small catfish for agressive fish

Paccula

Paccula

AC Members
Dec 14, 2004
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Vancouver, BC, Canada
hi, I am thinking of MAYBE getting some bottom-dwellers for my tank (specs below), but haven't decided what yet. if I do get anything, it wont be for quite a while, until the tank is full of live plants. I was thinking ottos, but I've heard they are delicate, and my tetras are very agressive towards each other, always ripping each others fins, I don't know what they'd do to other fish. I like corys but they dont' eat algea (but I am still considering them anyway, but I like lots of options). whiptails are just ugly IMO. what other bottom fish would fit in my tank and stand up to my tetras?
 
Synodontis Nigreventis (uspide down cat) might work (I keep them with my mbuna), but I don't thing any cat is going to do much for controlling algae.


I know ottos are said to be good for this, by I've had the same four in my 55 for over a year, and they seem to do very little as far as keeping the glass clean.
 
I've got both otos and corys in with my blackskirts. No problems at all. The blackskirts are more concerend with each other and I've honestly never saw then nip at any other inhabitants. Now, bear in mind that my tank is fairly heavily planted and a bit larger than yours. A 10g might be pushing it except maybe a few pygmy corys. I wouldn't put otos in an unplanted tank. They like to cruise around the leaves like mini torpedoes.
 
Ottos only eat soft algae. You'll need a razor blade to get the tough algae off the glass.

You might try some snails or a chinese algae eater. Sanils have all the armor they need against tetras and chinese algae eaters can hold thier ground.

You might also consider a pink kissing gourami, but they can get big for your tank. I think they get to be 8 inches or so.

There aren't that many algae eaters I can think of.

Otto
Pleco
Chinese Algae eater
Kissing gourami

The plecos may eat your plants. The ottos are sensitive to water changes. The chinese algae eaters can be mildly agressive. The kissing gourami gets somewhat large.

I think your best bet is the otto. Just have some good hiding places. They like to be in groups of three. You might need to provide them with additional food. I give my three an aglae wafer every other day in addition to the algae in the tank.
 
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