gremlin

anybody know if chinese algae eaters change color? I bought a normal colored one 3 months ago. Now it has blue/gray sides, a black tail, a black spot on the back of its head & shoulders, and a white/peach nose. I don't have any pics of it (I don't know how to get the pics from my phone to the web). Other than the coloring, it it the same body type as a CAE. Any clues?

Isabella

It may be hard to know for sure without pictures. Read this: http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/ and see which one your algae eater looks like.

armadillo

Hi Gremlin. To get pictures from your phone to the web you'd need to get the pictures on your computer. Then in Fishlore, you write a new post and click on 'additional options'. There you are given the option to browse to the pictures you've saved on your PC. Et voilaaaa!

gremlin

lets see if the picture came through. Yes that is my hand the fish is on...

armadillo

Yep, we can see the picture. I'd wait for that CAE experts on your colour question. I know nothing about these fish, sorry. Hopefully someone will answer soon.

Butterfly

Hard to tell. anyway to put it in a clear bowl of water then take is pic?
Carol

Sabi

yep its not clear.

gremlin

I'll try to get a better picture next time I catch it. Since it is in an outdoor pond, I only get to catch it when I do a major water change/clean out. I won't need to do that now until it starts to get too cold for it outside and I bring it in for the winter, probably not until mid September. I might bring it in earlier. A friend of mine is going to keep it in a tank in her school classroom for the winter. I still can't believe that it went from about 1" to that in just a couple of months

gremlin

Took some more pics of the algae eater - found that another one was still in there. I have pics of the one that stayed normal colored and the one that is multi colored. Both were bought at the same time from the same store and looked identical. Hope the new pics come through...

Amnagrla

I'm not expert but it looks like a chinese algae eater to me.

As to the discoloration... it is clear to see it in the picture when he/she is in the bowl with the other one. However, I don't know what's the deal with the coloration...

Gozer_1

Well it looks like my algae eater except for the splotches. I had a fish that developed black splotches once. He died very shortly after. I was told it could have been bacterial infection, a blood clot or even a small tumor. The splotches your CAE has look very similar. I don't know for sure but your fish MAY be ill. I couldn't find anything to cure mine. He died in a fishy hospice. He swam fine for awhile but started to list then he could barely swim at all. I hope this is not the case for you.

Tom

It is a CAE for sure.
But CAE's have those little dots along their side like this one and they are starting to breed them to have bits of yellow on the body. I think they are mixing them with the golden algae eaters. This way they aren't all the same color and don't look bland.
Tom

Gozer_1

Yeah I have no doubt what this fish is. The main body of the fish looks fine but the splotch on top of its head (I think the third pic)is the one I'm talking about. Looks just like the splotch my Gourami had before his demise, but looks can be deceiving. If the fish looked normal but then developed the splotch then I'd say it wasn't a breed type thing. If it had a splotch that just darkened with age then I'd say it was normal. I don't think CAEs are known for changing colors, but they do darken with age.

Tom

I looked closer at the pic and it looks like either a thing from the mix breeding or a reflection of a flash from the camera/sun.
tom

Gozer_1

Close up it does look like a mixed breed, but I think it would have looked like that from the beginning. Or at least vaguely. If it looked totally normal and made the change in color VERY recently, like in the last week or so, then it MAY be ill. Like I said I don't think CAEs ever completely change color, their colors just get darker. Hmmm..... I guess I just don't know lol. There are so many variables in this hobby. It's hard to say from some pictures and a description. I'm sticking to my guns though. If this fish looked completely normal (looked like the other one pictured), but then changed to this splotchy pattern in a fairly short amount of time, then he is probably ill in some way (poor blood flow will cause light areas and dark areas). If these colors just slowly developed as the fish got older and bigger, then he is a cross breed. The yellowish color is similar to that of a golden algae eater. Anyway, good luck with your CAE's. Hope they don't get too mean on ya. Mine is about ready for a tank all alone. Some of my larger fish are starting to miss a scale or two. I never see them fighting with each other but I have seen the CAE trying to latch on to them. Mean little things when they get old and grumpy.

gremlin

I wonder if it is a mixed breed...I never thought of that. When I bought them, they were the same color/size (less than 1"). I put them in my pond and did not see them again until just recently when I was doing a major clean and I noticed the odd colored fish swimming around. I don't know for sure if it is a recent color change, or if it was gradual as the fish matured since they have two rock shelves to hide under/in. I do know that it is healthy. I was doing some reading about the aggression issue and it seems as long as they have plenty of food and space, they are not aggressive.

Gozer_1

So I just got back from the ol' fish store and guess what? They had CAEs that looked very similar to yours. They were about 2 inches and you could just barely tell. I'll bet yours looked like that also but at less than an inch it would have been REALLY hard to tell. The panic reaction is strong in my blood sometimes. Still looks just like my poor gourami did.

Mine is about 4 or 5 inches and is in a 150, hes just starting to get a little territorial.

gremlin

150 gallon tank sounds big enough...Maybe put an algae wafer where he likes to hide in the day? see if he is hungry. Mine completely ignore the goldfish (except to swim under them in their shadows when I'm trying to catch them to take pics!