Re: !>>Note to Wright>>Note to R. Park

[John Anthony <anthony@pop.uky.edu>]

>I don't need to read it.  If it says that Algae eaters won't eat the caudal
>fins off my apistos all the way to the peduncle overnight, it is bogus.

	I guess it all depends on how you define algae eaters.  I've had a
siamensis (SAE) in a 40 gallon tank along with a spawnig pair of A.
Agassizi for over a year now.  The full-grown (6") SAE won't even come
close to the fry (I always leave the fry with the parents - that's the
whole point of keeping Apistos, in my mind . . . watching the remarkable
parental behavior).   The only carnage I ever tended to see in that tank
was Momma Apisto defending her wrigglers from her older fry, which was how
I always determined it was time to sell off a batch of young.

	I think the problem is simply in using the lump-term "algae eater."
It is sort of like saying "An Oscar will eat a neon tetra, therefore all
cichlids eat neon tetras."   Don't take the route of various State Fish and
Game departments, who have temporarily banned the sale of all Characins
because a Pacu or Pirranha (sp?) was found in a local lake (yes, this HAS
happened!).  Generalizations like this DO NOT help the hobby.

	Perhaps if you gave us an idea of the specific types of algae you
are trying to combat (or better yet, take this question to the EXCELLENT
aquatic plants list), we wouldbe better able to assist you (my experience
with snails has been less than phenomenal, but I wouldn't want to discolor
your views with my bad experiences with only a couple of species).

	Good luck with your algae problem!

	John




John Anthony
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky
www.chem.uky.edu/research/anthony