algea problems

[guppy_man]

ive been wanting an otto for quite a while now because i knew that they eat algea and ive got quite a lot of it in my tank so as im goin to pets at home tomorrow i was thinkin of getting 2 zebra otto' or 2 normal otto's, if the pet store doesnt do otto's what other fish do you think i should get for a 20 gal that is peaceful and eats algea and is cute like an otto.

thanks for reading.

 

[Paul_MTS]

if you want otto's get a groupd of them, if you like both species get 2 of each.

overwise a bristle nose plec would be a good addition, i'ved also found that whiptail plecs do alot of algae cleaning.

 

[guppy_man]

ok how many would you say i should get ?
and are they cheap or expensive?

 

[Paul_MTS]

ottos do better in groups so 3+ would be best.

at work we sell standard ones for £2.95 2 for £5 so i reakon Pets@home will be cheaper as there big chain store.

 

[sylvia]

With the plecs, only get one. Otos need to be in groups though (as already mentioned).

 

[guppy_man]

ok im going to do some research on otto's now and i might have 4 in my tank by tomorrow ive got £20 im not using so off to the pet shop in the morning.
do they eat tetra sinking pelets or cucumber i used to feed my pleco cucumber.
he loved it.

 

[sylvia]

They will usualy only eat plant material so cucumber works. They also require live algae in their diet. Mine never took any commercial flake/pellet foods though once or twice I caught them munching on algae wafers.

 

[guppy_man]

ive never had otto's before so i was woundering do they actually eat the plants or eat the algea off them?

 

[gwlee7]

ive never had otto's before so i was woundering do they actually eat the plants or eat the algea off them?

My ottos only eat the algae. They are very delicate with plants and do not harm them. Like sylvia said, they eat cucumber and mine also love zucchini and ( ) brussel sprouts. You'll know soon enough if your ottos are healthy becuase they will develop a very cute pot belly. In my research I have read multiple times "A fat otto is a happy otto".

Good Luck. They are awesome little fish. I love mine to death. B)

 

[LoachLover]

ok how many would you say i should get ?
and are they cheap or expensive?

I find they do good in groups of 4

 

[guppy_man]

so you think i should get 4 in my 20 gal
ive got java fern and amazon swords in there with these fish

3 guppies
2 mollies
2 tetras getting more
3 cories
4 gouramis
and a pleco im going to get rid of him soon he needs a bigger tank.
im gonna hate to see him go but its better for him.

 

[LoachLover]

so you think i should get 4 in my 20 gal
ive got java fern and amazon swords in there with these fish

3 guppies
2 mollies
2 tetras getting more
3 cories
4 gouramis
and a pleco im going to get rid of him soon he needs a bigger tank.
im gonna hate to see him go but its better for him.

aww that stinks................what kind of pleco is he?

 

[guppy_man]

a common but hes survived alot and ive cured him from all illness's but its for the best hes 3 1/2"

 

[LoachLover]

Yeah it is that you get rid of him. They grow really fast, mine is a common and he's grown up to 6 inches really quick.

 

[rdd1952]

so you think i should get 4 in my 20 gal
ive got java fern and amazon swords in there with these fish

3 guppies
2 mollies
2 tetras getting more
3 cories
4 gouramis
and a pleco im going to get rid of him soon he needs a bigger tank.
im gonna hate to see him go but its better for him.

I definitely wouldn't get any more fish for your tank as you are already overstocked or at least right on the edge. That's 14 fish. You don't mention the species but even at 2" each, that's 28 inches in a 20 gallon, not counting the pleco.

As for the otos, I have not had very much luck with them. They seem to just turn up dead. I have lost 4 total since the first part of January. They will be swimming and look normal one day and then the next morning, one will be laying dead on the bottom. No rhyme or reason to their deaths. I also have found that they do a pretty good job at first on algae but seem to lose interest. I still have 2 in my 29 gallon tank but they aren't eating anything and there is plenty of some type of brown algae in there. Once I give them a cucumber for a treat, it's almost like they totally forget about algae but they will jump all over the cucumber if I put one in. I hope these last 2 live a long time but I won't buy any more.