Oto cats or CAE?

[frizzlefish]

How can I tell the difference between the two? My local walmart has a few scattered through their tanks but I want to make sure I get a true Oto cat and not the CAE.

[Chrona]

How can I tell the difference between the two? My local walmart has a few scattered through their tanks but I want to make sure I get a true Oto cat and not the CAE.

CAE is long, gets up to 6 inches+. Oto's are much smaller and stay around 2 inches max. They also have a flatter head

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/Gyrinocheilus_aymonieri_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Gyrinocheilus_aymonieri.php&h=333&w=500&sz=27&tbnid=xvLfbzqzE-EzzM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchinese%2Balgae%2Beater%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1

vs

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img/Gyrinocheilus_aymonieri_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Gyrinocheilus_aymonieri.php&h=333&w=500&sz=27&tbnid=xvLfbzqzE-EzzM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchinese%2Balgae%2Beater%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1

[frizzlefish]

That's the same picture I pulled up! lol

Then this one too. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1919&articleid=2456

It was a little difficult to tell the difference at least to us "beginners" :)

Thanks Chrona!

[Chrona]

Don't worry, when I started up my tank I bought a Chinese algae eater, thinking it was a Siamese algae eater. Boy was I mistaken ;)

[cocoa_pleco]

Don't worry, when I started up my tank I bought a Chinese algae eater, thinking it was a Siamese algae eater. Boy was I mistaken ;)


Dam, the 2 still mix me up. I cant remember which is agressive

[frizzlefish]

I believe the CAE is said to be aggressive as it gets bigger.

[Tails]

We have 4 Chinese Algae Eaters (yes, 4 lol) and unfortunately Mr Whiskers is starting to get more and more terratorial so we're thinking of rehoming him (we're all really sad).

When we bought them, we had no idea they grew so large (up to 25cm each apparently) or that they would be so terratorial lol *sigh*

On an algae eating scale, they're AWESOME (though some have reported that they stop eating algae more and more when they get older)!!

Oto cats are much better in groups of 3 or more (but rather rare and seasonal in SA here) and also do a GREAT job at cleaning algae. They're smaller with more distinct markings, and have a rounder belly than the sleaker CAE look:

Oto (5cm): http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_oto.php
CAE (28cm): http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_oto.php
SAE (14cm): http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_sae.php

As far as algae eating fish go, I'm getting myself a Bristlenose to go with my Betta's 15g tank - these guys have quite a rep as being awesome PEACEFUL (lol) algae eaters:

Bristlenose (15cm): http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_bristle.php

[kimmers318]

The bristlenose we have had never stopped eating algae! They are great, and I always go with the albino which do seem to stay a little smaller.

[Tails]

I was recommened to look for a brown, spotted one, as opposed to the black, spotted one - apparently the brown ones are less hard on the plants :)