Otocinclus and rainbiw sharks?

[Banana mouse]

Hi I'm starting up a new tank and I want to know can I mix a rainbow shark with 4 Otocinclus?

The tank is 53 inches by 18 inches by 17 inches and well planted, I'm adding these fish into the tank in about 3 weeks

 

[librarygirl]

HI and welcome!

How are you going to cycle the tank? This link will help:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

I'm not 100% sure about the shark and Otto, hopefully someone else can provide some info. Good luck!

 

[Banana mouse]

I'm going to be adding the ottos first then the shark. I'll be buying the shark as small as I can. Here is a picture of the tank if it helps anyone



The left side if the tank I'm going to be adding about 10 java ferns and 1 or 2 on the other side also the water will be a little darker because I'm going to be adding tetra black water for the tiger barbs (so the water is soft and acidic)

 

[alLexX]

rainbow sharks need a 55 gallon tank,dont know how big yours is. if your tank isnt pretty old be prepared to supplement the ottos. other than that,my shark has been fine with my otto. but that might just be because my shark is terrified of the otto(who bullies him...)

 

[Banana mouse]

I'm starting to reconsider the shark, are there any other fish that will do the same job as him?

 

[alLexX]

I'm starting to reconsider the shark, are there any other fish that will do the same job as him?

and what job would that be?

 

[Banana mouse]

Eating small amounts of algae- is it hair algae?

 

[absolutangel04]

Rainbow sharks don't eat algae. I don't personally know of any fish that eats hair algae, but I believe amano shrimp eat it.

 

[Banana mouse]

Okay, I might not get one of these I'm a little worried they will cause more problems then solve like getting too big for the tank, fighting with other fish etc

 

[Banana mouse]

I could get a bristle nose

 

[alLexX]

Rainbow sharks don't eat algae. I don't personally know of any fish that eats hair algae, but I believe amano shrimp eat it.

actually my hsark eats a litlle algae. dont know if theyed eat hair algae,and he doesnt make much of a difference,but he does eat some. if your getting ottos,you dont need to worry about green algae

 

[emerald76]

Don't get a fish for the sole purpose of eating algae
It just won't turn out well
Otos are all you need for eating algae, trust me

 

[Banana mouse]

How many of them would I need to do a good job? 4?

 

[emerald76]

6 would be preferable but don't add them all until you have TONS of algae
They can clean a tank in a matter of hours

 

[Wingman-Goose]

Ottos won't eat hair algae generally! Siamese Algae Eaters will but if you feed the tank to well they will eat the fish food and stop cleaning the tank! They are good fish too which means its not so much getting a fish just to do a cleaning job!

 

[Daxhua]

I don't like telling people what they can and can't have in their tanks but I recommend you don't start off with otos. I think all otos that you would find in stores are wild caught which makes them very fragile, your odds are better in an older established tank with plenty of algae to eat and they go nuts for brown diatoms (brown algae). I've heard that your suppose to have more than one b/c they are a schooling fish but I had my first oto by himself for 5 months and he has been doing very well. I recently added two more a couple of weeks ago and already their bellies are getting fat.

BTW they don't pay any attention to my tetras, BN pleco or my roseline sharks.

 

[Coursair]

Otos are super peaceful. Mine won't even bother my baby Shrimp. The person with the nasty Oto may have a Chinese Algae Eater instead ???

CAE are agressive and get much larger than Otos.

Otos only get to 2". Little fish

 

[absolutangel04]

actually my hsark eats a litlle algae. dont know if theyed eat hair algae,and he doesnt make much of a difference,but he does eat some. if your getting ottos,you dont need to worry about green algae

Good point there. I should have specified that rainbow sharks are not strictly algae eaters. My mollies eat a bit of algae too, but I would not classify them as algae eaters and they certainly don't make much of a dent in the overall tank algae situation. Many fish will nibble algae, but they are not algae eating fish, just opportunists.