plecos and otos - friend or foe?

[aspiringangel]

I have two gold-banded plecos (sold to me as clowns, which I have since found out they aren't! ) that aren't doing a darn thing in terms of keeping the tank clean and the glass algae-free. I've heard so many people rave about otos that it's been hard to resist picking up one of the little guys when I see them, and even harder since the silly plecos aren't being the cleaning crew I thought they would be! Question is, can plecos and otos safely live in a tank together? Clearly they wouldn't be battling over food source, but I've read that plecos can get a little hostile and territorial. What thinks everyone here?

 

[Igor The Cat]

pl*cos dont in the wild useually eat alage there mouths are for clinging on to rocks

-Java

 

[dana307]

i have both ottos and a common pl*co in my 50 gal with no problems. am considering turning a pl*co in and getting more ottos.

 

[catfishmike]

the only true cleaning crew for your tank is you.plecos are scavengers,yes but not all plecos eat algae or leftovers.some are obligitory carnivores,some eat wood,and like most all fish a pleco will eat real food before eating algae and scraps.they don't grow big on just scraps.as far as ottos and plecos they can coexist just fine,if anything i would worry about the ottos pestering the plecos.my ottos like to suck on my pleco from time to time

 

[MrKrispy]

I have had and currently have a pl*co and ottos together in my 46 gallon. What size is your tank?
Most plecos will eat many types of algae when it is around, but they aren't great with the hard thin algae (non-hairy) that grows on glass. Neither are ottos. Ottos love the brown algae and are great for cleaning off plants, but mine never touch the gravel. Ple*o's will. Supplement them (pellets, zucchini, etc) and both will do fine together.

So to answer you more directly, plec*s are territorial towards their species. They tend not to bother other fish, sometimes they just chase away other bottom feeders but don't really harass them.