My algae eater keeps shaking

Question
I own a 55 gallon tank and my algae eater keeps shaking.  Is this due to stress?  While it is just staying in one place it shakes a little.  It swims around the tank, but while it is still it shakes.  I also have other fishes in the tank such as african cichlids and two synodontis catfishes.

Answer
Hi Rachel,

Wow! You had the same stocking list of fish that I once had, although I didn't have luck keeping my Synodontis eupterus with African cichlids (they wouldn't stop nipping, so he had to be moved).

I know what you mean about the shaking. My algae eater (I had a golden Chinese algae eater) did the same thing. It seemed to be a display of dominance - he was always competing for the same caves the African cichlids were making their own. I fed the tank algae wafers, and even if I gave them three or four, inevitably the cichlids would want to eat the one the algae eater was rasping on. So my gut feeling is that this is all there is to it - while CAEs (assuming that's what you have, and not a plecostomus) can be tough, belligerent fish, they don't frighten an African cichlid. The shaking seemed to be his way of letting them know not to mess with him. Interestingly, the cichlids would sometimes shake at each other and seem to puff themselves out - usually one male to another, but sometimes males to females.

Of course, it's always a good idea to check water quality. Sometimes behavior like this can be attributed to high nitrates - you should always strive to keep those under 20 ppm, with ammonia and nitrite zero, of course.

I hope that helps, take care.
Nicole