Siamese Algae Eater

Quite often, algae turn into a real problem in a tank. Many approaches are used to fight them, one of which is biological – using fishes eating the unwanted vegetation. SAE fish is very efficient in cleaning the tank from inferior plants.

This is the only fish kind kept in tanks capable of stopping algae attack at the very beginning. Its mouth is made to capture young algae. Those that are at later stages of development don’t interest the fish.

The fish is a peaceful, active, and not demanding one. Besides, it is one of the few who can fight algae in a tank. The main siamese algae eater peculiarity is that it can eat black beard algae, unlike other fishes, which don’t even come close to this kind of algae.

However, to make siamese algae eater eat BBA, the fish should be half-starved, which means you should overfeed it. Juveniles eat black beard algae more eagerly, while adult species prefer live or artificial food.

Siamese algae eater can live at a wide range of water parameters, but it prefers neutral or a bit acidic water. Recommend water temperature is between 24–26 °C (75–79 °F), acidity – pH 6.5-8.0, and a water hardness of 5–20 dH. The fish prefers well-circulating water reach with oxygen.