Otos....

[Scott MacAdam]

I want something small for algae problem in one of my 10 gal..... it currently houses a small CAE that will soon be moved to larger tank..... I was thinking Otos but i don't really know much about them.... there will probably only be one other fish in there ( a small minnow my little sister caught for me 2 years ago....) some of you member may know that story........... how many should i get/ are the at all aggressive/territorial? any chance of reproduction if i did get a group(i don't need another 5 babies.....) anything else i should know??

 

[rdd1952]

Otos do prefer to be in groups but to the best of my knowledge they have never been tank bred. They are all wild caught in South America, aren't very hardy and seem to die for no reason. I have never had any luck with them. If you do decide to buy some, ask the store how long they have had them. If it's less than 2 weeks, hold off. Because they are wild caught and don't travel well, there is usually a big die-off after they arrive. If it has been 2 weeks, chances are that the ones left will make it.

They definitey aren't aggessive and will spend most of their time attached to the side of the tank or to a leaf. Theylove the brown algae that is common in newly cycled tanks.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

ok.... so how many should i get for a 10 gal .... assuming that there will probably only be one or 2 other fish in there......... they grow about 2 inches right? and I want a group ideally... so maybe 3-4 of them??? I'm just worried about them doing too good of a job with 3-4 and not having enough algae to sustain them with out adding some wafers or something.....

 

[rdd1952]

3 or 4 would be fine. If there isn't any algae, they will eat cucumbers, zuchini or algae waters.

 

[catxx]

they have been tank bred, someone on this board did it, let me find the link:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=141920

not all are imports.
if the tank isn't mature or is lacking algae, supplement like RDD says, they practically never stop eating OR pooping.
a healthy oto is an oto with a little round tummy full of food

 

[rdd1952]

Thanks for the link catxx. I had never heard of them breeding in a tank. They may not be worth most breeders time though as they sell for so cheap thus you don't hear much about them.