# Otocinclus catfish



## tarralb (Feb 23, 2006)

I have a 75 gallon mixed mbuna tank...with a syno eupterus and petricola in it. I added some java fern so I have been leaving my light on a lot longer so I am getting a lot of brown algae. I was reading about Otocinclus catfish and was wondering if a couple would be ok in my tank with the cichlids?


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2008)

Otos are very small and won't do well in the tank with aggressive mbuna or any other africans. Never kept them together, so can't say for sure, but I would think the africans will tear them apart as soon as they are in the tank.


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

I second that.

I wouldn't be comfortable keeping otos even with some of my 2" yellow labs. It would be nice if it could work because I have five otos and hate plecos but I still won't mix them.


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## tarralb (Feb 23, 2006)

Any ideas on any small catfish or whatnot that eat algae that would work?


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## becadavies (Apr 2, 2007)

Bristlenose plec!

*** got 2 and they keep my tank clear of algae AND they can stand up for themselves!! I have mine in an all male mbuna tank and they dont stand for any cr*p off any of the nasty males!

hope this helps

xx


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

I have a bn pleco and he keeps my entire 125g algae free all by himself. He also doesn't mess around when it comes time to defend himself.


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## becadavies (Apr 2, 2007)

LOL mine put on a very impressive display when threatened, and they also like the same water parameters as mbuna/africans do!

xx


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

becadavies said:


> LOL mine put on a very impressive display when threatened, and *they also like the same water parameters* as mbuna/africans do!
> 
> xx


No they don't. Not wild cuaght ones anyway. All Ancistrus species come from low ph, acidic rivers from South America. Aquarium bred species have, over time, adapted to local water conditions. Try and find out if the ones sold in your LFS are bred locally, or bought through a supplier who sources fish from who knows where.

I've seen many SA cichlids kept in tanks with African cichlids, with water conditions more suited to African cichlids. They often survive, but it doesn't mean they like it.


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## becadavies (Apr 2, 2007)

okay, they tolerate those water parameters better than most and your likely to be recommended a BN plec for your tank.


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

Otos most likekly would not tolerate hard, alkaline water. Otos are one of the more difficult to keep species, not necessarily because they are delicate fish but because of the poor condition you usually find them in at pet shops. Otos are very difficult to breed in captivity, almost all otos available in the aquarium trade are wild caught, they get pretty beat up in shipping from the amazon to the rest of the world, you'd be best off to keep otos in amazon conditions when purchased and gradually harden the water after the fish recovers from the stress and starvation of shipping.


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

Supposedly the starvation period depletes their stomachs of the beneficial bacteria that allow them to digest the cellulose material that they extract from algae. At that point even if kept in a great tank with plenty of food they can starve because they are unable to digest it.


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