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Unexpected Baby Siamese Algae Eaters!! Need Advice!


Troy328
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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 no preference? How heavy do I need to go on plants? Will I need to get more than the four I have or is that ok for a group size? What would go well with them in a 50 gallon?

 

I know that's a lot of questions, but I would love any tips or advice that anyone is able to offer up! And lastly I just want to extend my thanks to Aquarium Co-Op for having wonderful customer service, for hosting this wonderful forum, and for sending me free fish and helping me identify them 😊

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I haven't dealt with proper fry, but have had them from sub 1".  They're pretty much worry free.  

I currently have a group of 4 SAE in a community tank with Corydoras (Green and Sterbai), Mollies, Swordtails, Otos, and Angelfish.  I've had also kept them with community guppies, Amano and cherry shrimp.  No problems with any of them.  

I've done sand and gravel bottoms and didn't have problems with either.  They will "lay" on the bottom on their pectoral fins, so I would just make sure its not pointy. They will also do this in and around plants and decorations.

I tend to go heavily planted, but if there is not enough algae they will snack on even your hearty plants. I supplement with Extreme bottom wafers or zucchini.  I also will use them to clean up decorations from tanks they can't go into (like Mbuna tank).   They'll devour and entire 6" log full of BBA overnight.  

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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 

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