Siamese Algae Eater
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Buy a group and ensure you get the right Siamese Algae eaters - crossocheilus siamensis.
There are confusion species that look very similar, stay away from "flying foxes" as they can be aggressive.
They can get quite large, mine are around five inches long now, so a group would ideally need a 200litre tank.
There's some useful info here: http
/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/crossocheilus-langei/
There are confusion species that look very similar, stay away from "flying foxes" as they can be aggressive.
They can get quite large, mine are around five inches long now, so a group would ideally need a 200litre tank.
There's some useful info here: http
/www.seriouslyfish.com/species/crossocheilus-langei/
Hi, I have three true SAE's in my Rio240 and I'm actually considering re-homing two of them. Yes they should be in a group as they are natural shoalers but they grow HUGE. They are now bigger than my ancistrus catfish and the 4ft tank is just not big enough for them.
All that said they are fantastic algae eaters - especially if you have black beard algae. Mine are very greedy and bicker over food. I can give you a brief run down on how to tell them apart from the similar flying fox
Firstly look at the tail. Does the black lateral line extend into it and does is taper off. If the lateral line stops at the base of the tail it's a flying fox. If the lateral line gets considerably wider at the fork of the tail it's a false siamensis.
Next look at the lateral line running down the length of the body. Does it look slightly jagged at the edges or does it look smooth and is there a gold line running underneath. A smooth lateral line with a gold edge is another sign of it being a flying fox and not a true SAE.
Thirdly, look to the mouth (if you can, if they are very young it's not easy to spot) The true SAE only has two sets of barbels, the flying fox has 4.
The flying fox also sometimes has a red tip to it's fins so look for that too. The flying fox needs to be kept alone as, Far_King says, it can be aggressive and will kill any others of it's own kind. It's also not a good algae eater and won't touch BBA.
I hope both my info and the link Far_King gave are useful. If you take your time checking out the fish and make sure you are buying a true SAE you'll be fine - provided you have the space that is
Here's a photo of my SAE's so you be prepared for how huge they grow
All that said they are fantastic algae eaters - especially if you have black beard algae. Mine are very greedy and bicker over food. I can give you a brief run down on how to tell them apart from the similar flying fox
Firstly look at the tail. Does the black lateral line extend into it and does is taper off. If the lateral line stops at the base of the tail it's a flying fox. If the lateral line gets considerably wider at the fork of the tail it's a false siamensis.
Next look at the lateral line running down the length of the body. Does it look slightly jagged at the edges or does it look smooth and is there a gold line running underneath. A smooth lateral line with a gold edge is another sign of it being a flying fox and not a true SAE.
Thirdly, look to the mouth (if you can, if they are very young it's not easy to spot) The true SAE only has two sets of barbels, the flying fox has 4.
The flying fox also sometimes has a red tip to it's fins so look for that too. The flying fox needs to be kept alone as, Far_King says, it can be aggressive and will kill any others of it's own kind. It's also not a good algae eater and won't touch BBA.
I hope both my info and the link Far_King gave are useful. If you take your time checking out the fish and make sure you are buying a true SAE you'll be fine - provided you have the space that is
Here's a photo of my SAE's so you be prepared for how huge they grow
The reason I initially got mine was because I had some BBA that needed clearing. Between them and the Amano shrimp they've removed it entirely.
The LFS did try to sell me another species when I was looking and I knew the latin name was wrong, so I insisted they got the correct fish in for me
I have to say that they're among my favourite. They're so peaceful and they're quite an active fish to watch. When they rest it's different to anything else due to their swim bladders, they tend to lay on leaves and bogwood.
The LFS did try to sell me another species when I was looking and I knew the latin name was wrong, so I insisted they got the correct fish in for me
I have to say that they're among my favourite. They're so peaceful and they're quite an active fish to watch. When they rest it's different to anything else due to their swim bladders, they tend to lay on leaves and bogwood.
if you look closely Far_King they actually sit on their fins. I'm surprised their fins take their weight! Must be very strong fins!
I like them ... other than the bickering at food time. Do yours fade their colours when they bicker? I often see one that's lost it's black lateral line and then I realise it's getting chased by another and I can only presume it's a stress reaction. This is why I've been thinking about re-homing 2, if they are getting stressed it seems just as cruel as only keeping one. We know they are natural shoalers and should be kept as a group but if that group is bickering that can't be good for them?...
My three cleared my tank of BBA in weeks. When I got them they were no bigger than my full grown oto's and within hours they were tucking into my BBA like it was goumei meal! My tank was blathered in it too. It was even on the glass. I kept saying it would grow on a fish if they kept still enough. My entire tank was black. Now it's clean and I see the SAE's going round the plants and wood daily cleaning like demons!
My tank is currently a bit of a jungle and so I really need to have a good prune and give them some more space. Then I might not feel so guilty for them
I like them ... other than the bickering at food time. Do yours fade their colours when they bicker? I often see one that's lost it's black lateral line and then I realise it's getting chased by another and I can only presume it's a stress reaction. This is why I've been thinking about re-homing 2, if they are getting stressed it seems just as cruel as only keeping one. We know they are natural shoalers and should be kept as a group but if that group is bickering that can't be good for them?...
My three cleared my tank of BBA in weeks. When I got them they were no bigger than my full grown oto's and within hours they were tucking into my BBA like it was goumei meal! My tank was blathered in it too. It was even on the glass. I kept saying it would grow on a fish if they kept still enough. My entire tank was black. Now it's clean and I see the SAE's going round the plants and wood daily cleaning like demons!
My tank is currently a bit of a jungle and so I really need to have a good prune and give them some more space. Then I might not feel so guilty for them
Mine never bicker at all. They just hover around together. Sometimes one will take himself off and lay down in a thick matt of vegetation but apart from that they're all good.
They occasionally get chased by my RTBS when he's feeling stroppy (usually around feeding time), but that's only for a minute or two then they all settle down. Never in that time do their colours fade. I guess it's not enough to stress them out.
I think mine were around the 3" mark when I got them. They've grown pretty fast and like you, they cleared the BBA in no time. I did also reduce lighting and add the Amano's so I think between them the BBA stood no chance. I think they're a fish I'd always keep as long as I have a tank big enough.
They occasionally get chased by my RTBS when he's feeling stroppy (usually around feeding time), but that's only for a minute or two then they all settle down. Never in that time do their colours fade. I guess it's not enough to stress them out.
I think mine were around the 3" mark when I got them. They've grown pretty fast and like you, they cleared the BBA in no time. I did also reduce lighting and add the Amano's so I think between them the BBA stood no chance. I think they're a fish I'd always keep as long as I have a tank big enough.
BBA in my tank is caused by the high phosphates that I have in my tap water so whilst I'm living here they are a fish I have to keep otherwise I'd be blathered in BBA again in no time. I'm not saying I don't like them, just that they are there to do a job. If I move house and the Po4 is no longer a problem and I get no BBA and the SAE's pass on I wouldn't replace them
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