Apparently there are so many "algae eaters" in North America, I can't understand why anyone has FA.
Virtually any species of fish can have FA, or anything else for that matter, in it's digestive tract. Pepsin breaks down the proteins to extract nutrition and most FA require an acid PH around 1.4 for the pepsin to break the "strong" FA protein barrier. For most fish species, a stomach Ph that low would dissolve the host fish species itself. It is far more likely FA ingested is by accident rather than intent and fish are eating other organisms growing in or on the FA instead. FA control by GSH is much more likely to be obtained in very dense stockings by the disruption of the the FA growth cycle rather than by any actual consumption.
Maybe it is semantics to some as to what constitutes a fish being called an "algae eater" and if so, I apologize for seemingly being overly sensitive to some being misled in these rather "creative" theories being presented here.
I have yet to see a single result mentioned that was even remotely acheived through FA atually being consumed in any quantity that would have achieved said results.
It is great to think outside the box here on the forum. We just can't forget, the "box" needs to be clearly understood also, ESPECIALLY if you like going outside it!
