Cleanup Crew - Ottos or Corys?? or something else?

chan

chan

Small Fish
#1
Feb 25, 2007
23
0
0
Toronto
#1
I have a 10gal tank with a pleco, few platys, and few neon tetras right now but planning on returning the pleco for something else that will stay small. I read alot on Ottos and Corys but I still can't decide and want some suggestions. I've read that Ottos will only eat algae and are picky on other veggies and Corys will only eat a little bit of algae and are pretty good on leftover food.

Just wondering in your experience which one is better for an all around clean up crew that will eat algae/leftover food and whatever else needs to be cleaned up? Thanks
 

Helena21

Helena21

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 7, 2005
1,850
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32
Essex, England
#2
I would go with the otos, because they will eat algae of the tank walls and cories wont. I would think that otos clean up leftover food as well as algae, but corys just eat the leftovers.
If you do get otos and you dont have alot algae for the to eat you will need to supplement their diets with algae wafers/tablets :)
 

Timbo

Timbo

Large Fish
#3
Jun 21, 2005
129
0
0
71
Nottingham UK
#3
Corries will take care of the bottom (But you need a group, and with a 10 gallon tank may not have room.) But have you thought of Khulies (Koolies etc etc). Also bottom feeders.
Hill stream loach are quite good (Glass and bottom) and at 3 inch are not too big. Also Amado shrimp are quite good. And of course snails..
 

Jake

Jake

Large Fish
#4
Feb 15, 2007
105
0
0
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia , Canada
#4
I would say a Oto, I have one and they are great it kept my 10g clean, and loves the 30g, I am going to have to pick up another bottom feeder for the 30g. I find my Amano Shrimp does nothing except play tag with my platys or hide. Once in a while he will come out and grab a piece of food off the bottom.
Otos Are great for small tanks.!
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#6
May 16, 2003
8,589
10
38
42
Colorado
#6
IMO Cories and loaches should not be considered a cleanup crew. Just because they are bottom feeders, doesn't make them cleanup. Your pleco should be cleaning up, and if he isn't then he probably isn't real happy. I'd look into returning the pleco and getting an apple snail. They are IMO the best cleanup crew for a smallish tank, they'll eat some algae and definitely keep leftover food cleaned up. Ottos are great little guys, but really don't like much of anything except brown algae/diatoms and don't really clean up green algae that great, plus keeping them fed in a small tank can be difficult.
 

chan

chan

Small Fish
#9
Feb 25, 2007
23
0
0
Toronto
#9
FroggyFox said:
IMO Cories and loaches should not be considered a cleanup crew. Just because they are bottom feeders, doesn't make them cleanup. Your pleco should be cleaning up, and if he isn't then he probably isn't real happy. I'd look into returning the pleco and getting an apple snail. They are IMO the best cleanup crew for a smallish tank, they'll eat some algae and definitely keep leftover food cleaned up. Ottos are great little guys, but really don't like much of anything except brown algae/diatoms and don't really clean up green algae that great, plus keeping them fed in a small tank can be difficult.
Click to expand...
My pleco is doing an awesome job at cleaning right now, but I wasn't told that it can grow up to 18" long and keeping it in a small tank will likely kill the thing before it reaches adulthood (partly my fault for not researching first).

As for Snails, I really don't want one. Right now I have these little ones that must of gotten a free ride with the plants I bought from LFS.

I guess it's between shrimps and otos. I've read they both need to be in groups, but I've also read on other post that people only put 1 in a small tank.
 

jessey

jessey

Large Fish
#10
Dec 25, 2006
548
0
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37
Tampa, FL
#10
i disagree that cories aren't a good cleanup crew.. mine are great little scavengers :D however, it is true that they'd be kind of cramped in a 10 gal. i think you might do well with one oto AND one or two shrimp (since they kind of do different jobs - otos on the algae, and shrimp on the leftovers)!

by the way, good job catching up on your research. it's always nice to see someone else who cares. ;)
 

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