[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

I have two SAE, one is 5 years old and the other is almost 2.

I have these plants in the tank:
# Ludwigia arcuata
# Ludwigia glandulosa
# Cabomba furcata
# Echinodorus tenellus
# Echinodorus uruguayensis
# Eleocharis minima
# Rotala rotundifolia
# Sagittaria subulata
# Rotala macrandra
# Nymphoides sp Taiwan
# Limnophila aromatica
# Glossoestigma elationides
# Rotala wallichii
# Rotala sp "Vietnam"
# Myriophylum tuberculatum
# Echinodorus bleheri
# Echinodorus ozelot red
# Marsilea creanata
# Anubia brateri ver nana
# Cryptocoryne ponderifolia
# Cryptocoryne wendii "green"
# Heterantera zosterifolia
# Rotala rotundifolia var "colaratta"
# Blyxa japonica
# Java moss
# Microsorum pteropus
# Microsorum pteropus var. "Philipinas"
# Riccia
# Proserpinaca palustris
# Echinodorus scheleteri
# Aponogeton undulatus
# Aponogeton crispus

I have never seen them eating the plants.

What I have seen is the SAEs cleaning plants with a lot of long filamentous algae, that no other fish eat.

Bye,

Juan

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

This is interesting? Some people seem to have no trouble with their SAE and others do.

In my case, I am certain that I have True SAE's because I researched them before I bought them and went to a place that advertised them as True SAE's and they physically fit the description of True SAE's.

At first the three I had in my 50 gal tank seemed tame enough and acted as I expected. They chased each other and did some displays. As they grew they became more aggressive toward other fish, especially at feeding time. They were very aggressive when I fed them algae tablets and aggressively chased other fish way. I believe they were in a mating mode but I could never verify any eggs because they typically went into the dense plants (They are actually rather shy towards humans).

They gradually started eating more and more plants. They particularly liked tender new growth and ate the central rosettes from my sward plants. At first I thought that this was some type of rot but I figured it out after many of the plants developed peculiar U shaped hole in the leaves about the size of a SAE sucker.

I think I'll stick with Oto's from here on.

Now I am really confused. I had the hope that maybe you were confusing with the other algae eaters.
Here in Argentina is normal that false SAEs are sold as SAEs.
But if you are positive about the identification, so it is a behavior I have never seen.

Bye,

Juan

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

this is my sae.in the first 6 months they doing great,and my javamoss grow nicely,now the moss are dying.i am going to get all these 3 sae out tonight.

Yes, you are absolutely right. That is a true SAE.

Questions:
How old was the SAE when it began eating the plants?
What food are you giving to the SAEs?

This is my young SAE:

Bye,

Juan

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

Get rid of that thing it will get huge.

Yes, and it could be dangerous for other fish when it grows:

According to this articule: "It becomes a bogus cleaner and outright peaceful-fish-killer as it grows."

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/saes.htm

Bye,

Juan

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

After reading the articles I have to admitted that I was also wrong.

According to the article I have two beautiful Crossocheilus langei.

Their eyes are honey-colored above, white below and black stripe in the middle. And also both have a white belly with an elongate blackish blotch around the vent.

That is probably why I have not seen the negatives behaviors described in the tread.

Bye,

Juan

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

I've observed about the same as what others have mentioned here. I kept 3 in my 180g tank. No BBA. They ate R. wallachi and flame moss to bare nubs but left R. 'Vietnam' and everything else alone. After more than a year two jumped out in the same week. BBA started showing up. I'm now debating about adding two more.

Still debating.

Still debating.

We'll see. It's a rare thing to prefer a small quantity of BBA to a fish.

Which type of Crossocheilus did you have according to this article http://fishaliciousfish.blogspot.com/ ?

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

Well, I don't find that a very easy question to answer, since I don't really think that particular blog represents the last word on the taxonomy of the Crossocheilus genus.

I've pretty carefully researched the fish I've purchased and I believe them to be the real deal - C. siamensis.

The fish that she labeled as Crossocheilus Langei is slightly "off" IMO and probably isn't a true C. siamensis either.

I don't know either if that particular blog represents the last word on the taxonomy of the Crossocheilus genus. But it gives a probable explanation why we have so wide behavior discrepancies. Should´t at least check it out if it´s correct?

My two Crossocheilus have never touched my java moss.

 

[galettojm]

Re: SAE's good bye!

I'd also be hesitant to suggest that certain species always eat java moss and other species never do. I've had fish that I raised from the same brood with with wide differences in eating behaviors.

I agree with you.

But I just was been curious to know if your Crossocheilus have eyes honey-colored above, white below and black stripe in the middle and also have a white belly with an elongate blackish blotch around the vent.

Bye,

Juan