Diet: Algae Wafers, Fresh Vegetables Maximum size: 11" Water temperature: 72-82 degree F Swimming level: Bottom Experience level: Intermediate Tank Setup: 29+ gallons, lightly planted Note: Pet availability is seasonal. State and local regulations may vary. Pricing may vary by store location. PetSmart stores cannot match the price below for this pet. Ask a store associate for details.

Overall rating:

4.2

(45 reviews) 44

39 of 45(87%)customers recommend this product.

Reviews for Algae Eater

Review 1 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

1 / 5 45 reviews

NOT a good algae eater after juvenile age!

April 20, 2013

by YooperGal

fromMarquette, MI

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

These fish will eat a ton of algae when young, but as they mature, they will get to be up to 11 inches long! When they get larger, algae is not enough for them. They like meaty foods and will start to "eat" the slime coat or even the flesh of your other fish!

+6points

7of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 2 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Algae Eaters

April 2, 2013

by packy

fromNew York

I love my algae eaters. I have 2. 1 golden and 1 china. They eat a lot of algae. They stick to the walls and eat the algae all day.

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

4 / 5 45 reviews

Good Cleaner

March 28, 2013

by ChiTownDan

fromChicago, IL

What is your gender?M

Reviewer Images

Active cleaner. looks better than a pleco. is smaller than a pleco and has a smaller mouth, might need more than one.

+6points

6of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Little Rocky;)

March 26, 2013

by FishLuv4evs

fromOhio

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

I have a cute little Chinese Algae Eater(What they really are) named Rocky. He's probally about 2 inches and works very hard. I don't think he would attack my other fish because he's terrified of them! When ne swims near him, he goes and hides in my barrel. I got him yesterday and has already thinned out the layers of algae on some of my décor! If you need help in your tank I suggest getting one! If mine were to get aggressive I have friends who have big fish who could take him, thought I doubt he could ever hurt anything. He likes to hang near my golden mystery/apple snails! ;)

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

active

March 18, 2013

by justinjswagg29

frombrandywine, md

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

these things are awesome and active and drop a algae chip in and they go great with snails don't forget to feed them feed them like you feed fish only 1 or 2.

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

2 Algae Eaters

January 26, 2013

by AgentCheese

fromDunnville, CDA

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

I recently purchased two small algae eaters, hoping they would also eat a bit of the leftover food at the bottom of the tank on days that I happen to put a little too much in. My tank is fairly new, and doesn't have much algae, so I got sinking algae discs for them too. When I fed them the discs, I fed my other fish flakes at the same time. My fish would eat the flakes, then come down to the bottom and pick away at the pellets, and my algae eaters never got a chance to eat the discs (while I was awake). Today I tried putting a piece of cucumber in the tank (they float) so I put it against the wall, held up with a little bit of gravel. I went back into the room with the aquarium in it, and looked at the tank, and all I saw was a little shadow through the cucumber, and when I walked up to the tank, it was one of my little algae eaters eating the cucumber! I was so happy to actually have seen one eating! I'll still put the algae discs in the tank, but not as much, and do research as to what other vegetables they can eat, and how often. Another thing I noticed, the leaves of my fake plants had a little bit of "stuff" on them, powder-like, maybe leftover broken down food, with a little bit of algae? I'm not sure. But the algae eaters were usually always on the gravel, but I walked in one day and one was sucking on the leaf of the plant, so I looked closer, and every single leaf was as clean as when I set up the tank!! I was very surprised! Whenever I see them, they are usually hiding in the plants, so I guess they may be more active at night. But they really do clean up the tank! I didn't think it would have been noticable, with little to no algae in my tank, but it is! And on top of that, they're cute! They follow eachother around, and do not bother my other fish. (Maybe because they're still young) I would recommend this fish to anyone needing a little extra help keeping their aquarium clean! They do an amazing job! :D

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

4 / 5 45 reviews

happy and healthy

January 26, 2013

by ga1axy

fromnevada

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Reviewer Images

i got one algae eater and i can't tell if he's getting enough to eat but he seems health and is very happy.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 8 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Good name

January 9, 2013

by thecommunityfish

fromVirginia

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

These guys are great at there job. I just got them yesterday.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 9 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

REALLY HAPPY WITH THIS FISH

December 13, 2012

by fish1122

fromBellingham, WA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

I have have dad one of these fish before when i got my 10 gallon fish tank in Janurary of 2012, and it was a very minimal work load to keep him healthy, he had just died in November and got to be about 5inches, he was my favorite of the 5 fish i got and so i just got two more and i think i will continue getting these types of algae eaters,

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 10 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

1 / 5 45 reviews

Deceptive fish, beware!

November 20, 2012

by brambleforest

fromMD

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Chinese Algae Eaters start off as nice little inoffensive fish, not really bothering much of anybody as they eat the algae in your tank. After they get to about 5 inches or so, though, they change attitudes completely. They become very territorial, attacking other fish, and stop eating algae completely. It doesn't take them that long to decide that both fish food and the other fish both taste better than the junk that grows on your tank walls. And they do grow fast.

That said, they do have certain uses. If you have a tank with African Cichlids, they will do well in that since they will all be aggressive. But they still won't help your algae problems after growing to 5 inches.

Looking for a good algae eater? For smaller community tanks, mystery snails and Otocinclus are both sold at petsmart and both are great (though you might choose to avoid snails if you have live plants). Plecostomus are good for much larger tanks. But avoid the Chinese Algae Eaters unless you know exactly what you are getting into.

+4points

5of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 11 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Great for Algae Build Up

October 28, 2012

by BCtoronto

fromToronto, Canada

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

These fish are very energetic. They are fun to watch and they clean the tank really well. If you are going to clean the tank, get a net because they are very fast swimmers.

Pros:
Excellent for cleaning

Cons:
None

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 12 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

4 / 5 45 reviews

Great Fish

October 26, 2012

by fishtail

fromSC

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

I have 5 of these algae eaters and I purchased them knowing they were chinese algae eaters. I have had them now nearly a year and they are working out great. I only target feed them once per week and the rest of the time they eat the algae and excess food on the tank bottom. They are housed in a 90 gal tank with other aggressive fish, but I provide plenty of rocks and plants and they get along well. If you overfeed them they will stop cleaning the tank otherwise they are out and about all day and very interesting to watch. They started out regular colored, but one morphed to albino and another is marbled which added nice contrast in the tank.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 13 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

great curious fish

September 30, 2012

by fishman1234

fromakron ohio

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

This is a nice fish easy to take care of he is very curious he sleeps in a small sunken ship and when i walk by he will stick his head out to see. But you need to get alage wafers if you dont have any alage

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 14 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Active Fish

September 7, 2012

by Cehszar

fromMatamoros Mx

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?1

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Reviewer Images

pretty tiny, for now (2"), though very active and peaceful (again... for now), just don't like to be too close other tank mates.
Mine isn't shy, I think he likes the camera, but sometimes he tends to hide.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 15 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Great cleaner fish.

August 10, 2012

by Typhoon86

fromVermont, VT

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Reviewer Images

i got one of these because my thank was filling with algae. He cleaned up the algae really fast, and likes to stick himself to the tank wall. My tank hasent gotten dirty since we got him, though i wouldent suggest him to a small tank, i heard these get big.

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 16 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

1 / 5 45 reviews

tore my betta's fins apart

July 21, 2012

by camih

fromOrange County, CA

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

I had this fish for about 4 months now, in a 10 gallon tank with my male betta. I went away for 2 weeks, and came back to my betta's fins completely shredded. I did not think it was the algae eater's fault. After a week of being along in a bowl, I moved the betta back into the 10 gallon tank with the other fish. i woke up the next morning to my betta fish's fins shredded AGAIN. I also witnessed the algae eater biting and nipping at my betta. If you have an algae problem with your tank, get some shrimp. NOT AN ALGAE EATER.

+4points

8of 12voted this as helpful.

Review 17 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

i love this product excellent!!!

July 7, 2012

by lorski

fromalbuquerque new mexico

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

when i didn't have my algae eaters i needed really bad my tank was horrible! i couldn't even see my fish through the glass but that day i got the algae eaters and for some reason they won't eat in the day time like when i have the light on for their tank but that night they ATE ATE ATE!!!! and the next day i was amazed! how clean it was buy them they work like crazy!!!!!!

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 18 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Reliable, long living, fun.

June 21, 2012

by Anthony21

fromRoscoe, Illinois

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Reviewer Images

I have had the algae eater for over a year in a 10 gallon tank and it is awesome. It is about 5 inches and fully golden. Loves to hide in smaller decorations and seems to stick on the side of the tank less and less. Since there is practically no algae in my tank, it is best to get some algae chips for them.

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 19 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

1 / 5 45 reviews

June 14, 2012

by minmin87

fromWinter Garden

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

This fish got really big, really fast and did not like to be in a tank with others. He actually would stalk and kill other fish around him...he even liked to harrass my beta fish. I would not reccommend this fish to any one and even returned mine.

+5points

9of 13voted this as helpful.

Review 20 for Algae Eater

Overall rating

5 / 5 45 reviews

Best Aquarium Fish

June 7, 2012

by Researcher

fromSeattle, Washington

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?2

How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year

These fish aren't the most colorful or entertaining fish, but are EXTREMELY docile towards other fish. They can put up with just about anything the other fish throw at them, my Chinese algae eater(A.K.A. the common algae eater) kept to himself and only grew to about 2 1/2 inches long because he fed himself and never ate his food that I bought him. They aren't for little kids as they can be a little skittish and have been know to play dead when freaked out by "outsiders".

Overall, a HIGHLY VALUABLE fish to have in an aquarium, I only had to clean the tank once every 3-4 months because of one of these guys :D.

-2points

1of 4voted this as helpful.

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