Any Algae Eating Types In With Betta?

[Briarmoor]

The 10g is getting a lot of algae on the glass. The snails are not cleaning it well enough. The tank is divided into 2 sections with a Betta on one side and the Paradisefish on the other. I have not had the Betta in with another fish, but there are some plants in there and does anyone think he'd be nice to an otto or 2 if I added them?

The Paradisefish got so much algae on her java moss that I'd attached to her decoration that I took it out and gave it to the corys to clean in the 20g. They have taken care of it quickly. I can't very well give them the glass from the 10g to clean that way however. <g>

Other ideas? I have a scrubber pad I use some, but it just isn't doesn't work as well as sucker fish.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Oto's are good algae eating fish and are one of the few algae eating fish that will fit in a tank of the size but bettas can be agressive to any fish, particualy male bettas, so make sure your betta is fine with having some tankmates- also that your tank has space for oto's too.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

It really depends on your betta's disposition. I had my male betta in a tank with 6 black neon tetras. They all got along just lovely for months. No flaring, no chasing, no hiding, no fin nipping. I added three small otos (to keep the algae under control) and that changed everything. The betta began hiding in the plants and when an oto swam by him, he'd lunge at it (and flare, too.)

I ended up moving the betta to a 5G tank of his own. Then the otos ended up with a case of ich (probably from being stressed out due to the betta.) They survived but 5 of the tetras died

So, in an effort to control algae in my betta's tank, I ended up losing 5 fish. It would have been much easier to just clean it off the glass once a week!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'd be more worried about the paradise fish. they're just as territorial as bettas if not more so. half of a 10g isn't nearly enough territory for the paradise to feel satisfied, so don't be surprised if it won' tolerate any algae eaters.

 

[ThinIce]

Can't speak for the paradise fish - but I have my Betta Oscar in with four Ottos. The ottos are very partial to catfish pellets and seem to hang out on the sand nibbling at this in preference to eating algae (this wasn't initially the case, in the first couple of weeks they were continually scraping the glass clean).

Oscar uses the Ottos as lookouts for catfish pellets, when the Ottos move around he knows there is something to be had and comes zipping down to the sand. If they swim in mid water this causes him to chase them thinking there is food in the offing, once he gets close he sees its just an Otto and goes back to the surface - i've not seen him actually bite at one, simply nose them out the way if they're near the catfish pellets.

My cories by the way are not particularly impressed that everyone has taken to the food intended for them...

 

[boxman]

I have/had ottos in both tanks with both Male CT and Plakat with no problems.

At first you may have the odd flaring but yes, your paradise fish in effectively 5 gallons is not much at all!

 

[Briarmoor]

Thank you all for your input on the otto with the betta. I could try it and if it didn't work, I could take the otto back out and into the 20g with the other otto. I will just have to scrub the side the paradisefish, Paris, is on, she does not take kindly to any intruders and would probably go after a fish on her side. That said, she does not flare at Maury, the betta, on the other side anymore. But I would not take the divider out anyway.

Originally she had the whole 10g to herself and didn't do much but sit on her decoration or the bottom except to get excited when it was feeding time. Now she moves around more and watches the betta some. It gives them both mental stimulation without the paradisefish hurting anyone. Interestingly enough, she was in with juvenile male paradisefish when I got her, but I didn't notice any fighting. In fact I didn't notice any of them were that active, not as active as my gouramis were at the LFS.

Maybe I could switch sides of the tank every month and the otto could clean one side then the other as I move Paris to the side he wasn't on? But I hear they are rather delicate and netting might stress out the otto, so better not.