Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
Golden Chinese Algae Eaters! Help!!
- dantheman (dantheman)
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I had a small algae problem in my heavily planted 70L tank and had heard of algae eaters. I enquired to the girl on the fish counter if she could recommend a small algae eater that would get on well with my swordtails........
I was told these chinese algae eaters are ideal for community tanks and would stay small so I bought 2! I had always found the advice there to be good and have been buying fish from them since I was 7.
Anyhow, Now they have matured one of them is far more dominant and has started charging my swordtails and his fellow smaller algae eater. They have done a great job cleaning the tank but now that I have read up on them further it seems only the jeuveniles eat algae!
According to this article \" aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20Chinese%20Algae%20Eater.htm \" they do well with african chichlids when older but I only have the one tank.
Can anyone advise me on what I should do? As far as I know shops won't take fish back?
Will they kill my swordtails?
Worst case scenario.... Should i kill them for the sake of the more numerous tank mates?
I know I should have done my research better before buying them!

Please help!
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- Valerie (Valerie)
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Chinese Algae Eater seem to be quite agressive (see www.irishfishkeepers.com/cms/component/o.../catid,517/id,31100/)
Maybe the shop would take them back from you and exchange them for something else. You should maybe ask them.
Hope you find a solution !

Valerie
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- pointer28 (Noel Lambert)
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I know I should have done my research better before buying them!
Maybe the shop staff should have done their research better before selling them to you !!!
I know that we're talking about live fish here and not inanimate products that don't change or grow but if the staff don't know the answers to your questions they should say so and not just tell you what you want to hear for the sake of making a sale.
I've been stung a few times in the last year and I now only buy fish from well known and professionally run shops that I trust.
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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Some otto's may be a better choice for your tank.
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- 2poc (2poc)
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They're your responsibility & responsible people don't kill their pets.
If you stick a post in the for sale section giving them away for free you will more than likely get a taker.
A Bristlenose pleco or some ottos would be a good replacement as they'll take care of algae without any aggression problems.
Cheers,
Patrick
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- 2poc (2poc)
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Whatever you decide to do, don't kill them.
They're your responsibility & responsible people don't kill their pets.
If you stick a post in the for sale section giving them away for free you will more than likely get a taker.
A Bristlenose pleco or some ottos would be a good replacement as they'll take care of algae without any aggression problems.
Cheers,
Patrick
Just noticed you had already put them up for free in the for sale section - good stuff !

I would personally go for ottos as replacements - you need a group though.
They stay small & are nice & lively.
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- Peter OB (Peter O'Brien)
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Get rid of them ASAP. I hate the little buggers.
Smoke me a Kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast.
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- dantheman (dantheman)
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2poc: I'm sure it won't come to killing the little guy, I was just concerned it might be the best thing to do to save my 4 female swordtails. He isn't attaching to them yet but chases them aggressively.
Either way, I have them on offer free in the for sale section and might have some interest, I hope!
Thanks again, great advice as always!
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- Valerie (Valerie)
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Thanks - Valerie
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- serratus (Drew Latimer)
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