This fish is simply not a threat to any other species. Just make sure the other fish are not too aggressive. The Siamese Algae Eater can live up to 10 years if taken proper care of. As long as you keep the water parameters right and provide them a mix of meat-based food and vegetables, they are going to be fine. As you can see, the Siamese Algae Eater is a peaceful fish with pretty basic needs. It is not too big and comes with numerous benefits. First off, it cleans up the whole tank from algae before you know it.
Secondly, it is a perfect choice for beginners. You can easily set up a tank for them and watch them thrive. Then it is going to be straightforward to pick tank mates for them. The SAE is compatible with dozens of snails, shrimps and other peaceful fish, be it big or small. Your email address will not be published. Siamese Algae Eaters are Schooling Fish. Otocinclus Catfish. Nerite Snail. Amano Shrimp. Avoid the rough aquarium gravels.
They prefer a water pH between 6. The most limiting factor is their temperature preference. SAEs do well in tanks with low, moderate, or bright lighting conditions, but about 12 hours a day of moderate light is close to their natural conditions. The ideal SAE tank would have densely planted areas with both slow-growing plants like Amazon Swords and fast-growing soft plants like Hornwort they will snack on the Hornwort.
Using rocks and driftwood decor, you can create caves and provide different surfaces and textures for growing algae and biofilm for your fish to consume. Use high-quality filter media, and perform regular water changes and gravel vacuuming to limit the build-up of toxins in your tank, which can especially affect the bottom-dwelling SAEs.
While these fish are omnivores, too much protein in their diet can cause constipation and may lead to other problems. I feed my SAEs one meal a day and fast them one day a week to mimic their natural feeding habits:. Siamese algae eaters are not aggressive and get along with a wide variety of fish. The best tank mates for these algae eaters are other peaceful community species that use areas that SAEs avoid, although they also get along well with non-territorial bottom feeders like Corydoras and loaches.
Schooling swimmers with short fins are ideal SAE companions, so consider fish like tetras, minnows, danios, guppies, platys and mollies, gourami , and friendly barbs like the Gold, Cherry and Rosaline Torpedo. They also do well with invertebrates like snails and small freshwater shrimp. Avoid keeping your SAEs with semi-aggressive fish like Tiger Barbs or territorial sharks and cichlids. Most fish are captured in the wild as juveniles and transported to pet stores around the world.
We know very little about their breeding requirements and spawning behaviors, other than they are egg-layers. Like all aquarium species, they are sensitive to their water parameters and prefer very clean water, and high ammonia or nitrate levels cause a lot of stress and can lead to illness.
A common problem with SAE is constipation and obesity from being fed a rich diet high in protein, so be sure to feed your fish plenty of plant-based foods and fresh veggies. Folks have issues telling Chinese algae eater vs Siamese algae eater apart, as well as Siamese algae eater vs flying fox. They look very similar with long bodies with black stripes. The truest way to tell the species apart is that the Siamese Flying Fox has flaps in the corners of their mouths while True Siamese Algae Eaters do not.
The black stripe on the Flying Fox also tends to be smoother and ends where the tail fin begins. This video shows you some other easy ways identify True Siamese Algae Eaters from False Siamese Algae Eaters, along with a few interesting facts, like eating habits as they age, their looks, et cetera. SAEs are pretty inexpensive and reasonably easy to obtain online.
SAEs are great for community tanks. But their preferred aquarium is going to be the biotope aquarium that resembles a fast-moving tropical stream. This will help them find safe places to explore and live without threat from other fish.
SAEs also do best with live plants. They look great — sure — but they also provide the best feeding stations for your little algae eaters. The surface of the aquarium plants provide you algae eaters with bacteria, zooplankton, worms, and other organisms that keep them healthy and happy. The algae eaters can still happily live here and nosh on the critters living on these plants. Siamese Algae Eaters are pretty chill fish.
They do, however, nip at the fins of long-finned fish — like bettas, guppies, platys, or swordtails, for example — so avoid homing these fish together. That being said, an algae eater with betta fish can be a reasonable pairing if the community tank is large enough to give both fish their space. They do well in larger schools, as well, assuming you provide them with a sufficiently large environment. You should specifically avoid red tailed sharks and cichlids for housing with your SAEs, as they are extremely territorial and aggressive and will cause issues for your SAEs.
The exception can be Angelfish, though this pairing may cause issues for the Angelfish due to its long, glorious fins. In large tanks, the Angel may well do just fine. Until SAE fish are between three and four years old, its very difficult to sex them. Most of the aquarists and experts have been unsuccessful in breeding the fish outside of a fish farm setting.
They do appear to breed as other fish species, however. This also prevents cloudy aquarium water which never looks good. Siamese algae eaters are slender and long fish that are brownish-beige in color. This fish species is identifiable by a bold black stripe that runs over the entire length of the body, nose to tail, with one eye-catching stripe line on each side.
This stripe tends to fade against water background features that help the fish to be camouflaged, or hidden, from its natural predators in the wild. Side-by-side, the female Siamese algae eater has a somewhat broader expanse of their middle section when compared to the slim and sleeker male fish.
If these fish do not stay in constant motion, they will quickly sink down to the bottom of a tank or other water habitat. These bottom loving fish can grow up to approximately 6 inches 16 cm and sometimes even a bit longer. Fish owners should plan to have a tank that is at least 30 gallons in size for best overall results when caring for this fish.
This will give them room to swim comfortably and find places to hide when they need space. The flying fox tends to have a light golden band that can be seen along the top border of the telltale black stripe situated on sides. Before committing to caring for Siamese algae eaters, it is essential to learn how to keep them healthy and what diseases you should be mindful of.
In general, these fish are wonderful choices for beginning aquarium enthusiasts as they require little care and are not particularly picky about their tank mates, food and other living situations.
One word of caution is to not overpopulate the tank with too many Siamese. Below we get into the nitty-gritty details about additional tank conditions that Siamese fish need to remain healthy and happy.
This includes warmer water temperatures, slower-moving currents and plenty of cool shady areas near the bottom of the aquarium. Like most fish species, aquarium owners should feed each species the correct food to maintain health and extend their lifetime.
Siamese algae eaters tend to be less picky about the available food and are omnivores. This means they will eat and scavenge dead insects, plant matter, and dead fish among other things. In their native environments, the Siamese algae eaters feed on various algae forms , phytoplankton and periphyton. This fish likes various tropical algae that fortunately will grow inside an aquarium since it should be mimicking a tropical environment.
0コメント