Otocinclus vs. bristlenose

[illumnae]

I currently have 2x albino bristlenose in my newly set up apisto tank..this used to be my discus grow out tank with very bad algae problems, and hence i used 2 bristlenoses to keep a 2fter clear of algae...

now that i've converted it to an apisto tank, however, it seems that 2x bristlenoses might be overkill, and i'm abit worried seeing that the bristlenoses are 2x the size of my apistos, and when both are fully grown they will still be 1.5x the size...

so with that in mind, would otos do as good a job as my bristlenoses in keeping my tank algae free and if so, how many would i need in a 2 fter? if not, would it just be wiser to take away 1 bristlenose and leave the other one behind in the tank or just to leave both as they are (if it aint broken why fix it)?

[wks]

Hi illumnae, first of all, why would you want to introduce algae eaters into your apisto tank? I assume its a non CO2 tank stocked with low light plants. Toegether with a medium to low light, there should not be algae problem unless you often forget to change water.

When introducing any algae eater (if you must) into your tank, please remember to feed them with wafer or other suitable food. Any algae, if there is any in your tank may not be able sustain the fish.

As far as I know oto and some common bristlenose species only go for green algae. Other forms like black brush algae, blue green algae and diatom are totally immuned to these critters.

[bossteck]

Would you like to consider having a snail (only 1) as your algae crew? Perhaps Ramshorn snail?

[illumnae]

hi wks, thanks for your reply =)

the reason i keep algae eaters is that the tank is beside the window, and previously when keeping discus in bare bottom conditions, i had very bad outbreaks of green algae and thus bought 2 bristlenoses before the problem resolved

i'm assuming it's the sunlight that causes the algae breakouts and hence i'm keeping algae eaters just in case. but i do feed them wafers every few days just in case they don't get enough food from the growing algae

the bristlenoses are doing a good job, but i'm just worried they may pose a threat to my juv apistos as they are double the size of the apistos, plus every now and then they chase the apistos out of their hiding places as plecos seem to like dark caves too...so was wondering if otos might be a good replacement and still keep any potential green algae in check

Would you like to consider having a snail (only 1) as your algae crew? Perhaps Ramshorn snail?

i've had problems with snail outbreaks in another tank before, so i'm abit wary of keeping them these days =)

[illumnae]

anyone have any opinions on oto vs bristlenose and the ups and downs of keeping each type? =) i'm still interested to know...very curious as to why bros here seem to prefer otos, while bristlenoses come highly recommended by the people on simplydiscus (especially the americans). as apisto and discus requirements are very similar, why is there such a discrepency? =)

my current thought is that it is due to availability, as otos are very easily available here as compared to bristlenoses. but is there any other reason?

[Quixotic]

My guess is that some otos supposedly suck on the nutrients from the body of the discus and this causes stress to the discus. I am not sure if bristlenose does, but I have not come across anyone who said they do.

How large do the bristlenoses grow, even for the dwarves? 5 to 6 inches even if they are really slow growers? Most otos get to around 2 inches SL. Size may be a consideration for some.

However, otos are not the easiest to keep even for the most experienced fishkeepers. New otos especially are vunerable in the initial stages. I would say bristlenoses are much hardier.

The average lifespan of otos in aquaria is supposedly 2 to 3 years although they definitely have a much longer lifespan in the wild. What is the average lifespan of bristlenoses in aquaria? I expect it to be much longer, so this is something that you might want to think about.

[illumnae]

thanks for the analysis quixotic =) from the looks of it i'll just stick to my BNs for my current apisto tank and add a new one into the tank i'm about to start up...no real need for otos if BNs don't really have a downside besides size...i'm of the impression that BNs clear algae alot more efficiently than otos do, which is the primary purpose of my keeping them

[luenny]

Hi Illumnae,
My guess is OTO is more planted tank friendly than BNs (or other plecs). But BNs are more effective against algae. And since most Discus people keep their discus in bare tank, they opt for BN. Most Apistos people tend to keep their apisto in planted tank and therefore they opt for OTO. Plus, the size difference between BN and Apisto might be a factor too.

- Luenny

[illumnae]

why would BNs be considered less plant friendly though? do they eat the leaves of plants or uproot them or something? so far mine have not touched the plants in my tank

[valice]

Plecos thrash/whip their tails when they are startled and will kick up plants sometimes.
your pleco is well fed. If they are not fed, they will make holes in your leaves. I place E.bleheri in my pleco tanks and they periodically make holes in the leaves.

[illumnae]

ah ok thanks for the info =) i guess the algae wafer i drop in every 2 days helps to keep my plants alive. the plecos are always sporting nice fat bellies but still manage to keep my tank totally free of the GSA that used to plague me

[Gecko]

If the apistos can't defend their caves against much bigger BNs, they either
i. won't breed or ii. "Caviar is served".

[illumnae]

they've bred once and the female managed to keep the plecos out of her cave...but unfortunately caviar was served when the female a te her own eggs =(

[illumnae]

well i've got myself some otos...going to put my bns in the bigger tank with discus, hopefully next breeding session my apistos won't get scared into eating their eggs again