Siamese Algae Eater

Overview: Easy and peaceful, Siamese Algae Eaters are perfect for beginners who want to eliminate algae naturally from their tank. Siamese Algae Eaters love to munch on algae and keep the tank clean and healthy. Socially they are active creatures that can live in both conditions- alone and in groups. You can add them to your community tank and keep it neat and tidy. The gold and grey colour with black strips make these fish one of a kind. They are not just an aesthetic addition but fulfil an important function too- cleaning the tank from algae. The size of Siamese Algae Eaters is around 6 inches. They can live well in a minimum tank size of 20 gallons. Fresh water and the heavily planted tank is the most suitable for the well-being of Siamese Algae Eater. 

Origin and Habitat: It is believed that Siamese Algae Eaters are originated in Southeast Asia like Thailand and Malaysia. However, due to their peculiar habit of eating algae, they are bred across the world for the aquarium trade. The fast-moving habit ensures that Siamese Algae Eaters will cover the whole tank and eat up the algae completely. The fast-moving habit also makes them fun to watch. 

Temperature: 22 to 28 degrees Celsius is the most suitable temperature range for the Siamese Algae Eaters. You can use a water heater to keep the temperature optimal. 

Water conditions: pH between 6.5 to 7 is ideal for Siamese Algae Eaters. However, they can tolerate up to 8 as well. Talking about water hardness, 5 to 20 dH is suitable. Since Siamese Algae Eaters are active swimmers and move very fast, they also have the tendency to jump. So, keeping a lid on the tank will ensure that fish will not come out and die by jumping out of the tank. Siamese Algae Eaters do not have any specific water flow requirements. They can do well in fast-moving as well as slow-moving water currents. 

Breeding: Siamese Algae Eaters are difficult to breed at home. They are always bred commercially on farms on a large scale with the aid of hormones. Once fully matured, females are 30% larger. However, changes in water conditions can trigger spawning; still, there is not enough information on home breeding. 

Feeding: Algae is the main food of Siamese Algae Eaters. Basically, Siamese Algae Eaters are scavengers, so they love to feed on anything available to them, including insects, dead fish, vegetation and plant matter. They are not a fussy eater. Provide them with anything, and they will feed on them. You can give fish flakes, pellets, algae wafers, live foods like bloodworms, frozen foods, brine shrimp and a lot more. 

Lifespan: Siamese Algae Eaters live for 10 years when provided with good nutrition and suitable water conditions. 

Do you know? When kept in a group of 4 to 6, Siamese Algae Eaters perform the best. So, you can keep them alone as well as in a school and keep your tank free from algae.