Ottos or Raphael cat?

[Riso-chan]

I bought 3 ottos the other day and so far 2 have died. This may be in part because the fish store had just got them in, and they hadn't been weeded out, so to speak. My tank is fairly warm during the day 75 F and only drops 2-3 degrees at night. Other than that it is a stable temp range. However, my nitrates were also high, and someone suggested getting a raphael cat for bottom scavenger. I've read that they can be carnivorous toward smaller fish and I do have small fish. Its' been about 4-5 days since I bought the otos, and the one guy left seems lonely but tough. Should I buy more ottos or try out a raphael? Will enough ottos help keep the detritus down?

 

[jonathan03]

Ottos do best in at least 3. And it isn't unusual for them to die. They are sensitive to the water and require lots of food.

I always get ottos from Petsmart because of their garuntee. They give you a new fish if your dies in 14 days. Plus they sell them for $1.59. So if there isn't a petsmart by you, look for a pet store with a garuntee when buying ottos and similar fish that are senstive to the water.

A catfish probably won't eat the algae off the glass and other things in your tank. So get some ottos if you want an agae eater, get a catfish if you want a bottom scavenger. Ottos can eat food that falls to the bottom, but mine seem to be more interested in the algae. If you decide to keep ottos, you should give them some kind of food every so often. I give mine algae wafers made by hikari. The also take cucumber, zuchini, and similar vegtables.

You might consider a smaller catfish. The corry cats are usually peaceful and somewhat small. They have a small mount and shouldn't bother your fish. They probably couldn't eat them if they wanted to.

I might be wrong, but I think the raphael catfsihes get fairly large. Maybe 6" or so? There are lots of catfish smaller than this. What are the other fish you have and what size is your tank?

 

[knashash]

You said that your Nitrates were high? Well then the solution to your problem is not getting a catfish, its lowering your Nitrates by doing weekly water changes and better tank maintenance. No amount of ottos is gonna fix that problem for you. Dont overdue the cleaning otherwise youll damage the beneficial bacteria, but small cleanings weekly is best.

 

[STARS Survivor]

so ottos will eat algae wafers? I have several corys, too, would that be a problem? They get shrimp pellets, but they may go for the wafers...

 

[jonathan03]

My ottos attack the algae wafers. They are made for plecos and have a picture of one on the bag but they don't seem to care ;-)

I'm not sure if corries will eat the algae wafers. I would tend to think no, but I was suprised that my zebra danios were lightly nibbling on them.

And if you do use algae wafers, only add one at a time. They seem really small but they greatly expand in the water to over double the size. Extra food is always bad, espcially if your trying to fix nitrates.

To reduce your nitrates, siphon your gravel well. I would do a 30% water change weekly. Then after 2 or 3 weeks take a water sample from your tank to the pet store. They will test it and tell you how your tank is. If its ok, then get a few ottos. But don't get any new fish while those nitrates are high.

 

[reiverix]

My corys go nuts for the algae wafers. So much so that my otos can only get the residual particles that come off. Still, my otos prefer zuchinni, yams and whatever they get from my glass and plants.

 

[Riso-chan]

Update

I just changed out my filter cartridges, which hadn't been changed for a while. Did a 25% water change on my55g, then a 10% change a few days later. Will be adding driftwood tomorrow. It is a piece I've had for a while, bought from lfs. I just feel like its shape is ridiculous, its weighted but the wood itself is cut out in a phallic shape. I think I'm going to cut it up beforehand to spare myself embarassment. The other issue I have is ghost shrimp, they love algae discs, and I think that'll be too much competition. What other food could be fed that ghost shrimp will leave alone? I've taken notice before that they don't seem to care for fresh veggies...
Also, what would be a good number of ottos for a 55g?

I currently have:

6 white clouds
9 zebra danios
1 oto
25 ghost shrimp

2 anubias nana
small bunch of hornwart

 

[fishpoor]

choosing between an otto and a raphael is sorta like trying to choose between a pleco and a kuhlie loach. Their functions are completely different. My raphaels are spotted, so maybe they're different. The thing with spotted raphaels is when you're talking 6", its not just length, its around. I never see mine, they're completely nocturnal, old (all of mine are in their teens), and have never bothered even the smallest of my fish. I visit them occasionaly by picking up their cave & peering in.

 

[jonathan03]

You should get at least 3 ottos always. You might go with 5 or 6 since your tank is large. This is without considering the ghsost shrimp....

The only thing I'm not sure of is those ghost shrimp. Is there a lot of algae in your tank with the shrimp? Ottos mainly eat algae and they might not do so well with all the shrimp competing for the algae.

I would get two more ottos. They should always be in three. Then if there is lots of algae still you can buy more in groups of two or three.

Spread the algae discs across the tank. I always do that for all types of food to give each fish the best chance of getting food.

A cucumber might be a good choice if the algae discs don't work well. I have never kept ghost shrimp so I'm not exactly sure how much they will compete with ottos. Maybe someone has the mixed the two before? My guess is that they can be kept together if you spread out the food.

 

[knashash]

I have ghost shrimp and ottos in my 55 gallon....as long as you have live plants, driftwood and other natural stuff in your tank and your plants are doing well, I wouldnt worry about feeding the ghost shrimps or the otto. I have had both for over a year in my 55 gallon and have never put 1 algae wafer in my tank. Let them eat the algae that naturally grows in your tank....trust me they will be fine. But as far as controlling your algae goes....try getting a phosphate remover and putting it as part of your filter media. Getting a huge amount of ottos or other algae eating critters will help a little but is really not the answer.