Chinese Algae Eaters are very popular algae-eating fish in the Cyprinid family. These little critters are generally sold in pet stores at sizes of about 1"-2" long and are generally priced around $2. Sounds like a heck of a deal for a little algae-eating critter, doesn't it? Unfortunately to beginning aquarists, these fish are much more than meets the eye and if you don't know what you're getting into when you buy one of these little ones you could end up in some big trouble.

As a juvenile, the Chinese Algae Eater is a light brown with distinctive speckles across their back and a black stripe on either side even with the body. While most stores sell these as algae eaters, their voracious appetite for algae tends to die out as they reach adulthood and start preferring more and more meaty foods such as flake food, shrimp pellets and fresh worms or shrimp. The older they get, the less satisfactory of a job they'll be doing cleaning your aquarium.

Next, and possibly the area where most beginners run into trouble, the Chinese Algae Eater gets HUGE relative to its sale size. These little guys can reach upward of 11" long if they're properly taken care of. Bear in mind that the myth of fish growing to the size of their tank is just that, a myth. Many types of fish give off a growth hormone that stops their growing when it reaches a certain concentration in their environment, but premature stunting will result in a shorter lifespan and a less healthy fish.

Because of the Chinese Algae Eater's huge adult size they require a LOT of space. Ideally, you should have an aquarium that is at least twice as wide and four times as long as the fish's length, giving it ample swim space and ensuring it doesn't feel too overcrowded. Just because you're buying a small fish to begin with, doesn't mean it'll do fine in a small tank.

The Chinese Algae Eater is very docile and gets along great with tiny community fish as a juveniles, but watch out! As this critter ages and gets bigger, he also gets very territorial and likes to eat those peaceful little community fish as well as pick fights with its larger tank mates. Because of this aggression, adult Chinese Algae Eaters tend to do best in either a very large tank with larger, semi-aggressive fish such as barbs, gouramis or some types of cat fish or in an aquarium by itself.

If you are not willing to deal with this fish for your algae problem, there are some better alternatives. While the Chinese Algae Eater is very hardy and makes a great algae eater as a juvenile, many beginners aren't ready for the other challenges involved with this particular fish. If all you're looking for is algae control in a small-to-medium aquarium, consider something like a Bristlenose Pleco (not to be confused with the Common Pleco, which also gets huge) or, my personal favorites for smallish tanks, Otocinclus. Juvenile Otocinclus, or Otos, can look very similar to Chinese Algae Eaters to the inexperienced eye so be sure you research and know what you're looking at before you buy. Other alternatives are algae nibblers such as platies, some types of gouramis or even goldfish, though goldfish are not for small or medium-sized tanks due to their unique individual space requirements.