well i had a good look at mt cae last nite and i would say he is at least 20 cm and thats no joke i got pictures on my cam fone and will uploads as soon as pos!!! ofl how do i upload any pics??????? and change my avatar it says its too big and summit bout 80 x 80 <<< wats all that about??????

ash

ashley1984 wrote:

QUOTE:
the chinese algae eater is a loach its a sucking loach

It is not a loach. It goes by the slang name "sucking loach". That does not make it a loach. Just because pet shops give something a "fancy" name does not make it that.

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri is commonly know within the aquatic trade as the "Sucking Loach" or "Chinese Algae Eater". It is not actually a loach at all, but a Cyprinid. The prominent sucking and rasping mouth is used to graze on surfaces within the aquarium. The species is extremely common in shops and sold primarily for it's algae-eating duties. They are bred in countless thousands in SE Asian fish farms for the trade, but in actual fact are not that efficient at algae grazing, particularly when older, nor are they particularly good community fish.

They have a strong tendency to be territorial and harrass other tank-mates. They may also sucker on to broad, flat-sided fish such as Angelfish and cause distress and sometimes actual bodily damage.


The quite attractive juvenile patterning mellows with age which may be one reason for the popularity of the "Golden Sucking Loach" which is a hyper-melanistic version of the same species. While more attractive, sometimes being even bright yellow, these share the same bad behavioral characteristics as their normally-colored cousins.

this is a quote from the loaches online web page

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri is commonly know within the aquatic trade as the "Sucking Loach" or "Chinese Algae Eater". It is not actually a loach at all, but a Cyprinid. The prominent sucking and rasping mouth is used to graze on surfaces within the aquarium. The species is extremely common in shops and sold primarily for it's algae-eating duties. They are bred in countless thousands in SE Asian fish farms for the trade, but in actual fact are not that efficient at algae grazing, particularly when older, nor are they particularly good community fish.

They have a strong tendency to be territorial and harrass other tank-mates. They may also sucker on to broad, flat-sided fish such as Angelfish and cause distress and sometimes actual bodily damage.


The quite attractive juvenile patterning mellows with age which may be one reason for the popularity of the "Golden Sucking Loach" which is a hyper-melanistic version of the same species. While more attractive, sometimes being even bright yellow, these share the same bad behavioral characteristics as their normally-colored cousins.

this is a quote from the loaches online web page

ok sunks you are right mate do apologize