Siamese algae eater
Encyclopedia
The Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus oblongus, is a species of freshwater
fish
in the carp
family, Cyprinidae. This bottom-dwelling tropical fish is found in mainland Southeast Asia
that includes the Chao Phraya and Mekong
basins as well as the Malay Peninsula
. Their natural habitats are streams and rivers as well as flooded forests during the rainy season. The Siamese algae eater should not be confused with the Flying fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus)
or the False siamensis (Garra cambodgiensis).
The Siamese algae eater has a black horizontal stripe extending from opercle to tail. The genuine Crossocheilus siamensis without maxillary barbels and with deeply fringed V-shaped upper lip is rarely encountered in the aquarium trade.
Closely related is the Red-algae eater Crossocheilus langei, a species that is widely sold as the Siamese algae eater. It has a bright brownish elongate body with a slightly flat belly. It has a prominent brown-black horizontal stripe extending from nose to tail. This fish may grow up to the length of 16 centimeters. It possesses small maxillary barbels and an unfringed shallowly arcuate upper lip. Two other similar species are traded as Siamese algae eaters, namely Crossocheilus atrilimes, a species that likes to eat Java moss rather than red algae, and an undescribed species of Crossocheilus.
cleaners. They are active and fast swimmers that will school together if kept in a group, but some individuals may display aggression to their own kind or related fishes. In general, the red-algae eater can be kept in most community tank
s and are reportedly much less aggressive than similar fishes such as the Chinese algae eater
or the red-tailed black shark.
They prefer water temperature range of 24–26°C, a pH
range of 6.5-8.0, and a water hardness of 5-20 dH. Because the red algae eaters are effective at controlling the tank algae, many aquarists like to place them in heavily-planted tanks with strong lightings that promote the growth of algae. Unlike other aquarium algae eater
fishes, the red algae eater is valued for its ability to eat red algae
(particularly Audouinella
). The fish, however, are opportunistic feeders and will eat pellets and most other food, a tendency that strengthens with age.
The fish is a good jumper. The lid of the tank should be properly closed leaving no large hole for the fish to jump out of the tank.
Siamese Algae Eaters will often school together, but are also content living solo. When two are kept together, they will often establish their own territory as they mature. They can be a long-lived fish, ten years experienced.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
family, Cyprinidae. This bottom-dwelling tropical fish is found in mainland Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
that includes the Chao Phraya and Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
basins as well as the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. Their natural habitats are streams and rivers as well as flooded forests during the rainy season. The Siamese algae eater should not be confused with the Flying fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus)
Flying fox (fish)
The flying fox is a popular freshwater community-aquarium fish that belongs to the Cyprinidae family. It is known to eat green algae...
or the False siamensis (Garra cambodgiensis).
The Siamese algae eater has a black horizontal stripe extending from opercle to tail. The genuine Crossocheilus siamensis without maxillary barbels and with deeply fringed V-shaped upper lip is rarely encountered in the aquarium trade.
Closely related is the Red-algae eater Crossocheilus langei, a species that is widely sold as the Siamese algae eater. It has a bright brownish elongate body with a slightly flat belly. It has a prominent brown-black horizontal stripe extending from nose to tail. This fish may grow up to the length of 16 centimeters. It possesses small maxillary barbels and an unfringed shallowly arcuate upper lip. Two other similar species are traded as Siamese algae eaters, namely Crossocheilus atrilimes, a species that likes to eat Java moss rather than red algae, and an undescribed species of Crossocheilus.
Aquarium care
The information concerns the red algae eater Crossocheilus langei. This hardy fish is commonly found in the aquarium trade and is one of the most popular and effective tank algaeAlgae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
cleaners. They are active and fast swimmers that will school together if kept in a group, but some individuals may display aggression to their own kind or related fishes. In general, the red-algae eater can be kept in most community tank
Community tank
Community aquaria are tanks that are designed to contain more than one species of fish. Most commonly they include a variety of species that do not normally occur together in nature, for example angelfish from Brazil, swordtails from Mexico, and gouramis from South East Asia...
s and are reportedly much less aggressive than similar fishes such as the Chinese algae eater
Gyrinocheilus
Gyrinocheilus, also Chinese algae eater or sucking loach, is the single genus in the family Gyrinocheilidae, a family of small Southeast Asian cypriniform fishes that live in fast-flowing freshwater mountain streams...
or the red-tailed black shark.
They prefer water temperature range of 24–26°C, a pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
range of 6.5-8.0, and a water hardness of 5-20 dH. Because the red algae eaters are effective at controlling the tank algae, many aquarists like to place them in heavily-planted tanks with strong lightings that promote the growth of algae. Unlike other aquarium algae eater
Algae eater
Algae eater is a common name for many bottom-dwelling fish that feed on algae. Algae eaters are important for the fishkeeping hobby and many are commonly kept by hobbyists.Some of the common and most popular freshwater algae eaters include:...
fishes, the red algae eater is valued for its ability to eat red algae
Red algae
The red algae are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae, and also one of the largest, with about 5,000–6,000 species of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds...
(particularly Audouinella
Audouinella
Audouinella is a widespread genus of red algae, found in marine and freshwater. Grows as small tufts of red, brown, or black hairlike filaments on any solid surface - most dramatically on the edges of slow-growing leaves. Often tolerant of high levels of pollution, acidity, and thrives on dissolved...
). The fish, however, are opportunistic feeders and will eat pellets and most other food, a tendency that strengthens with age.
The fish is a good jumper. The lid of the tank should be properly closed leaving no large hole for the fish to jump out of the tank.
Siamese Algae Eaters will often school together, but are also content living solo. When two are kept together, they will often establish their own territory as they mature. They can be a long-lived fish, ten years experienced.