Ottos vs. Shrimp

[girth vader]

I'm having some greenspot algae problems in my 55g planted and I was just wondering if Ottos would be a better choice over shrimp eg Red Cherry shrimp) to manage the algae on the plant leaves. It is a heavily planted tank with 12 neons, 4 sunset platys, 1 opaline gourami, 2 parkinsani rainbows, 2 dwarf rainbows, 1 iranian red rainbow, 4 threadfins, 4 marble hatchets, and 6 serpaes, 1 clown loach, 1 bristlenose and 6 schwartzi cories. I would like both but dont know if there is enough algae to sustain both species, and if I went the shrimp route would the opaline feast on it. Ever since eating my furcatas he has been peaceful with the tankmates. I know ottos have a great reputation but they like larger groups and I'm not sure there would be enough food for a half dozen of them as well as the stocking issue. I think its bordering the stocking limit.

any thought as to what would be more practical? all ideas and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[garfieldnfish]

You can easily put 3 otos in the tank you have. Mine eat zucchini along with algae so I always feed some on the side just to be sure they get enough. I would not get the shrimp. Your gourami among others would be a likely suspect in a murder case.

[Fishboy93]

Not sure but the shrimp might end up being lunch with your stockings...

[cucci67]

Gourami will definately make a nice meal out of those shrimp. Go with the ottos, 3-4 would work nice.

[girth vader]

Ottos it is now the hard part is getting some. my LFS are always out of stock........

thanks for the input, much appreciated

[dwool36]

For GSA, a rubberlip pleco would be a great option. Cute as hell and you only need one.

[pureplecs]

Are you sure it is green spot algae and not cynobacteria? In my experience ottos nor shrimp will eat the green spot algae off of the glass and what not and it is easier to scrape off with an old credit card, this article is rather interesting if you have time to read it...http://www.cam.org/~tomlins/algae.html#pmdd

[dwool36]

In my experience ottos nor shrimp will eat the green spot algae off of the glass

Your right; otos will eat the brown algae and shrimp will eat the hair algae. Rubberlip plecos, however, will eat the green spot algae.

[pureplecs]

Originally Posted by dwool36

Your right; otos will eat the brown algae and shrimp will eat the hair algae. Rubberlip plecos, however, will eat the green spot algae.

Hmmm... I'll have to try that. I have a rubberlip in the 125g and I have the green spot algae in the planted 75g... *goes off to move a rubberlip...*

[dmarcus]

if its just GSA than use a magnet scraper, i had my tank in the sun and got a huge algae problem, im fairly certain that my ottos ( i had 2) died after 6 month because they ate so much. They were seriously the fattest fish ive ever seen and i never fed them ever. Cherries stay pretty small but amanos might be big enough to avoid the mouths of larger fish.

[garfieldnfish]

Rubberlips will eat the green spot algae. I have tested it after reading about it some time ago. I never had green spot algae in my tanks with them, but had it pretty bad in my 75 gal that only housed BNs. I moved one of the rubberlips in there and he got rid of the GSA on the front and back wall but not the side walls. I have bubble wands on both sides and I think he might have been afraid to go back there. Or the tank was just too large and he picked the easy spots. A rubberlips would be a great option and you can get one at Petsmart for just a few bucks. Easy to take care off, too. They also eat sinking pellets, shrimp pellets and zucchini and cucumber, if they run out of algae. I have three of them and 2 are always out, not shy and not aggressive to the other fish in the tank. The 3rd one is shy but he is in a tank with zebra plecos and may have taken lessons from them.
I should have thought about the rubberlips when I answered the first time but I just keyed in on the shrimp vs otos and blew it.