Will I be overstocked?

[SaraB]

I have a moderately planted 55 gallon aquarium.
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 5 ppm
Nitrates 0
My water change schedule is about 50% weekly
The stocking is as follows
1 betta
3 female platys
10 black neon tetras
A couple of molly fry from when I had mollies but are too young to catch and sell

Would I be overstocked if I add some otocinclus? If not what would be the ideal number to add?

Thanks

 

[KaylNeko]

You wouldn't be overstocked, but keep in mind the otos do better with a decent amount of algae or bio film of a well established tank. Don't know how long it's been running, so just a general warning. I'm waiting a couple months before I get otos for my 100 gallon I set up last month.

The recommendation is 6 or so since their a shoaling fish.

 

[SaraB]

It's been set up for a few months and I have a healthy supply of brown algae on the back "wall". Brown algae is the one they like right? I also have sinking algae pellets. Is there anything else that would eat brown algae if it's not the kind they like?

 

[KaylNeko]

Mystery snails will. I love my mystery snails. And for the otos, supplementing with seaweed sheets helps too

 

[SaraB]

Mystery snails always die within a month for me and I have no idea why. I kind of wanted the otocinclus to keep my plants free from algae and I know for sure they won't eat the plants like some snails do.

 

[KaylNeko]

They'll definitely do that.

Interesting about the mystery snails. Mine breed like crazy.

My SAEs do a pretty good job on the diatoms as well, though they seem to prefer the 6ft long 100g to the 4ft long 55g and 75g tanks I've had them in.

 

[SaraB]

Yeah I bought 3 hoping that they would breed into more snails but that never happened. The food I feed my fish dosen't have copper any neither does the fertilizer that I use.
I can try the otocinclus and if they don't work I have a lfs that takes fish.