# Otos & cichlids



## locolobo (Mar 21, 2014)

Now that I have plants growing I would like to get some Otos to help keep the plants clean. The only pet stores in town, PS & PCO, Get theirs @ 1/4" size, maybe even smaller. I have 2 cichlids but they are not big @ about 2 " size now. Have 3 cories that were about 1/2 " a month ago when I got them and the cichlids did not bother them but I'm afraid they may eat the smaller Otos. If I put the Otos in a 10 gal tank, How long would it take for them to grow to +1/2"? Hoping they would be big enough to survive @ that size. Even though the cichlids have never bothered the other fish I Have been debating getting rid of them so I won't have that problem. Would like to trade them for male/female pair of Boesemani Rainbow because they are the main color fish in the tank, but would give them to a good home if someone in the S.E. TX area could come get them. They are Labs ( I think), one yellow and one blue. 

Lobo


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

How big is your planted tank, and how long has it been running? Oto's really only thrive in larger well-established and heavily planted tanks. That's a fine environment for Cory cats but not for Malawi mbuna that need hard/alkaline water. Not to mention that they're quite likely to eat live plants. If the tank is only large enough for 2 cichlids or 2 rainbows you really should choose a smaller schooling fish. Rainbows, like any schooling fish, need to be kept in groups of 5 or more, more being better. They're a fair-size active species, and need a good bit of swimming space. Tetras or rasboras are typically better fish for small to mid-size tanks, rainbows are somewhat cramped in a 75.


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## locolobo (Mar 21, 2014)

Todd, I have a 55G tank that has been set up in its present configuration for about , and I am guessing here, 12-15 yrs. I have only recently started with live plants. I have 2 Crypto wendtii, one Tiger lotus that is 6"x 6" and two small ones but growing. These are growing pretty good. There is a grove of E bleheri that is about also about 6x6". Some stauro repens, c. parva, and A. nana that seem to be stuck in low gear. I have left a rather large amount of the plastics until the naturals get going good, for cover There is also several rocks that provide caves, nooks and crannies. My main concern is : If I put some < 1/4 "Otocunculus in a 10 Gal tank (my Q tank), How long will it take to grow them to 1/2 - 3/4 inch which I think is a size where they should be able to survive in this environment?


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

I'm not really familiar with Oto's, I keep/breed BN pleco's, but I'd say a few months in any case. After years of seeing people posting about their Oto's dying on various forums 
Every time I tried putting live plants in my African cichlid tanks (or even growing out fry in a tank with plants) the buggers ate them. Najas, hornwort, even duckweed all disappear, and they're fast-growing plants.


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