FishStix

I was all set on getting a group of Otocinclus Catfish as my algae eaters however I can't seem to find them locally. My local fish store where I've bought all my other fish doesn't normally stock them and I've been waiting over 5 weeks for them to get them for me by special request - with no luck yet. I did see them at Petco at one point but even they haven't had any for the past several weeks and I'm not too keen on buying fish from there anyway due to the large number of dead ones always floating around in their tanks.


The number one reason I like the oto's was because they only get to 2". I prefer small fish that are 2" - 3".

Any idea's on options besides oto's?

navyscuba

The only place I have seen them is at Petsmart. I have 2 of them in a 10gal.

FishStix

I don't have a Petsmart, but I may be near one in a couple weeks. I'd be 1 1/2 hours from home at that point - do you think they'd travel that far okay?

navyscuba

Yeah, That's no problem if they can travel almost 2 days in a bag when they ship them a few hours is nothing.

FishStix

okay, thanks!

Still open to suggestions from anyone on good alternatives for algae eaters that stay small!

ilikefish

snails stay small! lol Only get the golden apple snails and depending on the size of your tank i would only recomend a few as they have a surprisingly high bioload. BUT they do an excelent job. I have 2 in my 30 gallon and while they skimp on cleaning the decorations from time to time the glass is always crystal clear!

FishStix

Thanks for your suggestion. I do have quite a few (okay, about a million) Malaysian Trumpet Snails and a few little round shelled snails (all hitchhikers on my plants and their babies). Hoping to add some more fish to this 75 gallon though!!

bigreddog

Bristlenose plecos stay fairly small and are neat to watch in the tank

Regal

I was going to suggest a BN Pleco too. They get a little bigger than what you are looking for but not by much. I hardly ever see mine though.

skyliner34

I have two otocinclus catfish. They're great. They do tend to hide a lot, so I rarely see mine. I kind of have to look for them, to make sure they're okay.

aquarist48

Good luck on your search FishStix!
Ken