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I have 2 Chinese algea eaters that I am considering trading at my LFS for something else. What do you suggest? My stock list is shown on my profile. Any suggestions are appreciated!!

I'd get two more boesemani rainbows.
Three rainbows is too few for a school.

Good luck on the deal!

I would suggest some kind of algae eater in place of those you are getting rid of. Maybe one bushy nose pleco, or about 6-12 Ottos.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Siamese algae eaters. You probalby originally bought the CAE's for algae control. There are a few look-alikes on the market, so make sure you're getting the right fish.

I originally bought the CAE's for algae control so I would like something else for the same purpose. After reading some other posts on CAE's I have found that they can get very aggresive as they get larger. The one's that I have are currently about 3 1/2" and 2 1/2" long. They're fairly peaceful right now, the larger one chases the smaller one a fair bit but they don't bother any of the other fish. My concern is that they will start attacking my other fish.

I wouldnt get 2 more rainbows.
Boesmani rainbows are among the largest of
all rainbows at around 5-6 inches, and really need
to be in a much larger tank than 20g.
In exchange for the CAE's, perhaps
a small pleco? BN, Clown, or other Peckoltia species?


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I was looking in the profiles section and the Zebra Pleco looks awesome. I'll have to see if I can find one. I have no idea of what they might be worth. If they're too expensive I may just go for a regular BN. Thanks for the advise!

just slightly expensive. You might be lucky and get a zebra for $120-$150 but probably closer to $200 or more. They are endangered so you can't get any from the wild. There are a few people that have started breeding them but they are still pretty expensive.

YIKES!!! So much for that idea. I guess the two algae eaters i have to trade aren't exactly going to cut it. Any suggestions for something else a little different but not quite (cough) so expensive. Hehe, thanks for the info.

Get a BN instead of the CAE's.



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I still think SIAMESE algae eaters would be better than plecos. Some plecos get really huge, put out a lot of waste product, and can get lazy with age. Siamese algae eaterswill also eat BBA!

Thanks for the posts. I traded my 2 CAE's at the LFS for a Bristlenose pleco. The guy at the store said it will only grow to about 4-5 inches. He also suggested that if there isn't enough algae in my tank, to feed it potatoes. Does anyone know the best way to prepare the potatoes? I assume that all I should do is dice it up into very small pieces. I'll give it a couple of days to settle in before I try anything different.

I hope I didn't stress out the rest of the fish in the tank too badly while trying to catch the CAE's. They're speedy. Anyway, thanks again for the posts.

Dwayne

Actually, the best thing to feed them if not enough algae, is zuccini or cucumber. I prefer the zuccini, as it has more nutrients than the cucumber does. Slice it in small disks about 1/4 inch. Some people blanch (short boil) theirs so it will sink, while other freeze and then thaw theirs. I find if you do either of these, the veggies will rot in the tank quicker, if not eaten right away. Personally, I take the lead weights for plants, that you can buy at most LFS, and wrap one around a raw piece. They can stay in the tank water for many days before rotting, if the pleco does not eat them quick enough. I feed zuccini, as well as orange and yellow squash to many of my algae eating fish, and their fry. Sometimes the fry take a few days to eat it, but the adults usually take it out in a day or two.

HTH...

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There is always a bigger fish...