[Maximdockx]

Bought it last night. Not sure if its a Siamese algea eater or flying fox?

Can anybody help?

 

[bsantucci]

Looks like SAE to me. Tough to tell in the pic, but does the horizontal stripe run through the tail?

 

[Maximdockx]

Yes it runs trough. But i cant see ant barbels and its doing nothing else than swimming up the glass so its hard to take a decent picture of it

 

[WaterLife]

99% sure it's a 'true' SAE. It has no color on the dorsal and other fins (besides the extended black lateral line running onto the caudal/tail fin).

Although the head looks a little funny, but that's probably just because of the angle. But if you got a straight on (not angled like in pics above) picture of the side of the fish it would be easier to tell for sure.

 

[Maximdockx]

Got him/her

 

[WaterLife]

Yeah that's for sure a young 'true' SAE.

 

[Maximdockx]

Thank you. I ask myself why he is doing nothing else than swimming up the glas instead of doing something productive.

 

[WaterLife]

New fish will commonly swim against the glass. I have no real idea why they do that, but they do. Once he settles down he will venture around like normal fish. Unless the current is stronger against the glass and he is playing in it.

And SAE are social fish, they actually prefer to be in groups. I would say 3 or 4 bare minimum as I know most people don't really have the tank space to house many of them.

They do like to have a little cave as well to get out of the light if they want to.
Got enough algae in there for him?

 

[Maximdockx]

Its a fairly new tank. About 3 to 4 weeks. Currently the only algae eating thing is a zebra snail.

 

[WaterLife]

Oh just saw the last couple pictures now and realized the size of the tank. Sorry to say this, but I sincerely recommend returning/rehoming the SAE. They grow to 5 inches in length and really need a 4 ft wide tank (3ft might work, but still a bit cramped) as they like to have the length to swim in. The SAE just wouldn't really be happy in that size of a tank. And as mentioned, they really are a social fish and like to be in groups of their own kind. And adding more to that size of a tank just would make things worse. SAE have been reported to get a bit grumpy when they are older and that behavior may come even sooner when their environment is too small, not enough of their own kind, making them cranky and he may start messing with the other fish.

You might be interested in Otocinclus catfish, which have the same markings, but stay much smaller, they eat brown algae (diatoms) and some soft green algae, but even they are not recommended for newly set up tanks as they often only eat certain algae, and if there isn't enough food, they will starve to death since they don't typically eat fish food. They too would be better off in a bigger tank, but they would work better than SAE in this tank. And both SAE and Otos prefer higher current waters with higher dissolved oxygen levels to be happiest, and with that usually comes cooler water temperatures (if that's a Betta in there, they are quire different in preferences -ie slow-still, warm water).

Not trying to offend you, just being realistic about it. It would be in the best interest for the SAE, other fish as well as yourself (to avoid the headache of the fish growing agitated) to return/rehome the SAE. He might be ok for right now, but SAE do grow fast, especially when young.

 

[dpod]

imo you still have such a young, small tank that adding an algae eater is a waste of space. My suggestion would be to wait and see if you get algae. If it's diatoms or green spot algae, add a nerite snail or two. They have much less effect on your bioload and won't outgrow the tank.