Dwarf puffer + Oto + Snail eggs

[tortugac]

Hi, first post here, hoping to find an active knowledgeable forum as I just got into aquariums this year. I do have a question about a new setup I'm starting hopefully today.

I have a dwarf puffer, still small, who is moving into an eclipse hex 5 that is on sale at Petsmart. I'd like to have an Oto with him in there (right now he lives alone). However, I feed him those little pest snails, which I am hoping will breed to some degree in the tank so I can quit going to pet stores begging for snails. I did have some success in his current tank, they were laying eggs here and there, but I then tried to feed him a ghost shrimp, which he didn't eat, and which proceeded to apparently eat all the snail eggs. I'd like to make sure the Oto won't be hunting down and destroying the snail egg clusters or disturbing the breeding. I'll have a separate 1gal tank also breeding the snails but I'd like them to be multiplying somewhat in the puffer's tank too.

If you know for sure, please post a comment affirming one way or the other!

So... do Otos ignore eggs or should I do without in the interest of keeping snails multiplying?

Thanks!!!

 

[kYle223]

ottos wuld probably leave eggs but i dont know for shure
but this post is more of a warning
you are taking a HUUUGE risk putting annything with a puffer

they are one of the more aggresive fish you can buy
there are some peacefull ones but dwarfs arent one of them
you culd buy an otto if it was a mid sised tank (30g and up) and then he might ignore it but a 5 gallon is way to small for a puffer to put up with any company

proceed at your ottos risk

 

[jbradt]

DPs are historically known to get along well with ottos and amano shrimp. My biggest concern would be that ottos are social fish and a 5g is too small to put any more than 1. That being said, I had an otto in a 5 for almost a year...

I also don't think the otto would eat the egg, but don't really know for sure.

 

[James0816]

Oto's won't bother the eggs. Like JB said...it won't be good for the feller to be all alone in a 5.

As for the puffer with the Oto, will you have plants in the tank? If bare, the Oto will not have much peace.