Anyone one else heard of that?

[rainbowprizimz]

Hello all, just wanted to see if anyone else had ever heard of an oto attaching itself to a larger tankmate? If so did the tankmate die? Let me know...fact or myth.

P.S. This has nothing to do with any of my tanks, just curious is all.

[valerie]

I have heard of sucker mouth fish attaching themselves to larger tankmates. Most of the time people say this about CAE but i could see an oto doing it also.Usually its slower larger bodied fish that it can happen to. But i have otos in a couple of my tanks and never experienced this even with angelfish.

I don't think it would cause any harm to the tankmate unless it was constantly done and a sore developed.

I dont' think its very common at all, and you should worry about it if getting otos.

[anonapersona]

I've seen them try, in pet store tanks, where they are too crowded and not eating well.

Any disruption of the slime coat opens a fish to attack by parasties and bacteria. It need not be constant nor even visible to create damage that sickens a fish.

[Dangerdoll]

I haven't heard of it happening with oto's but when I was interested in trying my hand with Discus, I was forewarned big time against having pleco's with them because supposedly they were known to do this as well. I'm not sure if it was a specific type of pleco as "pleco" was the only term used. I don't know if I would see a full grown common attached to the side of one....but hey, I guess stranger things have happened, right? :rolleyes:

[DMS]

I really can't see being worried about oto's harming any other fish. I wouldn't however put CAE's or plecos in w/ discus. As a matter of fact, I never use CAE's anymore at all, they get old and cranky. Lots of people keep plecos w/ angels though, and I don't know of anyone having trouble.

[Dangerdoll]

I've always kept angels and pleco's together without incident..... of course I realize that things "can" happen, they just never happened in any of my tanks of late or at present.

[sumoschro]

A lot has to do with the particular fish as well.....some fish can be much more agressive than another of the same species. i had a CAE in my 29 gallon and he was big, but he just kept on eating algae as well as he did when he was 2 inches long, and he was never aggressive toward the other fish in my tank.


Im sure that it is possible that a pl*co or some other suckermouth fishes will latch on, but it also has to do with the species....some species of pleco dont get to be more than 2 inches long and are very peaceful, at least from what ive heard.

[kveeti]

I've read it a couple times, the only place I can immediately find specifically on otos is on this site, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/otocinclusart.htm
just over halfway down under Behavior: Territoriality. I have read about this trait happening with all sucker mouths at one time or another, especially with CAE's (no problem with mine), but I tend to agree with this writer, "More likely this behavior is a manifestation of food deprivation, and a sign that you need to be supplementing their diet with more greens."