Freshwater Fish
Siamese Algae Eater.
One of the few fish that actually eats hair and black-beard algae — a slim, active grazer with a clean black stripe. Peaceful and beginner-friendly; keep one or a group in a 30-gallon-plus tank with current. A real working member of a planted tank.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Beginner
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Community
- Community safe
- Adult size
- 6"
- Min tank size
- 30 gallons
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Scientific name
- Crossocheilus oblongus
Good tank mates
Peaceful and community-safe, the Siamese algae eater is an active grazer that mixes well in most community tanks. Good tankmates include tetras, rasboras, barbs, gouramis, and peaceful catfish. It can get a little chase-happy with its own kind in tight quarters, so give it room, and avoid pairing it with large or aggressive fish that might harass it.
Good to know
The Siamese algae eater is one of the few aquarium fish that will actually eat tough black-beard and hair algae.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Bronze Cory
Full temperature (72-79°F) and pH (6.0-7.5) overlap with Siamese algae eater. Armored bottom-dwellers that scavenge decaying matter rather than competing for algae, and their bony scutes protect them from the occasional boisterous swipe an adult Siamese algae eater may make. Keep in groups of 4+ to reduce stress.
Neon Tetra
Peaceful mid-water schooling fish with no aggression, no fin-nipping, and no resource competition with a bottom-grazing Siamese algae eater. Water parameters align at 75-77°F and pH 6.5-7.0. Keep in groups of 8+ to reduce stress vulnerability; adult SAEs are not known to predate on them.
Zebra Danio
Short-finned, fast-swimming schooling fish explicitly recommended as Siamese algae eater companions by multiple sources. Temperature ranges overlap at 75-79°F, and Danios tolerate moderate current matching Siamese algae eater habitat needs. Their speed and lack of elaborate fins eliminates both predation and fin-nipping concerns.
Cherry Barb
One of the most peaceful barbs — not a fin-nipper — with temperature overlap of 74-79°F and pH overlap of 6.5-7.5. Occupies mid-water, avoiding direct competition with the bottom-grazing Siamese algae eater. Keep in groups of 6+ to distribute any mild intraspecies display behavior.
- D
Dwarf Gourami
Confirmed compatible community fish. Labyrinth fish that inhabit the upper water column, creating no territorial overlap with a bottom-cruising Siamese algae eater. Water parameters align (pH 6.0-7.5, 75-79°F). Males may display mildly toward other male Dwarf Gouramis but pose no aggression risk to SAEs.
- K
Kuhli Loach
Peaceful, secretive bottom-dwellers that burrow and hide rather than actively grazing surfaces the way SAEs do, minimizing any territorial friction despite sharing the bottom level. Temperature overlap of 73-79°F and pH overlap of 6.5-7.5 confirmed compatible. Not mistaken by SAEs for competing algae eaters.
Set it up right
Guides that use this.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.