# Are these real Siamese Algae Eaters?



## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

I say yes.


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## markstanfill88 (Jul 13, 2009)

I second that. Seems that the black stripe on the real ones extends thru the tail fin. And it seems SAEs are opportunisic feeders, if you want them to eat on algae then starve them a bit. Otherwise they will chow on flakes, bloodworms, whatever you feed the other fish.


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## scada57 (Jan 20, 2008)

Thanks for the quick responses. I'll keep an eye on them and see if they start doing what I bought them for ! 

-Steve


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

scada57 said:


> Thanks for the quick responses. I'll keep an eye on them and see if they start doing what I bought them for !
> 
> -Steve


I had what I thought were real ones, and they didn't do squat once they were about 3". I will say that there are some differentiations among SAE leading me to think that are different types. I had 3 SAEs, 2 of which were bought separate from the other, but there were slight color differences. It was nothing like the difference between SAE and CAE or Flying Foxes, but enough that you knew they were different. These differences make me think there is more than one kind of SAE, and some may prefer algae more than others. I never witnessed the behavior that make people gush over the SAE.


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## plaakapong (Feb 28, 2008)

Looks like this one.
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?genus=Crossocheilus&species=atrilimes&id=1323


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

This is an image description of true SAE's.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

Here's a good link I found as a result of the link posted above by plaakapong. 

http://math.muni.cz/~niederle/tabulka.html

Here you can see 3 (I think) different species with the coloration and barbells. My limited reading indicates that the species siamensis is either non-existent or very difficult to obtain. Based on the satisfaction from many posters on SAEs, I tend to think that some of the similar species are effective algae eaters and some are not.

SAEs are really hit or miss. I've found that while they won't eat the brush algae, nerites are my new favorite algae eating critter.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

YEah, a lot of people in the end claim they don't really eat all that much algae especially when they're older. And there are so many variety of algae too. No fish eat all of them. Just certain types.

I hear the next new hot fish that eat algae are the Garra sp. and sumatran neon gobies.


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## pinkertd (Jun 17, 2007)

Ii is correct, the true siamensis isn't found in the US. And some of the closely related species do not eat any algae, while some of them will eat your moss down to nothing. The species you want is the langei; they are the ones who do eat algae and will not eat moss. They can be easily recognized by the dark spot on their vent. When they're belly up to the glass, take a look. It's quite readily seen even in very young langei. In addition to algae, they are omnivores and will eat regular food too. Mine eat bloodworms, crushed snails, zuchinni and all of the pellets I drop in for the bottom feeders. I seem to have gotten a male and a female and they are inseparable most of the time and quite often observed to be endearing toward each other. Mine are only around 4" so they still have some growing to do. And like all growing young fish, they are always hungry. I'm curious to see if they are less hugry once they reach maturity.


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

Do they have sucker mouths? They are not SAEs in my opinion, SAEs have sucker mouths and swim like plecos, stuck on glass and rocks and climbing with their mouths. 

Those fish look like the swim like regular fish, like flying foxes


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## pinkertd (Jun 17, 2007)

None of the SAE's have sucker mouths nor do they swim like a pleco. I think the chinese algae eater has a sucker mouth. Blackandyellow...do you have a picture of your fish?


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

You are right, I was confusing the siamese with the chinese... I don´t have algae eaters (I´ve had them before and they are nasty fish, aggressive). the chinese is the one that grows to a foot in lenght and attacks everyone


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## pinkertd (Jun 17, 2007)

Yes, the chinese algae eaters never eat algae and are very nasty fish. I cannot figure out why every pet store sell them!


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## ezcry4t3d (Apr 24, 2009)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> This is an image description of true SAE's.


I have to say that if this image is accurate, there's no way that scada57's fish are SAEs. The ones in the original picture have no dark banding on the edges of their scales and have no barbels as far as I can tell.


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## pinkertd (Jun 17, 2007)

Here's is some information I put together a while ago for another forum I belong to in an effort to help people get the correct type of SAE. It is by far the most descriptive information on SAE's that I've ever run across:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192330


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

Ihave SAE's and I'd say that yours are too.


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

Those are SAEs. There's no coloration to the fins, the band goes through the tail, all the other little hallmarks are there.

Tommy


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## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fw&1384798255

sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead but what about these:

are these the great planted community , peaceful black beard algae eating friends I seek or nasty Chinese slime coat sucking enemies?


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## stealthypotatoes (Feb 2, 2013)

look at the bottom of the sae and look for a black spot or a black dash


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

SAEs have one set of barbels, Flying Foxes have 2.
I believe the ones in the first picture to be SAEs as well as the ones on AB, but SAEs are not Flying Foxes. They often get mislabeled but it is sad when sellers do it on AB.They will eat hair algae and any and all fish food.


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## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

I emailed them and this was the response:

"Siamensis, the confusions comes form the fish retailers, they called them flying foxes so we are covering our bases."


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