atmmachine816

leme know and tell me if you think this is a good idea or not

newbie101

what size tank do you have and how many fish do you have in it right now?

atmmachine816

its my 30 gallon tank

newbie101

ah then I think its a matter of your opinion--neither of your options is necessarily better than the other

0morrokh

I have to recommend Otos--they are so fun to watch, and with that many you may see shoaling, and they are so good at algae eating but never touch plants. Not that Bristlenoses aren't awesome too. Just get the one you want.

RoboDude

I chose Bristlenosed Plecostomus, but it's entirely up to you. Otocinclus Catfish are, like Ommorokh said, very fun to watch, and also do a very good job of cleaning. They would do just as well. It's just that I chose the pleco because it's my third favorite fish! It's all up to you!

atmmachine816

i chose otos and now i am down to two so i think i might get a pitbull or bulldog pleco

RoboDude

Allrighty, then!!!

BettaBuddy ~ Miley

i love plecos but i think otos are awesome! Miley

guppygranny

You can't beat otocinclus for scouring your glass of algae-or the price! You didn't say if you are a beginner or not, so I'm going to ramble a minute. Otos can be delicate, and if there isn't enough algae to eat, they'll starve. They are shy; hiding places are a must and they enjoy the company of plants, and lay their eggs on broad leaved varieties. Amazingly, they won't harm plants.
Although a bristlenose is among the smaller of the plecos, reaching about 13 cms, it still needs a large tank and a roomy shelter space. Best to keep only one per tank. Needs algae to be healthy. Large specimens have been reported rasping away at the mucus membranes of its fellow tankmates. They're quite expensive, still, but if you're willing to do your research, provide for space and dietary requirements, this intriguing-looking animal could do well for you. Good Luck! Guppygranny

atmmachine816

O thanks, ya I had ended up buying oto's but all but one died so I also got a pleco. Now I have a BN pleco and three oto's. I have a fair amount of expierence and know most about them, don't mind you rambleing though pleco's need vegetable matter to be healthy, algae isn't enough for them to be completely healthy. cucmber and zuchini is good.

tan.b

atmmachine....have i got you confused with someone else, but i thought you were going to breed BN's with carols guidence and expertise? there was about a 5 page thread about it. did i imagine that, or have i lost the plot?!

have you got BN's and oto's now? i'm sooooooooo confused?!!!! (nowt new there then!!)

i'm curious cos i'm trying to make the same choice myself on what to put in my new tank!

atmmachine816

Well I had gotten oto's but three died so I was stuck with one so I got a BN pleco too. A month ago I decided to get some more otos and got four for my big tank and two survived and four for my small tank but those were diseased when I bought them but didn't show until a day later, then it was too late so only one survived. And yes I'v been trying to locate a BN pleco again for a couple months and just found some last week so now I have two juvie plecos and one adult male, hoping a juvie will be a female.

29 gallon:
2 otos
2 BN plecos

5.5 gallon:
1 oto

Yes Carols been very nice helping me out and I'm very grateful but no you don't have me confused.

Depends what you like really, I like them both which is why I have them both but if I had to choose, well I'd probably choose the pleco.

AngelSta

It's a hard decision but i pick otos, they may be more fun to watch rather than just one pleco

tan.b

good to know i havent completely lost the plot!!!!

shame your otos didnt survive! i guess that made the decision for you! why choose when you can have both!

i think the bn's are great, but i am biased as i have one!

tan.b

how much are they in the US? mine cost me £2.50 which i thought was very reasonable. not sure on the exchange rate, but i guess thats about $5? (correct me if i'm wrong - and i've no idea what that is in euros) just curious..... do fish prices vary at all around the world?

atmmachine816

If your asking prices:

oto:1.99
BN pleco: 3.65-8.85 is what I'v seen them as, but down south I think they tend to be cheaper as they don't have to ship as far.

tan.b

big dif for the plecs! i guess that depends on size then? or is just dif between stores?

atmmachine816

just stores.