Otocinclus fish question

[kimlee10]

Ok, so we added 2 of these little guys to our tank, and the local store said they would not eat our live plants... well, thats all they are ever attached to is the live plants and i seen to be loosing leaves off them easily.. either they are eating them OR maybe just loosing unhealthy parts and regrowing good ones? some of the plants I did recently get.... any ideas? thanks

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I have had them rest on the leaves of live plants. They do not appear to me to be eating the plant itself, but will graze on the algae that is likely growing on the surface of the plants.
Watch the fish as they graze and see if there are any holes or ragged edges where the fish was actually grazing.

My take is that it is not likely that they are eating the plant. That said I do not keep all plants and there may be some that the ottos like to munch on.

 

[Thyra]

I have had no experience with the otos eating my plants. Are you positive you have aquatic plants? Unfortunately many places sell plants that look beautiful but actually turn out to be semi or marginal aquatic plants and so if the leaves were already starting to die I would think they could fall off while the otos are cleaning the algae off the leaves.