[Unexpected Baby Siamese Algae Eaters!! Need Advice!]

On 3/31/2022 at 4:29 PM, Troy328 said:

Hello, everyone! So there's a bit of a backstory here, so bear with me. 😅 I recently ordered some plants from Aquarium Co-Op. I live on the east coast of the United States, so the plants travelled all the way across the country. On the day they arrived, it was freezing outside! I brought the plants inside as soon as I could and dropped them into my empty 10 gallon quarantine tank. This is very unlike me, because usually I rinse off my plants first, but I'm really glad that I didn't, because a few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye I notice a tiny little fish swimming around! It would have been rinsed right down the drain.

 

I scrambled to do an immediate emergency water change (the tank had been empty and untouched for a long time, and while I deemed it safe for plants temporarily, I did not consider it safe for fish.) and by the time I was done, I found I had four baby fish swimming around in there! Somehow they managed to survive a journey across the country, which took a couple days, with hardly any water (basically enough to keep the plants wet) and they even survived the cold weather and the shock I unknowingly put them through by dropping them into a 75 F degree fish tank. Incredible survivors! This all happened on March 28th, so they have survived the first few days and the harsh transition, and still seem to be doing well!

 

I reached out to Aquarium Co-Op and they were able to help me identify the fry as Siamese Algae Eaters. I have never had them before, but I am obviously doing research! I would appreciate care tips from anyone experienced with them. Ideal foods for them while they are still tiny (they are about the size of a grain of rice, maybe a little bigger) as well as foods they like to eat once they are grown (besides algae). If there are any helpful tips for how to raise fry in general, I would appreciate it, because I haven't had to care for fry since I was a young kid with guppies, and even then my parents were the ones doing the work!

 

As far as long term habitat, my main tank is a 20 gallon with Cherry Barbs and Kuhli Loaches. It's a bit too small for them once they're fully grown, especially with the current residents. As I previously stated, they are currently in a 10 gallon tank which will get the job done while they are still tiny, but I just acquired a 50 gallon tank that I was lucky enough to get for dirt cheap at a thrift store, which will work great for when they reach full size. Any ideas on what could make good tankmates plus tips on what kind of environment they would prefer once they are grown would be nice. Are they big on hiding space? Do they prefer gravel or sand, or do they have 

[What upsets/bothers you the most in this hobby?]

It bothers me when the people at the fish store think you don’t know anything about aquarium’s.

 

[What testing kit do you use?]

On 3/29/2022 at 8:03 PM, sweetpoison said:

Thank you!!  I’m gonna go look now💕

Wait ~ Lefty now that I have your attention. Years ago I used the python is that still the best choice?  I only have a 29 gallon tank

Python is the best choice