Oto or Algae Eater??

Would someone please confirm what these guys are - I was thinking they were otos ( that is what I bought and paid for -LOL) but they are growing and the one in the first pic is lazy. He is with cories and swims and plays with them, but he doesn't eat much algae...competes with Tiny for the veggies..

The darker pics, the last ones are in the tank with Wink. They really clean up good, eat veggies and play all day, but they look the same as the top one to me.

From the pics posted on the forum, these look more like CAE to me -- that stripe..the tail doesn't look like an otos.

What do I know?? So what to do with them if they are CAE.....prob shouldn't be with my betta boys??

Sorry for the quality of the pics...in a rush!

 

I would say that's a Chinese algae eater. Maybe someone else can confirm?

They're fine when they're small, but become territorial as they mature and can harass other fish in the tank.

 

Ya, it's a CAE not an oto. Sorry.
Tom

 

I had a feeling they were....I was looking at pics of otos and realized these were different.

All of them? ( There are 3 different ones there)

Thank you Walmart - idiots -first they sell me cories as algae eaters and said otos get too big for a tank, then they sell me these as otos - I don't think they even have a sign for CAE.

I have to admit they were cute and the two in WJS's tank play all the time....but they can't stay with my bettas.

I wanted to confirm since I need to get some otos for my fry tank...it was divine intervention that when I went last week there were no otos!! I will go across the border and get some.

...what do I do with them now??

 

They are all CAE's. Put them in a separate tank by themselves and try and sell them online to someone.
Tom

 

I'd either take them back to walmart, and get your money back, or donate them to a LFS that has other CAEs in stock.

 

Going back to Walmart is surely a death sentence. I have a friend here who may take them, but just came from the LFS across the border, and she said she would take them. And I bought some otos from her -- they are so not alike!!

No wonder I had no problem acclimating them, etc!! They weren't otos...........pulling hair out here!! BREATHE, BREATHE....

Anyway, to give them their dues, the CAEs are fun to watch, except the one with TK is a lazy so and so. If they didn't get so big, and if they weren't so crabby when they get bigger, I would keep them. And they grow like weeds, very fast!! But I love all my other fish more, and those bettas. they are super special..nothing better hurt them!! ( So far, they are all fine.)

I am acclimating the little otos now, they will have a hey day in the fry tank.

I also found another kinda cute algae eater - chinese butterfly sucker ( also known as Hillstream Loach ).

Anyway, off to drip water on my new otos!

Okay....would someone reading this please go look at pics of the Chinese Algae Eaters posted on that forum.....these guys I have pics of look nothing like them.

Now I am confused.

If push comes to shove, the LFS across the border will take them.

I bought some otos to put into the fry tank, they are pretty small but are doing a great job.

I just want to be sure before I get rid of these guys!

Val

 

they are algae eaters 100%
otos are much different

 

I would say CAEs, not otos.

 

Definitely Chinese Algae Eaters

I can assure you that they are definitely CAE; I own a few of them myself (or as of yesterday I used to) Personally I didn't really like them that much and they were starting to get a bit territorial around a few different objects in my tank. This doesn't always happen with them from what I've read however it seems I was unlucky

I didn't really like the look of them to be honest and only get them for the algae problems! I bought 2 bristlenose recently (so small atm and they look very cool) and I'm going to go get a pleco soon as well (just a baby to start of with) as I'm upgrading to a much larger tank (6x2x2 feet) in a month or 2.

Hope your Otos are going well

 

I can assure you that they are definitely CAE; I own a few of them myself (or as of yesterday I used to) Personally I didn't really like them that much and they were starting to get a bit territorial around a few different objects in my tank. This doesn't always happen with them from what I've read however it seems I was unlucky

I didn't really like the look of them to be honest and only get them for the algae problems! I bought 2 bristlenose recently (so small atm and they look very cool) and I'm going to go get a pleco soon as well (just a baby to start of with) as I'm upgrading to a much larger tank (6x2x2 feet) in a month or 2.

Hope your Otos are going well

Thanks, my little otos are doing great in the fry tank and really doing a bang up cleaning job!

I think I will be taking these to the Minnesota LFS on Friday. I noticed last night Wink Jack Sparrow:;juan chased "Big" and then "Big" turned on him and chased him back!! That seems to have set off a kind of rivalry between them that wasn't there before. Little just scoots around the bottom - he is about the size of my otos - I actually should get a better pic to just make sure before I get rid of him.

I put a zuchinnI slice in the tank this morning, and Big is quite preoccupied with that, but I see WJS hovering close by. Man - I love fish, but it really upsets me when I see any aggression - kind creepy - I know it is natural, but I really don't want to watch it.

I have decided the CAE's have a head like a Northern Pike ( and that is ugly).

I was thinking of bristlenose for my 55 gallon also. They don't get too large, and that is what I want. I will ge more otos at Mn LFS to replace these crabby CAE's.

Good luck with that big tank when you get it, funny how they look so big, and when you get the fish in, it seems to shrink..LOL.

Vall