Black beard algae! help!

[Killybeys]

How disruptive to a planted tank are CAE?

I've heard of CAE being sold as SAE. I've never have had these due to stories of them becoming aggressive. The flying fox is an interesting critter. I've heard they eat BHA but get spunky like the red tailed sharks.

What are CAE?

 

[Anonymous]

Chinese Algae Eater

 

[Killybeys]

Chinese Algae Eater

Is there a difference?

 

[Anonymous]

Here , this is a website I found that touches on the basics.
http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/may08/siamese-algae-eater-id.htm

 

[LuminousAphid]

huge difference, chinese = bad, siamese = good, for most applications. the pic is a golden chinese algae eater, i got one of those when i was first in the hobby and didn't know

 

[hyp3rcrav3]

After perusing the photos I realize what I had was a Chinese Algae Eater all those years ago. They are (expletive deleted) animals. I'll bear that in mind next time I am looking for an larger algae eater that isn't a plant eating pleco. Siamese Algae Eaters do or do not eat or dig plants?

 

[Killybeys]

Here , this is a website I found that touches on the basics.
http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummagazine/may08/siamese-algae-eater-id.htm

Ah ok so i had a chinese one then. He was a horrible fish that disrupted everything.

 

[Anonymous]

Siamese Algae Eaters do or do not eat or dig plants?

No. I would not have them in my tanks if they ate or was destructive to plants.

The key to shopping for SAE is the line that runs the length of the fish. On SAE this line runs all the way through the fish. CAE and flying foXes the line stops at the tail right before the tail section meets the fin.

 

[Anonymous]

Here is a picture of my 4" SAE. Also these fish eat other foods. Flakes, blood worms. I've noticed like my Cory cats they have their nose in every crack and crevice trying to find food which to me makes him a good scavenger finding foods that may otherwise rot.

 

[Killybeys]

Here is a picture of my 4" SAE. Also these fish eat other foods. Flakes, blood worms. I've noticed like my Cory cats they have their nose in every crack and crevice trying to find food which to me makes him a good scavenger finding  foods  that may otherwise rot.

Ok ya i saw some of these at corys today. I might need to invest in a couple once i get my tank back to normal

 

[hyp3rcrav3]

Coolness, I'm going to need an algae eater in my 55 that isn't a pleco. Otocinclus are too small and could possibly become Birchir food. SAE won't.

 

[Anonymous]

Coolness, I'm going to need an algae eater in my 55 that isn't a pleco. Otocinclus are too small and could possibly become Birchir food. SAE won't.

Coolness, I'm going to need an algae eater in my 55 that isn't a pleco. Otocinclus are too small and could possibly become Birchir food. SAE won't.

I've noticed through trial and error that if the tank is heavily planted Otocinclus do well with some predators. Polys are usually a lazy opportunistic predator, just laying around until something comes their way. In a heavily planted tank Oto's will stay hidden in the leaves and quickly zoOm away from potential danger. Even though I have lost some due to predation it wasn't enough to detour me from still housing them in my 140 with dwarf type predators. And before I switched over to dwarfs I had a Delhezi and Otocinclus together. I think my dwarf Pike has gotten more Oto's than the Poly!