Just wondering what to get for my tank as i have a stone setup and my plecos aren't doing too well.

But this critter can't be too small otherwise the ghost knife and clown knif e will eat him.

any suggestions?

Maybe a Siamese algae eater. pretty cool fish or you could get a golden algae eater. same thing really just golden

EK69, I think you may have a name wrong there.

Don't you mean Chinese Algae Eater, CAE??

If so, forget that suggestion, those fish need to be banned, they will attack your fish as they get older,

and anyway, they aren't much good at doing what their name says.

Alan 104

Siamese are AWESOME. They have this funny way of flying about the tank like a humming bird.

Don't be fooled into getting a golden/chinese algae eater/flying fox whatever. They look very similar. Horrible little beasty apparently.

How to tell the difference?? Glad you asked...

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/

Have to say bristlenose, got a couple in with my 30cm black ghost knife with no problems.

nah i have a siamese algae eater i was told. i just did a google search of the two (CAE and SAE) and they looked exactly the same??? i have 1 in my community tank with little bristlenoses and neons and black widows and angels and danios and stuff and hes absolutely fine with them.just does his own little thing cleanin the tank so......

ek69 siamese algae eaters have see-through fins. Chinese algae eaters fins are opaque.

They are not the same.

You were wrongly informed.

Ask your informant the scientific name.

Then compare it with the link we were just given.

Good link too, thanks MSP.

Compare those fish shown there, then get back on here and tell us.

Alan 104

ok i have just searched for both different kinds and got two good pics

The first pic is meant to be a SAE and the second a CAE

mine looks exactly like the first pic and i mean exactly but the second pic looks sorta the same i think :-? :-? :-?

I'd have said the othr way around. That 1st pic is a CAE

I would suggest a 'black line flying fox' - i know that is probably not their proper name but that is what i have seen them called in most LFS here. They have that cool 'fluttering' movement and are silver with a black line running down their side from nose to tip of tail. I have 2 and they are very playful too...

IMHO Ottos are the most effective algae eaters but are small so might become food for you knife fish!

You gotta go with BN's they are great little algae eaters and they dont grow to big like the Plecos. I just bought 2 M&F, my tank was covered in algae had it cleaned up in a couple of days.

Lynda

I have got bristles in another tank and had thought of chinese algae eaters but won't all of these get eaten by the clown knife? Is there something that grows bigger than 8cm?

Might have to get bristles and hope they last

The CAEs and SAEs DO look the same. The BEST way to tell is the black line that runs down their body. One goes all the way to the end of the tail, the other stops at the base of the tail.

If you read the article on the two types, you will see.

Things like shades of colour can be all screwed up in the wrong light. Also, the fish store is very unlikely to have both, so what are you comparing it to at the time??

PS: BN catfish would be great if you have a med-large tank. For us who can't keep adult BN, SAE are the way to go....

ok i have just searched for both different kinds and got two good pics

...

The first pic is meant to be a SAE and the second a CAE

Aren't those the wrong way around??

This is a better picture of a SAE, showing the black line:

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/sae2.jpg

Similar for CAE:

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/Gy ... ieri_1.jpg

The colouring of the CAE is also different, but beware individual differences - no two fish are alike.

I have had the CAE before and had no problems, and I find them to be extremely good at thier job, twice now they have been put into a tank with algae probs and within 24hrs majority of the algae was gone.

As for probs with other fish, we also kept them in with electric yellows and blue zebras with no ill feelings between them.

So I guess i go against the grain, or maybe it is just the welly strain is not so problematic.

B

You're keeping them in with cichlids, different story to community fish

I also kept the golden ones with cichlids and had no issues, I certainly wouldn't recommend keeping them with anything community-based or unable to stick up for itself though.

I had 2 a couple of years ago with a community setup and also had no problems, I had to unfortunately replace them as they were put into another tank and they wern't to keen on the ntank and jumped up the water flow from the hang on filter.

B

Ive been searching for a siamese algae eater.. and they do look very similar to the flying fox, and also the "false siamese algae eater"

Here are a couple of links which show differences:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saes.htm

This one has detailed descriptions/differences plus a table to show the exact differences between the fish:

http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html

Brief differences from:

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/ot ... mensis.htm

How to select the true SAE:

Siamese Algae Eater or SAE: Crossocheilus siamensis

The true SAE has a jagged black horizontal stripe that goes all the way to the tip of the tail. All of the SAE's fins are clear. The black and white and their contrast are more intense than with the other algae eaters below.

False Siamese Algae Eater or false SAE: - Garra taeniata i think or Paracrossochilus

The false SAE if usually found in shipments of true SAE (or the other way around). Unlike the SAE, the black stripe ends at the beginning of the tail. Often, if one goes to buy SAE's in a US aquarium store, they may in fact be all or mostly false SAE's. False SAE's may have some red around the mouth and a yellow tint to the fins. My false SAE had some nice gold and red on the dorsal fin. Mine was sold as a flying fox.

Flying Fox: Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus

Just like the true SAE, the flying fox has a black horizontal stripe that goes all the way to the tip of the tail. Unlike the SAE, the edges of the stripe are smooth and not zagged. The flying fox may have some rainbow-like coloring on the fins. It is more pretty than the other fish mentioned on this page. The black horizontal stripe extends to the end of the tail like the SAE but it is much stronger and broader.

Chinese Algae Eater or CAE:

The Chinese algae eater is Gyrinocheilus aymonieri. Unlike the SAE, false SAE, and flying fox, the CAE does not have a distinct black horizontal line. It is more mottled. The fish is more brown than black and white. The tail fin lacks any striping. The CAE also does not have any barbels unlike the other three fish. If you go to the average pet store that carries fish and ask for a fish that eats algae, probably half the time, you would have a Chinese algae eater foisted upon you. While these fish are a delight like the above fish, they have only a low to moderate desire to eat any algae. If fish food is available, it will compromise most of their food intake. Also, as Chinese algae eaters grow older, the may become nasty to other algae eaters or even other fish in the tank. Some may try to latch onto fat-bodied fish. Sometimes, though some individuals get along well with their tankmates. There is a very common albino (or gold) CAE which may be sold even more often then the regular gray CAE. The CAE does not zip around as much as the SAE, false SAE, and flying fox. It tends to do more sucking. CAE's normally stay under 6 inches but have the ability to grow to almost twice that length.

I have 1 true SAE on order from animates

From what i have read they should be paired.. But im not sure, No website specifically said it but i get that impression

Does anyone know if they should be paired up or can i just stick with one of them

Hi there, I was told by my lfs that if only one is kept they get bored and dont do their job anymore. They told me to have three at a minimum and they will be fine. I have two and they do a great job, but not sure how they would do on their own.

Thanks,

Anthony.

We have had a golden algae eater in our community tank with no problems, and he does a good job with the algae, I haven't had a problem since we put him in, and he is still doing his job even though he is about 10-15cm's now (we were told he would be less effective once he got that big).

i have looked at my algae eater and i think hes a false SAE.

A couple pis of him that are shocking :-? :-?

his black stripe finishes at the base of his tail sorta but then he has black spots on his tail sort of forming a line but i think hes a false SAE.

its hard to see the pics but wotya think. his colouring is exactly the same as the first pic i posted on the other page i think :bounce:

That looks to me like a CAE (chinese algae eater) - Just not the golden version

ok frm re reading what starlyte had written about the kinds earlier i think it may be a CAE then. ok we have decided mine is a CAE:D . he is very peaceful in the community tank. he just goes around doing his thing all day. the only time i have seen him get stroppy was when i had to put my big bristlenose male in the tank with him and the BN went into "his" (CAE) fake log and the CAE was just chasing him out by sucking on his side but he got over it and didnt really mind him after that. :lol: :-?