Ottos vs shrimp

**Greentoads41** · 03-12-2013, 03:52 AM

Need some feedback on this one. Should i get 8-10 ottocinclus, or a bunch of shrimp for an algae eater in my thirty gallon tank? If so on shrimp, what kind? Ghost shrimp and maybe cherry shrimp are readily available.
Parameters 0, 0, around 20 ppm nitrate when i do my weekly water change. Filtration: Aquaclear 50 and aqueon 30 quietflow. I run an airstone at night. Its moderately planted with anubias, java fern,Java moss, crypt wedtii, and water wisteria. Caves and driftwood are both available in the tank. Low light. Tankmates are 1 bolivian ram, 1 emerald green cory (brochis splendens), 1 clown pleco that does nothing but eat driftwood and hide in the caves, and 8 black neon tetras. Look at my journal for pictures. So what do you guys think? Thanks!

**Limming** · 03-12-2013, 04:00 AM

First off don't get an algae eater just to have one. Get one because you enjoy the particular fish or shrimp. I would get the ottos but only get 4 or 5 because they need plenty of space to eat. With the otos make sure to acclimate them very slowly and put in QT for a few weeks to make sure they are eating well because most LFS starve them. They are quite fragile at first (from what I've read mine have been perfectly healthy from the day I got them) but after about a month or so they are very hardy (also from what I've read).

**Greentoads41** · 03-12-2013, 04:19 AM

Oh yes, i really love both types. Thats why i dont want snails; just not a fan (exceot maybe zebra). I used to havw ottos awhile back, had about 3 in a ten gallon. Loved them, but Didnt last too long as i recall. Maybe the fragility of the fish at the time, but also probably something wrong in my tank. Ive never kept shrimp besides ghost shrimp (which was a looooong time ago) but ive had a crush on cherries for awhile now.
Thanks for the advice about the ottos! Everything said makes sense. Just got done quarantining 3 black neons, so the QT is open for customers. Also looking for another top-mid shoaling school, or just upping the black neons to 15 and staying with that.

**korith** · 03-12-2013, 04:27 AM

Think the fish in your tank would make quick work of the shrimp. Most fish will consider shrimp to be food, as that is the kind of stuff they eat in the wild. Ghost shrimp might live a bit longer than the red cherry shrimp in that tank. Some otocinclus would do well in the tank.

**Limming** · 03-12-2013, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by Greentoads41

Oh yes, i really love both types. Thats why i dont want snails; just not a fan (exceot maybe zebra). I used to havw ottos awhile back, had about 3 in a ten gallon. Loved them, but Didnt last too long as i recall. Maybe the fragility of the fish at the time, but also probably something wrong in my tank. Ive never kept shrimp besides ghost shrimp (which was a looooong time ago) but ive had a crush on cherries for awhile now.
Thanks for the advice about the ottos! Everything said makes sense. Just got done quarantining 3 black neons, so the QT is open for customers. Also looking for another top-mid shoaling school, or just upping the black neons to 15 and staying with that.

I would stay away from the shrimp like Korith suggested, good chance of them being lunch. I don't have much experience with ottos but just acclimate slowly and put food in right away. I followed this and had no problems with them been here for 3 weeks and no deaths. On the issue of adding other fish, I would up the school of black neons not sure if 15 is to much or not I'll let someone else give a better answer.

**Greentoads41** · 03-12-2013, 12:20 PM

Thanks for the help. Are algae wafers ottocinclus' main food? Or can lettice or cucumber suffice?

**korith** · 03-12-2013, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Greentoads41

Thanks for the help. Are algae wafers ottocinclus' main food? Or can lettice or cucumber suffice?

I've always fed algae wafers and vegetables a few times a week to my otocinclus. Really varies what veggies I use, depends really what is left over in the fridge:p By the way cucumber is alright but doesn't have as much nutritional content as zucchini.

**Hardy85** · 03-12-2013, 12:41 PM

yea my otos love raw zucchini. I think that's what got them by when I first put them in my tank. At this point they really don't care since there is plenty of algae and there bellies are full

**madagascariensis** · 03-12-2013, 12:46 PM

I beg to differ with the general consensus that all shrimp will be eaten. While the little, Brightly colored shrimp will probably be eaten as mentioned, At least I myself have has very good experiences of keeping Amano shrimp ov an inch long in a community setting, with cories, guppies, minnows, a gourami and a 3 inch long African butterfly cichlid.
However, as some have mentioned before, don't get an algae eater before knowing what you are fighting against. For one, because they will starve, for two, you might get the wrong type. Otos are good with algae that makes a film, such as diatoms, green algae or biofilm, but their sucking discs aren't very suitable to eating filamentous algae. Shrimp use their little pincers to pluck filamentous hair algae with ease, but conversely are poorly equipped for the types of algae otos can deal with.

**Greentoads41** · 03-12-2013, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by madagascariensis

I beg to differ with the general consensus that all shrimp will be eaten. While the little, Brightly colored shrimp will probably be eaten as mentioned, At least I myself have has very good experiences of keeping Amano shrimp ov an inch long in a community setting, with cories, guppies, minnows, a gourami and a 3 inch long African butterfly cichlid.
However, as some have mentioned before, don't get an algae eater before knowing what you are fighting against. For one, because they will starve, for two, you might get the wrong type. Otos are good with algae that makes a film, such as diatoms, green algae or biofilm, but their sucking discs aren't very suitable to eating filamentous algae. Shrimp use their little pincers to pluck filamentous hair algae with ease, but conversely are poorly equipped for the types of algae otos can deal with.

I see. That is pretty good to figure out. I think i have green dust alage, definetly fuzz, maybe staghorn, and I know i have some diatoms, not abundant though. Ya I know, I have alot of algae, but at least it's not too dominerring and at least I don't have cyanobacteria. Thats a PITA.