Angel Fish & Otos

[Thyra]

Has anyone had experience putting otos in with their angel fish? I have two good size Angels in a tank with tetras and mollies. They have all been together for well over 6 months with no problems and no fin nipping, but otos aren't usually very big and about a month ago I tried to put a female betta in that tank. I never saw so much action so quickly - including me trying to find my net to retrieve my betta. There was no injury, either physical or mentally to the betta because she settle right in to my other community tank with another female, but I hesitate to try it with a couple of otos, because they are harder to catch quickly.*twirlysmi

 

[achase]

I wouldn't think there would be any problem just because the oto's dwell mostly on the bottom.
Oto's are a common bottom feeder to have with puffers and puffers tend to leave them alone.
To me if a fish can survive with a puffer than it can pretty much survive with anything.

 

[nanu156]

yeah, bettas and angels are obvious enemies. It's all in the shape and size of the fish. Bottom feeders are generally left alone by anything not big enough to swallow them. Ottos will be fine assuming you can provide a suitable environment for them tank and water wise.

 

[OrangeCones]

I've never kept angels personally, but my dentist has a 75 gallon tank with a breeding pair of angels with a shoal of tetras and 5 otos. The otos are not bothered at all, and the tetras has learned to stay clear of the couple when they are tending eggs or fry.

 

[Thyra]

Angels & Otos

Thanks everyone! I really don't consider otos "bottom fish" because mine are all over the place in my other tanks - in fact seldom on the bottom, but rather on the glass, plants or other decor - where ever there is algae. I watched one of the angels tonight stand on his/her nose and move gravel around - they do tend to do a lot of checking everything out and that is one of the reasons I was worried. Sometimes the otos aren't any bigger than a neon.

 

[achase]

I guess what I meant by "bottom feeder" is that otos are primary either on the ground or sides. They are never really swimming around in the main water column (where the Angels are).
I have never had Angels do they tend to eat other fish??

 

[freash_water_monster]

Well with my angels i even have ghost shrimp in my tank and mine dont seem to get bothered i would say an otos would go good with angels but if you have a female around the time when she lays eggs the otos may try to eat the eggs because that's what my pleco does and the angels tend to fight back.

 

[freash_water_monster]

I have never had Angels do they tend to eat other fish??

they only eat fish that can fit in there mouth so not really because there mouths are not that big

 

[Creamcrop]

ive had multiple otos and betas together in a 10g planted tank with no problems at all and in my bigger tank the angels didnt give a hoot about the otos but the betas were another story

 

[achase]

Betta's and Angels don't usually get along. I believe it has something to do with the appearance of the betta.....Angels are usually the attackers (I think).

 

[OrangeCones]

Well with my angels i even have ghost shrimp in my tank and mine dont seem to get bothered i would say an otos would go good with angels but if you have a female around the time when she lays eggs the otos may try to eat the eggs because that's what my pleco does and the angels tend to fight back.

Otocinclus sp. generally do not eat eggs or fry, as they are herbivores. I've raised egg scatterers (no parental care of eggs at all) with large numbers of otos in the tanks, and no predation was ever seen on the eggs or fry.