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How many otos need to be kept together for them to feel comfortable? 4? They're not a schooling fish, right?

Thanks.

While not necessarily a schooling fish, they are shoaling and do need to be kept in numbers of their own kind. Be very careful picking them out at the LFS, or if ordering online, order a few more than you want - they seem to be very delicate when shipping or even when moving locations and one or two deaths would not be uncommon. If you can see them before you buy, check to make sure their bellies are not caved in. Depending on how big your tank is, 4 should be alright, but I'd probably buy 5 or 6 just in case. Finally, take your time aclimating them, do it as gradually as possible, over the course of an hour or two, and make sure there is algae in the tank waiting for them before they arrive - Calilasseia has lots of experience with them, perhaps he'll add his two cents

Last edited by NowherMan6 at 09-Mar-2005 17:51

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Back in the saddle!

4-6 would be a good amount.

Thanks for the info. The tank is a 20 gal. and the algae is DEFINATELY ready. I'm debating whether or not to get 4 otos or a BN. (There are 6 tiger barbs in the tank right now.)

Oh, and do either of those fish eat hair algae? That stuff is the most annoying.

Last edited by aviator at 09-Mar-2005 18:31

from what i've heard - otos are excellent at eating algae, esp the ones that develop in a new tank (ie: brown, moss algae)....but i think i'm a lil suspicious abt tiger barbs...i noe otos dun have flowy fins like guppies do, but i still dun trust tiger barbs enuff for those small lil kind ottos...

To be honest, aviator, you may be better off with a BN, considering the tiger barbs. BNs are armored and can't really be hurt by the nipping of tiger barbs. They're extremely hardy and wont be bothered by the tigers. Otos, on the other hand, are delicate and would not benefit from the stress caused by the tigers. The could get picked on to death, or could just perish from the stress. BNs and otos eat just about the same kind of alages (soft and green, or browish diatoms) - neither will eat hair or thread algae - so the BN is the better choice, IMO.

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Back in the saddle!

Ok, I think I'm going to go with a BN - I just need to find a fish store that has them or one that will make a special order for one.

The only other possibilty is that I noticed some "golden algae eaters" in my LFS. Are these the same as CAEs? It's max size was listed as 5.5 inches (similar to a BN); can I get one for my tank?


Last edited by aviator at 10-Mar-2005 14:26

Yes, Chinese Algae Eater = CAE, they're sometimes called golden CAEs, etc. However, I would strongly advise not getting one for your tank. They do eat algae while very young, but as they mature they become quite aggressive and stop eating algae. They've also been reported as growing up to around a foot long, not 5.5" What starts out as a small peaceful algae eater turns into a large aggressive non-algae eater. Not a good deal.

A BN is definetely the way to go. If you can't find one at your LFS and you have a fairly flexible schedule to allow for delivery times, try ordering one online - Aquariumfish.net will probably have them, and I'm pretty sure they don't have a minimum order amount. If you go that route, you may want to wait a few weeks until it gets warmer, just as a precaution, but BNs are pretty hardy.

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Back in the saddle!

Hello there!

I see you're interested in Otocinclus.

For the modest sized aquarium, Otocinclus are a marvellous choice. You should keep a small team of them, but if you have to add them piecemeal, I would not worry unduly. What you DO need to take care with is acclimatisation. Not because they're delicate per se, but because quite a few of these poor fish receive some fairly rough and unfriendly handling at wholesale and retail outlets which does little for their well-being.

Since it was promoted to full article status, I can now link you to this article and let you digest at leisure. Everything you need to know about Otocinclus care and maintenance, from yours truly (who's had them for 10 years!).

If you want to go down the Bristlenose route, then choose your species carefully. Some remain a fairly modest size, while one ro two others can become surprisingly large. I was cautioned about this by Cup_of_Lifenoodes a week or more ago when writing a piece on Loricariids. If you want to check up on the multiplicity of Bristlenose species that exist, visit this site and go to the Cat-E-Log. Then, select "Species grouped by Family" in the right hand frame, and the Families will be listed in the left hand frame. Scroll down to "Loricariidae" and look for Ancistrus species.

Enjoy!



Last edited by Calilasseia at 10-Mar-2005 15:12

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated. I think I'm definately going to get a BN now. I have to check with the other stores in the area and hopefully I can get one. My schedule isn't really that flexible, so hopefully I won't have to order one.