Is an Oto for me?

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L

Laticauda

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 16, 2010
1,400
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Central Oklahoma
I have a 55 long that has no plants in it, but does get a considerable amount of light, so I have a green algae build up. It starts out as tiny dots, and grows together, I've been told this is slime algae, is that true?

Anyway, It houses 4 fancy goldfish, and I want to add something to the tank that will clean the algae. Obviously I would feed a different diet for this new fish and algae would be supplementary, but was wondering if this is a "job" suitable for an Otocinclus Catfish?Are they communal, should I have more than one?

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.
The tank has a heater, and stays at 76F, if that helps any.
 
They would work but it would probly be better to get a BN. Btw your tank is over stocked
 
I would not mix any pleco with goldfish. BN pleco is a good algae eater but runs the risk of eating slime coat. I think you are better off with an otto.
 
Giant ottos are awesome and I'd suspect 76º to be warm enough. I kept mine at 79º and he lived five years. Maybe I had him too warm. Hypoptopomus gulare was the one I had. Got about 3" and was a strict algae eater with tiny poop. Never harmed a fly or ate other food unless it was stuck to a sponge. The happier they are the redder their eyes get. More pics in my fish album.

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Oh man, so you mean to tell me there are other things out there masquerading as Otos? Or is this just a recent scientific name change? (I know those can be as fickle as the Oklahoma weather in some species!)

How will i know what I'm getting, are there specific things I can look for, or should I just take a picture and post it for Identification before I buy anything?
 
ID is good, but almost every "otto" or "oto" you encounter will be the common one that stays around 1 to 2 inches. Gray/brown with a bold dark stripe and very triangular head. Other ottos are rarer and will likely be labeled and priced accordingly. In truth, they are all loricariids (sp?) just like the "pleco" group. Whether or not they are given the name oto is a whole different story.
 
Well, I think your "not-so-common oto" is sexy, wouldn't mind having one of those instead of the smaller ones...One of my goldfish can eat a full grown guppy female, I would imagine the small common otos would be a good snack too.
 
hahaha, i hope that comment that said her tank was overstocked was a joke. you'll be fine with an oto in there, id listen to knifegill, he knows what hes talkin about
 
Yeah, I was thinking the same about little ottos being goldfish snacks and/or goldfish-killing throat-spikes. Check your local oddball fish shops for the "giant otto" type plecos. They are seasonal so you might have to wait awhile. At least put in your request if they have a log book for that sort of thing. I think I got my guy in late spring but that was a long time ago and I forget.

I have a 55 long that has no plants in it, but does get a considerable amount of light, so I have a green algae build up. It starts out as tiny dots, and grows together, I've been told this is slime algae, is that true?

Anyway, It houses 4 fancy goldfish, and I want to add something to the tank that will clean the algae. Obviously I would feed a different diet for this new fish and algae would be supplementary, but was wondering if this is a "job" suitable for an Otocinclus Catfish?Are they communal, should I have more than one?
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While the stocklist seems pretty heavy, it wouldn't take more than 50% water changes twice a week to keep nitrAtes reasonably low in there assuming the fish are fed lightly. You'll certainly want to keep the nitrAtes as low as you can for any wild caught catfish like an otto, they don't do too well when the nitrAtes start climbing too high while the goldfish usually don't suffer right away.

It is not slime algae but spot algae. Adding phosphate fertilizer should eliminate it completely.

My giant otto was solo but I have read they fare better in groups. Opinions are all over the road concerning communal catfish like ottos. They seem to do fine alone yet almost everyone will swear they need to be in groups. Do the research on that front and make your own call.
 
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