[rabbichou]

Dishonorable Mentions: Chinese Algae Eaters are Not Algae Eaters, and they are majorly aggressive.

I have 3 large (3" -5") Chinese Algae eater cleaning the algae on the rocks all day long, why do you say they are Not Algae Eater?

 

[jmhart]

I have 3 large (3" -5") Chinese Algae eater cleaning the algae on the rocks all day long, why do you say they are Not Algae Eater?

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

Foods and Feeding

These fish are omnivorous. When young, the Chinese Algae Eater prefers an herbivorous diet of algae and vegetable matter, but they will eat live and flake foods as well. As they mature their diet preferences begin to change to a meatier food source, like small crustaceans and even sucking on the scales of fish.

In the aquarium offer a good quality flake along with fresh plant material or algae wafers. You can occasionally substitute crushed lettuce or spinach for algae, as well as shelled peas, cucumber and chopped fruits. Making a gel based food with a mix of these natural ingredients also works well. To keep it in top condition and in its best colors, supplement it's diet regularly with small live and frozen foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and Daphnia.

How often to feed these fish depends on the amount of algae in the tank and how often you feed your other fish. As such, match feeding levels to algae levels. In general these fish will do best when offered regular food daily, with algae wafers provided about every other day. Most aquarists report that this fish stops eating algae as soon as it discovers fish food.

Diet Type: Omnivore - Predominantly herbivorous when young, they can eat flakes or pellets containing proteins and vegetables.
Flake Food: Yes
Tablet / Pellet: Yes - Algae wafers work best for this fish.
Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
Vegetable Food: Most of Diet
Meaty Food: Some of Diet
Feeding Frequency: Daily - Depends on the tank and other inhabitants. In general offer regular food daily, with algae wafers provided about every other day.

So, when they are young they may munch of some algae, but like the SAE they move on to other stuff as they mature.

 

[Rubenpierre]

What would you recommend for this tank? We have a clear algae problem!

 

[gersh10]

Identify?

Ok so I've looked at many threads, done a ton of searches along with taken samples to a couple different aquarium shops and no one knows what this is... I'm guessing a type of algae but have no idea.

I've attached the photos but am not seeing them in the post?

 

[Boostr]

I know this is an old thread, but this might help somebody. When I had set up my 55g a few months back I had the same type of algae that @Rubenpierre has in the pic pretty much everywhere. I just took some Excel and spot treated it and it was gone the next day. This was a little over a month ago, and it hasn't come back yet.

 

[ML5280]

Thank you so much for this thread, saved my tank.

 

[Klawrence]

I really cannot do more than just nod and laugh at the accuracy of the things that he just had said... P. S. Rainbow shark is a murderer of small fishes like delicate tetras.