Otos And Catfish

[williamc]

OK i have a albanio corycat and a upside down corycat and i was wondering if i could have a oto in my tank?
do they eat algae and leftovers

 

[Loony Fish]

yes and yes

 

[TylerFerretLord]

Not just one, however. They should be in groups of at least 6.

You need more cories too.

 

[rhostog]

Agreed - otos should be kept in a group. If you're stuck for space and want the oto to deal with algae, you could consider the little fish known as 'black otos' or 'otocinclus niger' which aren't really otos but belong to a related family (hisonotus leucofrenatus). I have two, but haven't seen them interact in any way (nor did the ones in the shop), so think they'd be equally happy on their own. They don't eat 'leftovers' (I didn't think otos did either), but like otos they will eat some types of algae. You may need to supplement their diet with algae wafers, cucumber etc. Otos need good water conditions and are generally only recommended for mature tanks.

Corys also like to be kept in groups - if you have space, it would be a good idea to add a few more corys, preferably of the same type. They will eat bits of food that fall to the bottom of the tank, but they don't eat waste or rotten food, so aren't a substitute for regular gravel vacs.

 

[Anguilla82]

never heard of an 'upside down corycat'

 

[ALW]

Not just one, however. They should be in groups of at least 6.

You need more cories too.

Agreed 100%

 

[SharonCC]

Not just one, however. They should be in groups of at least 6.

You need more cories too.

Agreed 100%

Unless they are Upside Down Catfish!

 

[Corleone]

never heard of an 'upside down corycat'

Synodontis nigriventris. They aren't corydoras, but they do look more like corys than other synos. I have seen them sold as corydoras like emerald catfish often are).

 

[williamc]

my tank is a 20g high and i have a albanio cary and a upsidedown catfish how many more cories can i add?