All fish / Cyprinidae

Lange's Siamese Algae Eater

Crossocheilus langei

Also known as siamese algae eater, sae, false siamese algae eater, langei algae eater, red-eye siamese algae eater, サイアミーズ・フライングフォックス, 暹罗飞狐

A slim, silvery barb-like fish with a bold black stripe running from the snout into the tail fin. It is widely sold as the Siamese algae eater and kept for its appetite for algae, including hair algae, and its lively, active habits.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Group of 3 or more

Diet

Omnivore: algae and biofilm, sinking wafers, blanched vegetables, small frozen foods such as bloodworm

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indonesia and Malaysia (Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that has seldom, if ever, been bred in home aquariums. Fish in the trade are mostly farm-bred using hormones or wild-caught.

Good to know

Many fish sold under this name are actually Crossocheilus oblongus or mixed species, and the taxonomy of the group is unsettled. Needs a well-oxygenated tank with a tight lid as it jumps, and may get territorial with its own kind as it grows.