Chinese Algae Eaters - HELP

[Christian]

I posted a long time ago that i got 3 CAE for my 46 gal to clean up algae. One was eaten the other two became used to the fish and learned how to get around and where all the hiding spots were. Since then all the algae is gone, i was afraid they were starving so i put in algae wafers, they dont touch them. Then they started getting bloated, i though maybe it's because their starving to death, so i tied lettuce to a rock and it was all gone when i came bac an hour later, but it may not have been them who ate it. Now their still bloated and their fat stomachs are getting a little red tint to them. Now im worried it's a disease, but it only spread to them, weeks after i got them? What is this?

[Damon]

Sounds like a normal maturing healthy CAE to me. Note to the wise. They will stop eating algae soon. May even go after other fish in your tank.

[Christian]

thanks for the reply, that was relieving. I never really thought it was just them maturing. yea, i heard that they might stop eating algae, after i got them, ....and that they tend to suck on other fish, after i got them, ill deal with it when it comes, i have an extra tank i could set up just in case.

thanks for the info

[garfieldnfish]

Usually when you buy them they are very young. It takes them approximately 1 1/2 years to mature or the size of 3 1/2 to 4" in length before they become aggressive against other fish. I have one that became aggressive a while back, (he now lives with dwarf puffers in a 15 gal tank and behaves, I guess even he knows what's good for him), the other is still doing an excellent job in my 75 gal tank and I have had him for over 1 year. You really never know with them. But mine never looked bloated. Try some blanched zucchini, both of mine love it. You can weigh it down with a plant weight or a veggie clip. Or try some shrimp pellets or other sinking wafers, mine eat most of them as well. But they both still eat algae and keep the tanks clean but they need protein in addition. The shrimp pellets give them that. One of mine also loves cut up fresh shrimp from my local grocery store. The other one will have nothing to do with it. Go figure. You just have to try different things. Anything that will sink or can be held in place with a veggie clip is fair game.

[Damon]

CAE's are not mature at 4 inches. They grow to 11 inches long. a 15 gallon will stunt his growth although they grow slowly.

[garfieldnfish]

While they can theoretically approach 11", this length has never been attained in an aquarium. Most sites list 5 to 6" max. They mature at the age of 1 1/2 years or at about 4" even though they will continue to grow larger. That size is normally the point when their behaviour changes. Mine will stay in this 15 gal tank until a larger tank becomes vacant (I have 11 fish tanks) where I feel comfortable to put him into. But for the time being he is fine in there.

[Damon]

Originally Posted by garfieldnfish @ Thu May 12, 2005 4:03 pm

While they can ****theoretically approach 11", this length has never been attained in an aquarium. Most sites list 5 to 6" max. They mature at the age of 1 1/2 years or at about 4" even though they will continue to grow larger. That size is normally the point when their behaviour changes. Mine will stay in this 15 gal tank until a larger tank becomes vacant (I have 11 fish tanks) where I feel comfortable to put him into. But for the time being he is fine in there.

Funny. ****I just sold a 7 inch CAE to my LFS about 3 months ago. ****5 to 6 inches is way small. ****(Mine was approx 3 years old)
http://www.petresources.net/fish/cyprinid/gyr_aym.html
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fres...inesealgae.php
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/
http://species.fishindex.com/species...gae_eater.html
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile47.html
A mature 5 inch CAE is stunted.