# Goldfish + Algae-Eating Fish?



## mangos (Sep 7, 2009)

Hi. Sorry for the bajillion questions today, but I was told that goldfish and otocinclus do not make good tank-mates due to conflicting environmental needs. If this is true, is there a type of algae-eating fish that would work well in a 10-gallon tank with a goldfish? Thanks!


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

goldfish themselves eat algae as well as plants. Though they will not be able to do it as effectively as a fish designed for the job, such as a pleco, otto. or others


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## jchutch (Sep 8, 2009)

The danger I would think is if they get along as tankmates but if the otto's or pleco's can handle the tank temperatures of Goldfish... 62-72 degrees.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

jchutch said:


> The danger I would think is if they get along as tankmates but if the otto's or pleco's can handle the tank temperatures of Goldfish... 62-72 degrees.


I've had the same common pleco in my goldfish tank for nearly a year and a half. Keeps it sparkling clean of algae too.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

What's the temp in your tank GK?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Plecos are ok as long as they are bigger than your fish can eat. An oto on the other hand, would be eaten in 2 seconds by a goldfish. Especially when your goldfish get bigger and the oto does not.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

<3~Pleco~<3 said:


> What's the temp in your tank GK?


It's typically between 72-80, but it drops down to around 68-70 during the winter months. It doesn't seem to bother them at all and the only things that differ from the tropical tank are diet and lack of heater.


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

Otos will be eaten by goldfish even by the fancy smaller ones, unless you find a china doll goldfish. I would recommend a rubberlip pleco. They clean great and get along well with goldfish even in cooler temps as they are one of the few plecos that prefer lower temps.
I have 2 fancy goldfish and I came home once with one of them swimming around the tank with an oto in his mouth. The oto was just a little too large for the goldfish to swallow (the goldfish was only 3 inches long at the time) and I had to pull the oto from his mouth. The goldfish survived but the oto was already dead when I got involved. I immediately remove all the other otos and bought a rubberlip. That was almost 6 years ago and they are still together.


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## margalicious (Oct 26, 2009)

Your tips are really helpful. I was also planning to set up a new aquarium, and I don't know what fish combination that is good. I'm just a new aquarium owner.


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