Ever get that green or black hair algae (right) growing on ornaments or plants in your tank ? This is a fish that loves to eat it !!
If you keep a Bristlenose Catfish to keep algae down on the glass of your tank you might consider getting a couple of these guys to
totally control all types of algae in the freshwater aquarium.
The Siamese Flying Fox is every aquarists’ dream. Originating in fast flowing streams in Thailand, they are hardy, attractive, active and a fast swimmer. They thrive best in schools but can also be kept alone or in pairs.
Flying foxes are strong jumpers and should not be kept in an uncovered tank. They feature a grey-whitish body, a set of barbells around their mouth area and a horizontal black stripe that runs from the snout to the tip of the tail. A stressed fish may have its black stripe fade.
Flying Foxes grow to an impressive 15cm and are great community fish for a typical tropical setup. Amore common size is 12cm in an aquarium.
Those with a planted tank, take note, these fish rarely damage live plants, they just clean them. They are the perfect addition for the planted tank.
The hardiness of this fish is one of its best features. They can tolerate a PH between 5.5 to 8.0 - but a PH of 6.5-7.0 is best. They prefer softer water but seem to do well in Adelaide's tap water hardness.
They readily take tropical flake food but should be supplemented with algae wafers once all the algae is gone. Green food such as algae wafers or some zuccini or cucumber should be fed to ensure plants remain untouched.
Females are rounder than males but generally both are a slender type fish. There have been limited reports of them breeding in a tank.
Your Flying Fox should survive at least 5 years and there are reports of them lasting 10 years in the aquarium.
Siamese Flying Fox
