Today I went to my local (and only) petshop in the hopes of getting two Siamese Algae Eaters after hearing about them here. They sounded like good fish (the best I thought) and I really needed some after my pleco's death since the algae was growing pretty fast.
The pet shop didn't have any, but they did have some Chinese Algae Eaters which look just like them, except that their stripe is dashed.
Is there any real difference between these two, or just a different name and slightly different appearance?
These little guys look active, healthy, and are good eaters! I watched them for about 15 minutes while waiting for a worker who wasn't busy.
I just hope they're not as sensitive as pleco's, which is why I didn't get another. After two pleco deaths I decided to try other algae eaters.

Siamese although more uncommon are the better algae eaters of the two. I ccan't remember exactly why, but I believe it has to do with effeciancy and the many types of algae they will eat.

Aah, that bites already...
I just found out a small but horrible fact about Chinese Algae Eaters. When they get older they stop eating algae and instead, latch onto other fish.
Now I don't know what to do with them. At this current rate, they will probably not live to the weekend. Either they'll get eaten by my fish, or my fish will kill them with too many of their "experimental bites."
I don't really know what other kind of algae eater I can get, though. I loved my pleco but after two deaths I decided they are too sensitive since this last one died for unknown causes, just out of the blue... I really liked how my plecos and my goldfish got along. Whenever my fish "kissed" my pleco, he'd just grumble to himself and swim to the other side of the tank. My goldfish chase these CAE, probably because they're fast and exciting.
I also don't know what to do with these two CAE now, though. I don't want them in the tank anymore, after finding out that fact, but I can't stand the thought of killing them, which is the only thing I can do with them.
It's too bad petshops don't have return policies.

I think a responsible petshop should tell you that they bite when they are older. It is just like they should tell you that certain fish don't mix. I suppose it depends on the individual employee. Well, I suppose we have to assume that he even know about their bad habbits.

I would approach them and tell them that they are not mixing with your other fish and can you please have your money back. It's worth a try.

In the meantime, you can build them some hiddy holes with a few pieces of flat rock.

Sorry, you had a bit of a raw deal.

Ah, I wish I had seen this earlier, yes, the chinese ones dont' really eat much algae and have a reputation for getting quite mean as they get older.

Every store sells them though, which I really hate.

Siamese algae eaters can be very hard to find, but if you know what to look for the differences are obvious. They do get somewhat large though, mine are all about 5" now.

I've tried the Siamese algae eaters but I find them harder to keep. I have bristlenose in the same tank and the Siamese one died in mysterious circumstances while the bristlenose grew and grew.

If you are trying to clean algae from your tank so your maintenance tasks are reduced, I'd recommend a bristlenose pleco or two. Allow as many gallons as for a similar size of goldfish for each plec.

If you want to enjoy graceful little striped sardine-shaped fish who eat algae (including hair algae) as part of your aquarium, look for Siamese Algae Eaters. Mine are really cute when they get floating pellets... They wrestle them down under the water and guide them with their whiskers like they are playing socker. But they are a spieces to help make use of your algae instead of eradicating it.

A friend's favorite in her community tank is a bg old Chinese algae eater, which never eats any algae any more. But it isn't a brute toward the other fish. My own first algae eater was a Chinese AE (more years ago than we ought to talk about) and was also a good citizen of the tank, although a poor consumer of algae.

Clarify your goals, and you will clarify the speices of fish that you can suitably house. (Do as I say, not as I do. Our recent bristle-nose cat babies are purely accidental!)

Caroline in San Jose

actually in truth, all algae eaters will bite when theyre older. its like eating a box of cheerio's for all your life, then one day, youve seen a juicy steak - and tried it out.. and enjoyed it..

chinese algae eater is just for looks, not necessarily for its tastes in algae. plecos are best for it.

I had a Chinese algae eater dumped on my doorstep , and he is the best algae eater I have ever seen. He keeps the tanks spotless!!!!! I do transfer him around in the various tropical tanks and such. I would never consider putting him in with my goldies, for he is only about 4 inches big and would be dinner in a minute.

He is a bit hard on some broad leaf plants, but cleans the tanks of algae so quickly and efficiantly that I am impressed. My guppy tanks never have even a glimmer of green algae to them, thanks to him.

I hope he continues his "salad" days and never becomes a meat eater. AFter I read this thread, I was worried that that is possibly why he ended up in a bag on my doorstep!

are these chinese algea eaters the same as sucking loaches (gyrinocheilus aymonieri)?

mylittlefishy

anyone have a pict of there Siamese Algae Eaters or Chinese Algae Eaters? i have a golden sucking loach and am now wondering the same as mylittlefishy.

As some of the others have mentioned, I think the best choice is a bristlenose pleco (ancistrus). They are wonderful algae eaters and they stay small (around 4").

I had a chinese algae eater years ago, and he hit about 6" long and he started to become aggressive.

As for your plecos dying, I think one thing that sometimes causes unexplained pleco deaths is starvation, especially in goldfish tanks. Even with a good algae coating in the tank (which I don't have with my bristlenoses ... my tanks are very algae free), I think these fish should be fed. I feed my bristlenoses algae wafers when the tank is in complete darkness (to keep those greedy goldfish away) and blanched zucchini. The zucchini I drop in during the day and let the goldfish eat the soft middle part and the bristlenose loves the skin. He actually eats the skin part first