Newbie Oto Catfish ?

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Electrician4hire

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I want to add a few of the oto catfish for bottom cleaners. I have had issues in the past with males fighting with other fish. mostly because the LFS told me they would be fine together. Will the oto catfish fight if i end up with 2 males?
 
So that everyone knows - the males E4H is referring to as fighting are Dwarf Gouramis.
 
Thanks alot eagles. im not good at this aquarium talk yet. im a noob. so bear with me!!! I'll get better
 
I'm a much better Electrician
 
Hmm. In general, Otocinclus are very peaceful fish.  I have never heard of aggression from them, although if they are hungry they are known to try and suck on the sides of other fish, which could be perceived as aggression. The other beautiful thing about otocinclus is that they are generally ignored by other fish, unless they are large enough to fit them in their mouths.  Which is a serious problem because they have barbs and can get stuck in the mouth, resulting in the loss of both the consumer and the consumed.
 
If you get multiple males, that should not be a problem.  But only getting two might be as they are shoaling - not schooling - fish.  They really do better groups upwards of six.  That said, I do keep two in one tank [people will shout but they are active and shoal much more pleasantly than the 7 or so I have in another tank].  So despite their small size, they really are not ideal for small tanks.
 
Finally, they are not exactly bottom-feeders.  They do eat algae, and dead leaves to a certain degree, but only soft alga.  And because of that they often die when added to newly set-up tanks.  It is best to pass the 6 months before adding them, and then buy a bunch as they still do tend to die.  And then, make sure you supplement them with cucumber and courgette [zucchini depending on locality and parler].
 
Rereading Eagle's comments, some of my own may be misplaced [i.e. I am not sure if I understood the questions].  And welcome to the hobby, and the boards, by the way. We tend to be a helpful, if sometimes opinionated bunch.
 

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