All fish / Gyrinocheilidae

Chinese Algae Eater

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

Also known as siamese algae eater (misnomer), golden algae eater, sucking loach, honey sucker, indian algae eater, gold chinese algae eater, albino algae eater, algae sucker, ปลาน้ำผึ้ง, ikan sedut, ギリノケイルス, ゴールデンギリノケイルス

A slender, sucker-mouthed fish with a brownish body and dark lateral stripe, though the golden xanthistic form is now the most common in shops. It has a special gill opening that lets it breathe while clamped onto rocks in fast water. Young fish are bought to graze algae, and they are tough and adaptable.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: algae wafers, blanched vegetables, sinking pellets, occasional frozen bloodworm

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 years or more

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mekong and Chao Phraya basins: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam

Breeding

It is bred commercially in Southeast Asia using hormone injections and ponds. Spawning in home aquariums is essentially unknown.

Good to know

Adults grow to around 20 to 28 cm, become territorial and may latch onto flat-sided or slow fish such as discus and angelfish to feed on their mucus. Often confused with the Siamese algae eater (Crossocheilus oblongus), which is a different, more peaceful fish.