Siamese Algae Eater (SAE)

Crossocheilus oblongus

The Siamese Algae Eater (*Crossocheilus oblongus*), universally known as SAE, is the utilitarian legend of planted fishkeeping. Modest in appearance — a silver-grey torpedo body divided by a single sharp black stripe that starts from the nose and entirely crosses the caudal fin —, it is hailed for one specific reason: it is one of the very rare fish in the world capable of devouring the dreaded Black Beard Algae (BBA) and filamentous algae. Constantly inserted in aquascaping layouts, it is a tireless worker, although as an adult (15 cm / 6 inches) it can develop an annoying propensity for laziness.

Family: Cyprinidae
Origin: Asia (Fiumi a flusso variabile, foreste inondate del Sud-est asiatico continentale, bacini di Chao Phraya e Mekong)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

24 °C - 26 °C

6 - 7.5

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona inferiore e media. Raschiano ovunque ci siano alghe o detriti: rocce, foglie e legni.

Adult size

15 cm

Description

'Prop' Posture:

Unlike other fish that float or rest on their bellies, the SAE rests in an unmistakable way: it leans on large stiff leaves (like Anubias) using its two lower pectoral fins and the caudal fin like the tripod of a camera, remaining perfectly raised in observation.

Care and observations

True SAE vs. False SAE (Beware of Scams):

The popularity of this miraculous algae eater has led large Asian exporters to catch and ship to stores any vaguely similar fish (the "Flying Fox" or False SAE, *Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus*, or *Garra cambodgiensis*). These "fakes" DO NOT eat black beard algae and become extremely aggressive as adults. **How to recognize the TRUE SAE:** The black stripe of the true SAE is not smooth, but has jagged "zig-zag" edges, extends TO THE VERY END of the tip of the transparent tail, and DOES NOT have a gold stripe above it. The fish does not have a sucker, but a real mouth.

Adult Laziness and Feed Syndrome:

As juveniles (3-6 cm / 1-2.5 inches), SAEs will clean Java moss and wood from black beard algae with surgical efficiency. Reaching 10-15 cm (4-6 inches), they will become smart and clumsy. They will quickly understand that waiting for the owner's floating feed is less tiring than scraping wood. They will stop cleaning the tank altogether and will steal food from the Tetras on the surface. Keep them "hungry" to make them work.

Danger for Discus:

A strict rule for large Cichlid aquariums: never pair large adult SAEs with slow, flat and round fish that secrete a lot of mucus (like Discus and XL Angelfish). During the night, the SAEs will lean on the side of the Discus and start sucking and scraping their mucus, flaying them alive until causing severe cutaneous bacterial infections.

Fish profile

Temperament: Molto pacifico con le altre specie, ma caotico e turbolento. Infragruppo possono rincorrersi velocemente in vasca, causando stress a compagni timidi o lenti (come i Discus).
Diet: Brucatore Erbivoro / Onnivoro. Macchine mangia-alghe ineguagliabili da giovani (distruggono le BBA, alghe a pennello). DA ADULTI: diventeranno furbi. Se trovano mangime in scaglie o chironomus congelato (che adorano), smetteranno di lavorare e mangeranno il mangime rubandolo a mezz'acqua agli altri pesci. Per farli pulire, vanno tenuti a dieta.
Tank level: Zona inferiore e media. Raschiano ovunque ci siano alghe o detriti: rocce, foglie e legni.
Minimum group: 3
Adult size: 15 cm
Minimum tank: 150 L
GH: 5 dGH - 15 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Gruppi misti. Meglio tenerli in gruppetti dispari (3, 5, 7) per spartire l'aggressività del pesce dominante che tenderà a scacciare i simili dal suo "prato" di alghe.
Feeding frequency: Se si desidera che mangino le alghe a pennello, somministrare verdure sbollentate o pellet vegetali solo ogni 2-3 giorni. Se nutriti quotidianamente con cibo per pesci, ignoreranno le alghe.
Bioload: Medio-Alto (data la loro stazza da adulti e metabolismo veloce)
Flow: Corrente da Moderata a Forte (adorano nuotare nel getto d'acqua del filtro)
Jump risk: Covered tank required
Reproduction: Virtualmente impossibile in acquario domestico. Tutte le fonti commerciali provengono da catture in natura o riproduzioni asiatiche indotte ormonalmente in enormi vasche di cemento.
Compatibility: Ottimi per i classici acquari di comunità dinamici (es. con Corydoras, Barbos, Tetras). Il loro difetto da adulti è che spesso si "attaccano" al fianco dei pesci lenti, larghi e mucillaginosi (come Scalari molto grossi e Discus) per tentarne di raschiare il muco protettivo; sconsigliato abbinarli a questi.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.