[jmeeter]

I picked up a Siamese algae eater earlier today and so far he's been swimming around like a normal fish, not really cleaning anything. Do Siamese algae eaters "suction" on to the glass like plecos?

 

[Immortal1]

No, they do not suck to the glass. Their mouth structure is more suited to cutting hair like algae off of surfaces such as plants or hardscape. They are very good at not damaging the plants, just consuming the algae.

 

[Diana]

SAE do not have sucking mouths. They nibble the hairy sorts of algae.

Fish with sucking mouthparts include Loricariads (Plecos, Otocinclus and many related fish) Chinese Alage Eaters (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) and a few others that are much less common like Garra (one common name is Logsucker).

You can research the Loricariads at Planet Catfish:
PlanetCatfish.com - Species Search Results
While many will eat algae, quite a few do not. They may eat wood, or other things.

The Siamese Algae Eater is more closely related to Barbs, and closer related to Red Tail Sharks, Flying Fox and similar fish.
Crossocheilus langei ? Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilos langei, SAE) ? Seriously Fish
There are several species, most of which are not seen in stores.

 

[Nlewis]

No, they do not suck to the glass. Their mouth structure is more suited to cutting hair like algae off of surfaces such as plants or hardscape. They are very good at not damaging the plants, just consuming the algae.

Yeah, until they grow up and stop eating algae all together. In my experience they're great at first but then they figure out that you're putting food in the tank. At that point they pretty much stop eating algae.

 

[Immortal1]

Yeah, until they grow up and stop eating algae all together. In my experience they're great at first but then they figure out that you're putting food in the tank. At that point they pretty much stop eating algae.

True. Mine have found the cucumber slices and decided that is now their favorite food.

 

[ichy]

I to have not had much luck with SAE's other than eating regular food and getting aggressive.

 

[jmeeter]

Wow, what a bummer! I should have just gone with the trusty Pleco but the guy at the LFS said the SAE was better!

 

[Diana]

Better for what?
Each type of fish eats a different kind of algae.
The fish with sucker types of mouths generally eat the flat, stuck-on sorts of algae. If you have the hairy type of algae, these won't help.
The fish that bite algae eat the hairy sorts. If you have the flat sorts then these won't help.

The other question is the size of the tank. Research the fish before you buy. Do not ask at the store, all they know how to say is 'yes'. How to sell you stuff.
Do not get a pleco that grows to 12-24" (there are several species sold as common plecos) if you tank is smaller than a couple of hundred gallons. If you have the flat sort of algae, and a small tank, then Otocinclus is probably better. For a mid-sized tank the Bristlenose Pleco works very well.

 

[jmeeter]

29 gallon. After my last pleco passed away suddenly (I had him for almost a year) I really noticed the algae coming in strong on the glass. I thought the SAE would take care of that but maybe he'll nibble on the tiny bits of hair algae I have.

 

[tapwater]

I was told to get 3 SAEs which I did. They get along fine and show no signs of aggression. They are quite large and still eating algae without damaging plants as stated above. I also have a Chinese algae eater which cleans glass. It is a pain in the neck - aggressive and smart. Unable to remove it from the tank unless I use a harpoon. However it's a hard worker and cleans glass and anything else it bumps into non-stop. When I got my SAEs they too began life by swimming around without doing much else.They might be overrated as being the ''wunderkinds'' of algae eating.

 

[AWolf]

Otocinclus is better than SAE for eating algae off glass and plants, etc. But IME snails do the best work.

 

[bigbadjon]

I would much rather clean the glass myself and have livestock help on the hardscape. It only takes a minute to clean the viewing pane better than any fish ever could.

 

[sohankpatel]

my SAE still eat algae, almost 4" long. They do get aggressive to each other during feeding time. my otos rid my tank of diatoms, but SAE rid it of staghorn, BBA and hair algae.