Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Cyprinids > Chinese Algae Eater

Chinese Algae Eater Indian Algae Eater ~ Siamese Algae Eater ~ Sucking Loach

Family: Gyrinocheilidae

• Puzzles
• Postcards

Gyrinocheilus aymonieriPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     Though not the most beautiful of fishes, the Chinese Algae Eater is a workhorse when it comes to its job... eating algae!

     The Chinese Algae Eater is desirous to many aquarist mainly for their ability to keep the aquarium free of algae. This fish prefers hiding places in wood, rocks and plants. Since they graze on algae most of the time, some sunlight on the aquarium to promote the algae growth is appreciated.Their slung mouth forms a sucking disk, perfect for anchoring to a surface especially in fast moving water. Though they prefer algae, you can occasionally substitute crushed lettuce or spinach. Also, they won't work in the cold. If the temperature in the aquarium drops below 69 ° F (20 ° C) they will stop eating algae!

     When young, the Chinese Algae Eater does fine in a community aquarium, busily going about its business of greedily foraging algae from the glass sides of the tank, the plants, the substrate, and any decor. When it gets older however, it can start to defend a territory and can continually harass tankmates. Adult specimens are often best kept alone.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:      The Chinese Algae Eater was described by Tirant in 1883. They are found in northern India and Central Thailand. They inhabit large and medium sized waterways such as lakes, rivers and flood plains where they found adhered to solid surfaces with their 'sucker' type mouth.
     This fish that we are calling the 'Chinese Algae Eater' is one of those fish with a multitude of common names, including such things as: Algae eater, Indian Algae Eater. Siamese Algae Eater, Siamese Headbreather, Sucker loach, Sucking loa, Sucking loach, and Biforated Carp.

NOTE: Don't confuse the Chinese Algae Eater with the similar looking Siamese Algae Eater Crossocheilus siamensis. These are two distinctly different fish from two separate families. Though both are algae eaters, the Siamese Algae Eater will eat a broader range of algaes including the black forms and the filametous red forms, unfortunately it is not as readily available to the aquarist and is a bit more pricey. The Siamese Algae Eater lacks the distince sucker mouth seen on the Chinese Algae Eater, and its horizontal center stripe has jagged edges and extends through the tail fin.

Status:      These fish are not endangered.

Description:      Not the most beautiful of fishes, the body of the Chinese Algae Eater is plain with a notable black stripe from the tip of its "nose" to its tail. Though their color is quite variable, they are often yellowish on the sides, more brown along their back, and have a yellow eye. The stripe is often broken, and there can be black spotting along the back and at the base of the dorsal and caudal fin. They have an under slung mouth which forms a sucking disk, perfect for anchoring to a surface especially in fast moving water.

Size - Weight:      They grow up to 11 inches (27 cm). They are mature at 4.5 inches (12 cm). Personally we have seen them at 5 inches which is a surprisingly large fish, but we have never seen one approach 11 inches.

Care and feeding:      Generally the Chinese Algae Eater, Indian Algae Eater, or Sucking Loach prefers an herbivorous diet of algae and vegetable matter, but they will eat live and flake foods also. You can occasionally substitute crushed lettuce or spinach for algae.
     This fish prefers hiding places in wood, rocks and plants. An aquarium best suited to this fish would have lots of plants and other decor. Since they graze on algae most of the time, some sunlight on the aquarium to promote the algae growth is appreciated. When small they can fit in most any size aquarium, but as they grow a minimum of 25 gallons is suggested. Of course an even larger aquarium will provide more natural algae for them and suit their needs better.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:      These fish will swim on the bottom of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:      Hardness: 5 - 19 ° dGH
     Ph: 6.0 - 8.0
     Temp: 77 - 82 ° F (25 - 28 ° C)

Social Behaviors:      When young they are a good community fish. The busy young Chinese Algae Eater will go about its business of greedily foraging algae from the glass sides of the tank, the plants, the substrate, and any decor. When it gets older however, it can start to defend a territory and can continually harass tankmates. They are especially cantankerous in groups of more than five individuals of their own kind, adult specimens are often best just kept alone.

Sexual Differences:      Chinese Algae Eaters have 'thorns' around their mouth. The males' thorns are more numerous and more pronounced than the females'.

Breeding/Reproduction:      Not much is known about the breeding behaviors of these fish.

Buy Chinese Algae Eaters From LiveAquaria.com

To our knowledge they have not been intentionally bred in the aquarium or commercially, though there have been reports of accidental breeding.

Availability:      The Chinese Algae Eater, Indian Algae Eater, or Sucking Loach is readily available and is very popular. Single specimens start at about $5.00 USD.

Add your comment here!
Click to see All the comments!
Click to see all of the coolest comments!
Latest Comments
I would like to point out that Siamese Algae Eaters and Chinese Algae Eaters are two different breeds. Chinese Alage Eaters tend to become agressive while their Siamese cousins do not. Siamese Algae Eaters also tend to eat algae much better. Fish Master 2010-02-07
i just bought two of these fish for my 250L aquarium he's about 10 cm and is happy with his 6 cm friend, 3 mountain minnows, 3 neon tetras, a hopplo catfish, a black ghost knife, a bristle nose, a molly, 6 phantom glass catfish, and a 12 cm peppermint pleco. They are realy great fish and they eat black algae which almost every other fish won't touch. leo 2009-12-20
Fish have been mysteriously missing from my tank. My CAE was growing at an alarming rate. Last week a tetra came up missing, last night 2 of my large black neons went missing.... I kept noticing the CAE was getting very very aggressive chasing and biting at the other fish in my 55 gallong aquarium. Well, guess who I found belly up at the btm of the tank this morning.... CAE himself. Guess he over done it this time. Am really glad everyone shared the info on this one time algae eater gone cannibal! GlendaR 2009-09-08
This is a good page. Needs more details on the fish. tonisha hart 2009-08-31
I work in a pet store and currently we have one CAE that someone bought into us because it was to aggressive for their tank. He is about 8 inches long and is currently housed in a tank with a few piranha and is doing fine. At first he used to actually chase the piranha, but now both have settled down and he stays in a cave mostly. This fish is NOT for a community tank. eric 2009-05-25
Some of the coolest comments:
Chinese Algae Eaters are commercially produced in the Far East, and are available in a few different colors. The suckermouth is for attachment to the substrate, not feeding on algae. Their mouth coincidentally resembles the suckermouth of many true algae eaters, but the Chinese Algae Eater does not earn the name. It is a very ineffective algae eater, even at its best when small, and becomes more and more interested in attacking its tank mates for a mouthful of scales or fin than accepting a veggie diet. This fish is apparently easy to propagate in huge numbers and so has a profitable mark up compared to fish that actually are algae eaters. mcdaphnia 2009-12-11
Buy this fish with care! Pet stores seem to get personalaties mixed up between CAE`s (Chinese Algae Eaters) and the algae eating cousin the SAE (Siamese Algae Eaters). CAE's are quiet and peaceful when young and will happily munch on algae, however, as they approach 4 inches they turn more and more agressive and will stop eating algae and start eating little fish, slime coats, and the like! They also grow to just under a foot long. A much better choice for an algea eater would be the SAE, a close cousin of the CAE, who only grows to an adult size of 4-6 inches or even better for peacful community tanks the otocinclus, a 2 inch algea eater that will never think of harming a fly. AGAIN CAES ARE HUGE FISH THAT ALMOST ALWAYS BECOME FISH EATERS! I would however love to get a 55 gallon and do a species tank, also the golden CAE or golden algea eater is just an un-pigmented vesion of the CAE. its likly that people with peacful "CAEs" have a false SAE, a flying fox, or less likly an SAE. All these fish only get to about 4-6" and will usually leave the other tank mates alone. JEF 2007-02-12

Back to Cyprinids