# SAE + Moss



## lildark185 (Jul 7, 2006)

I am thinking of purchasing some SAE to get rid of my BBA. Will they also eat moss (fissidens in my tank) or will they pick through the fissidens to get the BBA?


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## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

Personally my three SAEs barely touched any BBA I had so I would not expect miracles. Best to figure out why you have BBA and address that. They left my Xmas, Flame and Taiwan mosses alone. But they really relished the new growth tips of my Rotala wallichii, Rotala sp. 'Vietnam' and Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan' so if you have any of those beware.


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## oblongshrimp (Aug 8, 2006)

my SAE's would strip java moss. Also seemed to do eat my rotala wallichii when I used to keep that stuff.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

My SAE's ate BBA, but they also grazed on my mosses (Christmas and Flame).

-Dave


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## Logan's Daddy (May 3, 2008)

I have seen mine eating moss in my tank, they completely decimated my java moss, just left behind little moss "skeletons" they also occasionally nibble on my flame moss. 

I've never had much bba to speak of, so I can't be much help there.

Also, when they are young they seem to stay away from the moss, they "discovered" my java moss after living withit for a little over a year.


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## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

Well it certainly seems that when it comes to SAEs they must really vary fish to fish. There's those that insist they munch all their BBA in sight, and those like me who with three SAEs (yet admittedly not all that much BBA, only the occasional patch here and there) who have never seen them touch it, or they touch it and move right on without a munch. 

Then there's also people above who say it's devoured their mosses. I have Xmas, Flame and Taiwan moss in my 72 gal and they never touched it. I moved two of them to my 10 gal a couple weeks ago and they did eat a recent sprouting of staghorn algae in there (yah!) but left all my java and taiwan moss alone, at least so far. Oh, and on the Staghorn subject I've read one web site that says SAE will eat it and another that says they do not (and my LFS told me they would not eat it too, but they did).


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

ya sure ya got the real mcCoy there?
although once they get larger they just get lazy (or smart) and eat fish food.


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## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

vancat said:


> ya sure ya got the real mcCoy there?
> although once they get larger they just get lazy (or smart) and eat fish food.


If that was me your were addressing: the three I got were very young, about 1 1/2" in size and are now about 2"+ about 3-4 months later. They still do nothing all day but go from leaf to leaf furiously nibbling on something (small fibers of thread or hair algae just getting started?) My Farawella and two BN Plecos the same, all day (and night!) it seems.

I got them from a fairly reputable LFS who knows the difference between real and false SAEs, and my online research confirmed they had all the markings and characteristics of real SAEs.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

It is a typical trait for SAE's to get lazy if they have an easier source of food, so you must be feeding them enough not to have to venture out and find anything on their own.

As to the original question: mine totally wiped all of the moss I've ever put in that tank.....


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## lildark185 (Jul 7, 2006)

JanS said:


> As to the original question: mine totally wiped all of the moss I've ever put in that tank.....


That doesn't seem good for my fissidens.


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## helgymatt (Sep 12, 2007)

They mowed down my moss, but havn't touched my fissidens at all! Also ate rotalla wallichi


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## Remster (Nov 25, 2007)

I've have 3 true SAE's in my 55 gal. for a few months. My java moss is eaten down to "skeletons", too. I suspected them and not the 6 otto cats I got at the same time, but haven't actually caught them at it. 

The SAE's eat what I feed to my other fish including blanched zucchini that was originally intended to supplement the otto's diet.


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## lildark185 (Jul 7, 2006)

The 3 SAEs that I recently purchased have not touched my fissidens nor anything else in the tank including the BBA. I wonder what they're eating, they just school all day across the back of the tank.


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## Complexity (Aug 11, 2008)

They're probably eating fish food. Once they start eating fish food, they aren't as eager to eat algae or plants.

I have 9 in my 75g, and they did munch on a lot of my algae, including the BBA. But I basically starved them. I fed the fish very sparingly to be sure they didn't leave left over food for them. However, now they have figured out hot to go to the surface and swim upside down to get small pieces that are still floating. Silly little things!


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