Siamese Algae Eater

The Siamese algae eater is a slender cyprinid of the family Cyprinidae, native to Southeast Asia, including the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins. It has a torpedo-shaped silvery-tan body marked by a single bold black stripe running from snout to tail, which fades when the fish is stressed. It is a peaceful, active, mostly bottom-oriented fish, though it can become more assertive with age. It can be kept singly or in small groups and mixes well in community tanks; larger specimens may squabble among themselves in cramped quarters. It is valued as one of the few fish that eats certain nuisance algae, including black brush algae, though it becomes less inclined to graze as it matures and is fed prepared foods. It appreciates a well-oxygenated, planted tank with current. Its diet is omnivorous, taking algae, sinking foods, vegetables, and some live or frozen fare. It is rarely bred in home aquariums.