Silver flying fox

Crossocheilus reticulatus

Also known as Reticulated flying fox, Reticulated Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus tchangi

FreshwaterFish

Silver flying fox (Crossocheilus reticulatus) — 5snake5 · CC0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–77°F (18–25°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Origin: Widespread in rivers and streams across mainland Southeast Asia, including the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins.
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

This is a bigger algae eater that reaches about 16 cm, so give it a tank of at least 200 litres with a length of 120 cm or more. Keep water clean and moving at 18 to 25 C with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It eats hair algae and biofilm well but needs extra food too, such as algae wafers, blanched vegetables, and sinking pellets. Keep either one alone or a group of five or more to spread out aggression, since pairs tend to bully each other.

In the wild

The silver flying fox lives in flowing rivers and streams over much of Southeast Asia, grazing algae and biofilm from rocks, wood, and plant leaves. It is one of the larger algae-eating cyprinids and works the bottom and lower midwater. Adults hold loose feeding territories and can be pushy toward their own kind. It prefers clean, well oxygenated water and shows its best silver color in cooler tanks.

Good to know

Crossocheilus reticulatus is often confused with the true Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus oblongus, but it grows larger and lacks the same bold black stripe. It has also carried the names Crossocheilus tchangi and Tylognathus coatesi in older literature. Fine rows of dark-edged scales give the flanks a faint net or reticulated pattern that gives the fish its name.

Did you know

It is one of the few fish that keeps eating black brush algae into adulthood, though like most algae eaters it grazes less as it grows and fills out on prepared foods.