dealing with algae on fish

[postman]

I've noticed my oldest and largest male African yellow has some algae growth on him, it's been there for a bit now and he doesn't seem too fussed about it. Was just wondering if this is something that's fairly common and if so, does it tend to happen more as they get older? Am I missing something in his care that's causing this?

[coltin]

Would be great if you could share a photo of the affected fish.

Algae growth on fish is unusual, mainly because their natural mucus coating prevents algae from taking hold, and they regularly shed this mucus.

[earthie_9]

I've never seen algae on a fish before, so this is new to me. A picture would definitely help clarify things. How old is your African yellow, and when did you first notice the algae growing on him?

[postman]

Having some issues with uploading a photo, I've tried multiple times but it keeps saying the file is too large, even with just a single picture.

[coltin]

Try resizing the pics on your computer with an image editing software, should do the trick. Alternatively, you can also upload them to a free image hosting site, then just copy and paste the link here.

[postman]

I just posted them to my public Facebook page

[coltin]

The white/grey film on your sunnygold cichlid appears to be excess mucous, and considering the clamped fins, I'd say it's likely a protozoan infection, although poor water quality can't be ruled out.

Have you tested the aquarium water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & GH? If so, what were the results?

How often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change each time? Do you also clean the gravel regularly?

How frequently do you clean the filter, and what's your cleaning process?

Have you introduced any new fish to the aquarium recently, within the past month or so?