally already been kept under stress.

I have a CAE, he's a nuisance and a bully, but has gorgeous color and he's fun to watch. When the time comes to transfer our fish to the new tank, I'm going to have to argue with myself about keeping him. But if I decide not to, he'll be humanely euthanized. Frankly, there are just too many CAE's out there to have any hope of re-homing them all. At least until someone sets up an Algea Eaters Refuge that take all our unwise and regretted purchase of the beasts.

[DeRo316]

I've never found any chain store that will take trades. You have to find an independent, locally-owned LFS. In the ones around here the owner is usually working behind the counter and can make the decision. Ive traded many fish and recieved cash, credit, and sometimes just the piece of mind that the fish will have another good home.

[kuhliloach]

ive had a CAE, baby one of course, wich is only 2 inches. he has not caused any harm, in my ten gal tank. yes i no it will grow huge! it depends on the size u got it and if u feed it properly. also the tank size will limit the fishes size but yah either take him back to the store or keep him in his own "special" tank.

[wataugachicken]

using a small tank to "limit" a fish's size is cruel and harmful. stunting a fish causes reduced immune response, loss of color, high stress, illness, and early death. if you don't have or won't be able to aquire a tank big enough for a fish, don't keep it.