Algae Eater - Chinese Gold - Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

[cassiebug]

Has anyone experienced this fish being aggressive to tankmates? I read an article on a site on this fish "Do not keep with smaller fish such as Neon Tetras or slow moving high-backed fish such as Angelfish and Discus
When young will eat algae. As it ages it quickly loses the taste for plant material and likes to eat the slime and eyeballs of larger fish, and may even eat smaller fish entirely" and, of course, I have one that is in the tank with angels, tetras and guppies. Do I need to remove it???

TIA

cassiebug

 

[phoenixkiller]

I do not have personal experience with it, but my brother and my cousin both experienced unchecked aggression from this when when it attained full adult size. As with all such fish, it's hit or miss, but my vote is that you should be ready to rehome him if aggression is observed.

Hope I helped!

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

if you're looking for a fish to control algae i would suggest otto's or a Bristle Nose Pleco.

i have two gold C.A.E. in my tank but i will eventully re-home them or setup a tank just for them. the only issue i forsee with a seperate tank is to get one big enough since they can reach 11"

i have my own set of issues with keeping pleco... not to say its a bad thing, its more they don't live past 3 weeks... i've only tried this twice but can't figure out whats going on. but hey thats just me... you may have better luck with pleco then i did...

long-term, i wouldn't suggest C.A.E. for the safety of your other fish.

 

[TommyP]

I have two chinese algae eaters in my 30 gallon fresh water tank. They are fairly aggressive when the other fish swim near them. they mainly hang out at the bottom or do their own thing on the glass so it's not too bad. The only thing I have noticed is that recently i added in 2 african frogs. They are very small 1-2 inches my CAE are about 3-4 inches. It wrestles the smaller frog ( doesnt bother the other one) eventually I am going to seperate them.

 

[Cynic]

They are aggressive fish but they do get a bad wrap I feel.

On the condition you don't have any slow or flat fish like gouramis or discus they may be aggressive but are unlikely to be destructive.

 

[Convict2161]

I have 3 CAE and 2 plecos in my 75g mixed african Cichlid tank. My CAE have shown no aggression. I also have loaches in my tank as well.

 

[Musicfreak]

My neighbor has one and she has many long tailed fish and used to have a gourami until she gave him to me. The CAE she has sometimes will chase some of the smaller fish around that she has but has never injured one.

I would suggest as others have, just watch him. If he starts showing signs of aggression towards the other fish then a new home would be the best option.

 

[cassiebug]

Hi all,
Thanks for all the comments, not sure at the moment what to do with it. It's already doubled size since I got it Guess I'll watch it closer for a day or two.

Thanks again,
cassiebug

 

[phoenixkiller]

And again, it's hit or miss, and I have heard of people who completely ignore advice, and they do fine. Just watch him, that's the best advice I've got for ya.

Hope I helped!

 

[aqua_chem]

One of my favorite quotes in Aquaria:

"I would rather suck the algae off the sides of a tank myself than put a CAE in my tank"

When they get larger, they will often develop an attitude. Their required diet changes a bit as well, moving from herbivorous to omnivorous. This is when they start attacking larger fish to suck off their slimecoat and generally becoming tank jerks.

 

[phoenixkiller]

That's what I've heard. Bristlenose plecos and/or Otocinclus are the way to go IMO.

 

[tamtam]

Yea, CAEs are probably not your best choice. An SAE would probably be a better fit but they can be hard to find, often sold under wrong names. I attempted to purchase some SAEs a few months back and ended up with CAEs. I returned them to the store telling them that these were not the fish I was looking for and the guy tried to sell me some Flying foxes saying that they were the actual SAEs.

TBH though most algae eaters eat more tank algae when they are younger and slow down on this when they get older or start to move more towards other options first. I wouldn't base your choice on the amount of algae they eat because in the end you will need to feed them something more anyways. The better approach with algae if you do not like it is to figure out why you have the problem and go from there, or just wipe it off.

On a side note you may like the Rapheal Cat for an alternate bottom dweller option. They have a very interesting look and are pretty mellow/timid.