|
| |
Siamese Algae Eater
|
|
| Common name | Siamese Algae Eater |
| Scientific name | Crossocheilus siamensis |
| Synonyms | Siamese flying fox |
| Size | Up to 6" (15cm) |
| Origin | S.E.Asia |
| Tank setup | Planted community tank |
| Compatibility | Suitable for the community tank, less aggressive than some of its look-alikes (see below). |
| Temperature | 24-26oC (75-79oF) |
| Water chemistry | Fairly soft, neutral/slightly acidic (pH 6.0-7.5) |
| Feeding | Omnivorous, some vegetable component to the diet is recommended. |
| Sexing | Unknown |
| Breeding | No reports of aquarium breeding. |
| Comments |
This fish is a useful algae eater, eating thread algae and the 'brush' algae types ignored by other fish.
They also eat planarians (flatworms) which can become a nuisance in aquaria.
They can be slightly territorial with their own species, so they are probably best kept either singly, or
as a group of 5-6 or more in larger tanks.
This species is sometimes confused with a number of similar species. The Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus) is superficially similar,
although not difficult to distinguish. Two other Crossocheilus species are much closer in appearance: C. oblongus and C. atrilimes.
The black stripe does not extend into the caudal fin in C. oblongus, but does so in C. atrilimes and C. siamensis. C. atrilimes
has a row of faint black dots below the main stripe, and does not grow as large as C. siamensis.
|
| |
|
