Compatability of Tiger Barbs and Otos

A

Arkin

AC Members
Aug 3, 2006
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Hey everybody,

I was wondering if any of you know the compatability of tiger barbs with ottocinclus cats. When we first got the fish, we had a Chinese algae eater (I didn't know they became aggressive as they got older). It mysteriously disappeared about 4 days ago. We are not sure what happened to it, and are completely unable to find either a body or a skeleton. I did the weekly water change/gravel vacuum and I still didn't find it. Any ideas on what could have possibly happened to it?

After 4 days of suspiciously eyeing our tiger barbs, we decided we had to get another algae eater of some sort. We have live plants and it was developing in a very thin layer atop the leaves. I have heard good things about ottos so we were thinking of getting two of those.

Our barbs did not have any issues with the Chinese algae eaters, and barbs I had long ago never had any issues with a plecto. But, I don't want an aggressive algae eater and I don't want a plecto with live plants. So does anybody have an idea if ottos and barbs go well together?
 
I have tiger barbs with gourami/ottos/neans/khuli loaches and dont have any probs (they are in a school of ten )
 
Currently there are 3. We had 5, but two died. I was worried about community issues, but they seem to get along much better with 3 than they ever did with 5. They're much happier, swim around more, and don't spend 24/7 hiding like they used to.

We are planning to upgrade to a 30 or 55g aquarium in the next few months, but we don't know exactly when it will be due to financial/space issues.
 
2 otos can be kept in a 10 gallon if they are properly fed. However your tiger barbs would do much better in a larger aquarium. I fear it is likely in a group that small, in an aquarium that small, they could act out agressively at their tank mates.
 
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Thanks homer!

That is what we are hoping to do in the near future. (That and to indulge my boyfriend's love of plants). I'd like to get more barbs to try and get them in a larger community - ideally one that is happier this time around.
 
have you tried looking in your filter? I've heard of more than one bottom feeder/algae eater that wedged its way into there and was assumed dead until the owner took the filter apart, and it "mysteriously reappeared". Another possibility might be that it jumped out and could be on the floor or wedged under your light. That wouldn't be the first time for either of those. Bottom feeders are a bit crafty :D

also, just to warn you, CAE's are known to get aggressive and somewhat carnivorous as they get larger. They can get to about 12 inches in length, and develop a taste for fins or the slime coating of your other fish. I'm just letting you know, since you mentioned you didn't want an aggressive algae eater. Most plecos (especially the larger ones) are also the same way, in that they tend to get aggressive and more omnivorous as they age.
 
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