brendan
Aquarium Advice Activist
I've just set up a 35g and I'm at the stage where I'm debating which cleaner I should go with, Otos or Plecos.
TIA
TIA
Otos vs. Pleco which way should I go?
- Thread starter brendan
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Mr Burns
Aquarium Advice FINatic
what other fish are going into the tank? will it have live plants? have you researched the two species already?
brendan
Aquarium Advice Activist
Currently there are six Neon Tetras and a Neon Rainbow. I'm thinking of adding 3-4 Boesman Raibows. There are already live plants in the tank, two Large Amazons and some Java fern.
Mr Burns
Aquarium Advice FINatic
how do you define "cleaner," or what are you expecting these fish to do?
sorry for all the questions, i'm just trying to narrow it down
sorry for all the questions, i'm just trying to narrow it down
Endgame319
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I would recommend plecos, not because they are good cleaners(the oto would win that contest), but because they are so interesting. IMO, otos are plain and not really exciting. But if you're going the pleco route, get a dwarf pleco because the commons can grow over a foot.
brendan
Aquarium Advice Activist
By cleaner I mean which will do the better job at controlling algea. I've head that Bristlenoses are good, but will they out grow the tank?
ScottS
Aquarium Advice Freak
Bristlenose won't outgrow the tank. I just switched from Ottos to a Bristlenose myself. THe Ottos do good work, but I lost all three of them over the course of a month in an established tank with Cardinal Tetras and Cory cats. I was feeding cucumbers, peas as supplements. Still lost them. The Bristlenose, isn't as fascinating, I see him less, but at least he's alive.
Mr Burns
Aquarium Advice FINatic
size is a big factor. the right species of pleco will make all the difference. i wish i would have known that six years ago when i got mine - it's over 13 inches now! if you're just looking for something to clean the algae, i would suggest maybe half a dozen otos and amano shrimp... those two can get into tight spaces that a growing pleco cannot, plus some pleco species eat less and less algae as they age.
brendan
Aquarium Advice Activist
I'm not sure if I want to go the Oto route because all I keep reading is that they bring their Otos home and they either die that day or within a couple of weeks.
madasafish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, Brendan... I've done a LOT (let me reemphasize that...) of thinking about this...
Your best bet is almost certainly a bushy-nose pleco (Ancistrus spp.). These stay small (6 inches) and eat algae quite well.
Of course, this depends on the type of algae you're trying to get rid of. BN Plecos get green and rust algae off tank walls, but do not combat hair algae or beard algae.
The real problems with the other possibilities... regular plecos get too large (-->2 feet); fancy plecos don't eat algae as well, and many are omnivorous and require some meat; otos are highly sensitive (I've lost quite a few); Chinese algae eaters get large and very aggressive (--> 1 foot) and often stop eating algae.
If you're looking for species to get rid of beard/hair algae, your best bets are siamese algae eaters (careful, there are a few look-alikes) and amano shrimp. Almost no other species will do this effectively, though American Flag Fish (Jordanella floridae) and Mollies are often reputed to combat beard algae.
Snails can get you in trouble... They multiply extremely fast, and some eat plants.
Your best bet is almost certainly a bushy-nose pleco (Ancistrus spp.). These stay small (6 inches) and eat algae quite well.
Of course, this depends on the type of algae you're trying to get rid of. BN Plecos get green and rust algae off tank walls, but do not combat hair algae or beard algae.
The real problems with the other possibilities... regular plecos get too large (-->2 feet); fancy plecos don't eat algae as well, and many are omnivorous and require some meat; otos are highly sensitive (I've lost quite a few); Chinese algae eaters get large and very aggressive (--> 1 foot) and often stop eating algae.
If you're looking for species to get rid of beard/hair algae, your best bets are siamese algae eaters (careful, there are a few look-alikes) and amano shrimp. Almost no other species will do this effectively, though American Flag Fish (Jordanella floridae) and Mollies are often reputed to combat beard algae.
Snails can get you in trouble... They multiply extremely fast, and some eat plants.
LAGlocker
Aquarium Advice Freak
Snails snails snails...then loaches loaches loaches. Just kidding. I agree that if you are doing bear get some shrimp. They can be fun to watch at times.
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
I vote for the BN Pleco!
Orca
Aquarium Advice Regular
Well I'm going to go against the flow and vote for Otos. I love my Otos. I have them in a tank with Neon Tetras and they are super active all the time. They won't touch the green algae (unless it's in a wafer), but they sure went to town on the brown stuff.
I'd like to have a Bristle Nose Pleco as well, but I can't find them anywhere.
I'd like to have a Bristle Nose Pleco as well, but I can't find them anywhere.
madasafish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hey, nothing wrong with otos. I LOVE them. They're full of personality and when you look at them close-up they are quite adorable. So I disagree with EndGame over that. A few weeks ago, I would have voted wholeheartedly for otos, but they are just soooo sensitive. I blush (and cry) to think how many I've lost in the week or two after I get them from a store--and as Brendan said, this is not uncommon at all.
If you get 10 otos, you have a good chance of having 1 or 2 left after a month. The survival rate is so pitifully low... This may not be the case in other parts of the country or in other countries... Just my experience on the East Coast, and just what a lot of others have reported about their otos.
Still, I vote for the Bushy Noses. With these, look for a place that will offer you a good selection. Some of them have very ugly yellow-brown color, while others are quite elegantly brown-black. Also, look for the active and slightly older specimens. These are the most likely to survive.
If you get 10 otos, you have a good chance of having 1 or 2 left after a month. The survival rate is so pitifully low... This may not be the case in other parts of the country or in other countries... Just my experience on the East Coast, and just what a lot of others have reported about their otos.
Still, I vote for the Bushy Noses. With these, look for a place that will offer you a good selection. Some of them have very ugly yellow-brown color, while others are quite elegantly brown-black. Also, look for the active and slightly older specimens. These are the most likely to survive.
G
Guest
Guest
Love my ottos. Bought eight 6 months ago, still have 7 left. No special treatment, guess I just got lucky.
Sati
Aquarium Advice Addict
I had an oto that basically had a heart attack and died after I gravel vacuumed (The horror!). That turned me off of them. Sensitive, fine... But not in my community tank.
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