otos

[hermitpermit]

i dont know if other people were aware but i just found this out!


Don't buy dwarf suckermouth catfish (otocinclus affinis), sometimes sold as "algae eaters". These are small

bottom feeders about one to one and a half inches long. Greenish-grey to muddy yellow with a light underbelly, many have a brownish stripe along the side. They are mottled and can have a spotted or striped pattern along the back. When young they consume a lot of algae and any dead fish, but as they mature they attack other fish, even including very large fish. They will kill baby guppies, and injure adults. They can also become cannibalistic. Many pet shops don't bother to inform their customers of this aggressive behavior, so beware.

http/www.ifga.org/articles/care1.htm is the link to the site

 

[corrosive]

i dont know if other people were aware but i just found this out!


Don't buy dwarf suckermouth catfish (otocinclus affinis), sometimes sold as "algae eaters". These are small

bottom feeders about one to one and a half inches long. Greenish-grey to muddy yellow with a light underbelly, many have a brownish stripe along the side. They are mottled and can have a spotted or striped pattern along the back. When young they consume a lot of algae and any dead fish, but as they mature they attack other fish, even including very large fish. They will kill baby guppies, and injure adults. They can also become cannibalistic. Many pet shops don't bother to inform their customers of this aggressive behavior, so beware.

http/www.ifga.org/articles/care1.htm is the link to the site

I read through it, and its quite a nice bit of information, but i dont agree with this:"Occasional water changes are necessary. Under normal circumstances, if you use carbon in your filter, once a month is more than enough."

Water change should be one once or twice every couple of weeks, IMO, I will be doing at least one a week, when my water is stable.

 

[smithrc]

we've just lost our 4th randomly - 2 left and then we probubly woth bother again

 

[dead_slade]

if you want to take good care of your fish you should do 30% water change every week.

 

[HotStuffGal]

-Protest- My Lil Otto who is 2 and a half may I add is the best and so are my other ones.........I still reccomend them to everyone they are awsome and are not aggresive as to be thought just like chinease alge eaters

 

[jhd]

I have 9 Otos in my 55g and 5 in my 29g, and I just bought another 6 to split them between the tanks.
I have kept them for over a year, they are all adult size now and have been for a while.
Once mature, and have hiding places, they will become nocturnal. I have moon lights so I see them at lights out, working on algae most of the time, hiding behind plants and bogwood during the day.
I have never seen them attacking any fish, ever.
Now, they do not have any of the scrubbing power due to their size, this is why I just bought a True SAE (not a Flying Fox, not a Chinese Algae Eater). I had CAE once, grew to 6 inch and started rasping on other fish, so I agree with people writing about territoriality and change of eating habit of the CAE.

 

[noelberg]

I agree with some of the previos posts. I think that person mistook Otos for CAE's and SAE's often labeled "Algae Eaters". I sometimes even see young CAE's in the stores attacking another fish's slime coats. Flying foxes also get territorial when older, since they are in the 'shark' family. They shouldn't be bought strictly for algae removal since they only eat it when young.

In my experience Oto's are more likely to be the victim than the aggressor (my friend had a T-barb that developed a taste for his Otos ).

 

[kenneth_kpe]

hey everybody i couldn't help but post this reply since im thinking of purchasing OTO's myself (but im having a hard time finding em here in the philippines since catfishes are a bit banned due to some river accident blah blah)

I got this reply from a paul apgar from a oto site

They are getting otocinclus affinis confused with the Chinese Algae
Eater
(CAE). Otocinclus never get aggressive with age, are not canabalistic
(only
a fish that eats another fish while its alive is a canabal, if it's
eating
an already dead fish it is just a scavenger), while with the CAE it is
commonly known to happen. The otocinclus is an algae eater first and
foremost, and will not seek out other foods unless its algae intake is
reduced and it is very hungry.

The only reports of "oto attacks" is with large bodied, slow moving
fishes,
like discus. But I've never witnessed this behavior myself and some of
us
believe it is the desperately starving otos that do this.
~Paul


cheers
-kenneth

 

[jams.alaskan]

So right Kenneth - it is a case of mistaken identity!

ALASKA

 

[clutterydrawer]

that site also says corydoras grow to 5 inches - I think it's a site to avoid.