Caper - GREAT photos of gorgeousl fish! I don't think we've crossed paths before, so a belated welcome to TFK - thanks for sharing these shots with us - we're ALL fiends for pics, and yours are so lovely!
Your angels are stunning, I can't choose a favorite between the two of them, amazing how different Angels can look one from another. . . !
Pretty little Ram, too! I am
such a sucker for rams (I keep Bolivians <3). The gold forms are soooo pretty! I'm sure he'll fatten up after a few weeks in your care, but keep a close eye on that tummy - he's definitely on the thin side. This is totally normal when they're new, so nothing to worry about yet - but you want to see that belly bow out slightly, instead of in. Gotta keep those babies fat and happy! *luffsfishybabies*
As for the algae eater. . . I hate to agree with the others on this little guy!!! It makes me so
SAD that they grow up to be so territorial and dangerous,because they are such beautiful fish, and so intelligent - you can see it in their eyes, I think (or maybe I'm imagining things again, lol!) They really are no good for a community aquarium like yours, so you probably want to look into returning or re-homing him now, while he's still cute and little. As juvies, these fish are great at taking care of algae, but once they mature (if I'm remembering correctly, this is at about one year of age), they seem to lose their taste for veggies (algae! YUM!), and turn into little carnivores! After *about* that one year mark, you'll find that they prefer to feed on the slime coats of other fish in the tank, *usually* while said tank mates are sleeping.
Not very nice! They often rip out scales when they detach from the fish, and from there infection, fungus can occur - all that sad stuff, and unfortunately the victim doesn't always make it through. . . I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the wounds and damage done by CAE fish first-hand last year, and it was just heartbreaking.
Fish that are laterally compressed, like your (gorgeous!!!) angels, make particularly good victims for these fish, because they have a comparatively wide and flat surface area that the
Chinese Algae Eaters can easily attach too. Your little Ram is also a prime target, because they share the same territory of the
CAE at the bottom of the tank. . .
If that isn't enough, the fact that
Chinese Algae Eaters do max out at around a foot long should be enough to convince you that this little beauty is ultimately not going to be a good match for this tank - such a shame - he's so pretty! I really do love these fish. Perhaps one day I'll go aggressive like Agent13 and keep a shoal of my own!
I don't know what your level of experience is, but you really don't NEED an algae eater, or a sucker fish, at all. That is a common misconception we see all the time around here. If you'd like some suggestions on some bottom dwellers that may be more compatible with the other fish you own, I'm sure some of the other posters on this thread would be happy to offer several fantastic suggestions (they're awesome like that!). I can even think of a few that are in the catfish family, if that's what you prefer?
Now that I've seen all these pretty inhabitants, I want to see the tank where they live!!! Would it be wrong of me to beg for more pictures???! How big is the tank? Looks like you have it planted???! I'm sorry! I'mreally too curious for my own good! >.< I'll take whatever you feel like sharing - and thanks for sharing THESE!!! Fantastic pics of really gorgeous animals!
(lol, Agent13 - your last post cracked me up! *giggle* Poor little CAE fearing for his life in there with those Bichir!!!)
