Siamese Algae Eaters | All information, keeping and breeding

Data sheet Siamese Ale Eater

German name:
Simaean Algae Eater

Scientific name:
Crossocheilus oblongus

Origin:
Southeast Asia including Thailand

Size:
Body length 10 to 16cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 150 cm wide and 60 cm wide

Contents:
from 200 better 300 liters

water values

Temperature:
25°- 30° C

pH:
6 – 7.5

GH:
5° dH

Behave

Area:
middle to lower pelvic area

Lining:
Plants / vegetables, seaweed, dry food

Behave:
peaceful

Number:
Small groups of 5-8 fish

Difficulty level:
Medium to difficult Mirko Rosenau – stock.adobe.com

Algae mullets, Crossocheilus siamensis, are often recommended as algae eaters. The soft young algae are eaten preferentially. Only when these become scarce are the old algae eaten as well. According to some reports, red algae are not eaten at all.

According to some reports, Algae Eaters eat filamentous algae, but not algae growing on the panes. According to other reports, they also eat algae from the discs and even try to eat algae from the undersides of the leaves of the plants. In any case, blue and brush algae are not particularly popular. According to some reports, at least some Algae Eaters eat brush algae, but not others.

If too much other food is given, Algae Algae often don’t go at all anymore. Perhaps older animals have often become so used to other food that they no longer eat algae. This would explain statements according to which only young animals eat algae, or Algae Eaters are the worst algae eaters with the best reputation.

Food for Siamese Algae Eaters

Algae mullets have difficulty eating food from the water surface. Granular feed is also often missed. Live food, flake food and food tablets are eaten quite well.

If there are no algae, vegetables should be fed, otherwise they may eat plants.

Plants eaten by Algae Eaters:

Vegetables eaten by Algae Eaters:

Socialization of Siamese Algae Eaters

The Siamese sucking loach, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, also eats algae. However, their behavior depends heavily on the housing conditions. It can be very aggressive towards other fish.

The fair-finned snout or fair-finned snout, Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus, looks very similar to snout mullets. However, this species does not eat algae. The true Siamese Alefat has the black line in the caudal fin, the Fairfin Eater does not. In mergus, the images of the two species are reversed. At least in older editions. The algae-eating Siamese Algae Eater has 2 individual barbels, i.e. 1 pair of barbels.

Social behavior of algae mullets

Siamese Algae Eater Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Rafal Konkolewski

The fading strip indicates stress. Depending on the size of the tank, more algae eaters can be used or many hiding places must be provided. Young algae are peaceful with each other and with other species of fish. When they are small, Algae Eaters are even

sociable. However, larger snout mullets no longer like each other and fight among themselves.

When fighting, the black longitudinal stripe on the body fades and is light gray rather than black on either side. The color disappears and becomes dappled. They hold each other by the mouth or swim closely behind each other and spin in circles very quickly. It can take up to 10 minutes for an animal to give up.

The bigger the animals get, the worse the fights get. According to reports, this can lead to the death of the smaller barbel, until only the largest snout remains.

Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Ark

There are also reports that larger Alefat are peaceful, or at best hunt other Alefat, but no other species of fish. With increasing age from about 10 cm in size, they form territories and can become real tyrants. They will then chase anything through the tank that moves and comes near them. According to one report, they chase each other so fiercely that they can leap out of uncovered aquariums.

The different experiences may also depend on how many algae barbs are kept, how many males and females are present and which fish are still in the aquarium.

Because Algae Eaters can be quite hectic in any case, they should not be kept together with calm fish. For the same reason, they always cause trouble in smaller aquariums. Tanks of 112 liters and smaller are therefore unsuitable.

In a 500 liter aquarium, 2 snout mullets grew to about 14 cm, while animals of almost the same age in a 100 liter aquarium barely grew to 8 cm. If there is a lot of algae present, Algae Eaters will grow to their final size in a few weeks.

Breeding of Algae Eaters

has not yet succeeded.

Algae mullets undertake long migrations to spawn.

In Asia, they are kept in ring ponds and injected with pituitary hormone to spawn. This is hardly feasible for aquarists.

That goes for most loaches. Very few loaches get so far in the aquarium that they not only become sexually mature, but also get the stimulus to spawn.

Sometimes it can be observed that loaches swim very actively in the water and around the panes for a long time, apparently searching. Perhaps the gonads only differentiate themselves during migration and the associated water changes. As a result, the loaches in the aquarium may remain infertile for life.

According to another theory, loaches in the aquarium neither reach the age nor the size for their reproduction. An indication of this are occasional reports of the random breeding of various loaches. What these reports have in common is that the loaches have been practically forgotten and have lived in the relevant aquariums for 12 to 20 years. Perhaps many aquarists are not patient enough or the loaches are being cared for to death beforehand. The unfortunately often practiced keeping of a clown loach in a 60 cm aquarium with the argument that it adapts to the tank is a clear indication of this.

According to a typical report, Alchemists spawned in an aquarium that had been neglected for several months. Hardly any water changes were performed. The pool was overgrown and there was a lot of algae. Little was fed. A few days after an extensive water change, algae spawned on 5 cm long algae. water values:

The so-called cherry tree method was successful with some loach species. The method is described in Frank Kirschbaum’s book «Breeding fish according to recipe» and in numerous reports on the breeding of Mormyrids.

During courtship, two elephant mullets circle each other with their heads tilted upwards. This apparently often happens in moonlight, which z. B. can be simulated with a 15 W lamp. Both animals become very pale. The courtship looks different than the usual scuffles. In addition, Alchemists normally sleep at night. During this time, the conductivity may have to be reduced over a period of 2 to 3 months. In addition, splashing noises can stimulate, e.g. B. by a splashing filter inlet.

FAQ / Frequently Asked Questions about Siamese Algae Eaters:

Siamese Ale Eater Videos:

Algae mullets searching for food:

Alchemist eats tablet food:

Algae mullets during courtship:

Algae barbs during courtship or quarreling: