Substrate and compatibility

Hey guys,

I have had my tanks geared up for pygmy cories for some time now, and after much difficulty in finding the ones I wanted available when my tank was ready for them I got turned on to otos. So here is my dilemma.

I have tanks full of sand ideal for small cories, as that was my intention to have - and I have otos instead, not their ideal substrate.

Question 1: I think I've read that people have otos and cories in the same tank, would this be okay? I know varieties of pygmy cories can be more mid-level swimmers than bottom dwellers, and otos are all over the place - would two schools be too much competition in the same space?

I'm looking at a 36 x 18 footprint, although the tank is 13 inches high I plan to add to that with an upside down aquarium over it. Depending on which tank I use that would add somewhere between 13-16 additional inches height wise over a good portion of the tank.

My other tank is a 20L so 30 x 12 footprint, planning to add a 10 gallon to increase height, hopefully about 10 inches.

Question 2: How should I handle the substrate? My current plan is to have sand for plants at the bottom level, mixed with some white regular aquarium sand. With aquarium sand mixed with some gravel (sparingly) on top of it. I was planning to get some flat stones to put around the roots of my plants to help keep them grounded, and now see that otos require flat stones for comfortable substrate.

Would it be best to have the tank with sand where there are plants and flat rocks elsewhere? I'm planning on having about half of the tank heavily planted with some open space towards the other end like a clearing in a forest. I could set up the flat stones on one side and the sand on the other, depending on which makes more sense.

Question 3: Would the otos be okay with just sand? My three live with a sand/gravel mix and so far they seem comfortable. No obvious digestive issues or anything.

Other tank mates include: guppies in both tanks, dwarf spotted danios (school of 8 in one tank), white cloud mountain minnows (school number undetermined in other tank).

Both tanks have snails but I'm planning to try clearing them out before adding any additional otos.

 

I love my otos too. I don't have the answers to your questions, but I would like to know as well. I put sand in my tank that I just moved my otos too. If this isn't a good idea, I may need to figure something else out. So far they hang out on vertical surfaces and the driftwood, but I do plan to add a few larger rocks.

 

I love my otos too. I don't have the answers to your questions, but I would like to know as well. I put sand in my tank that I just moved my otos too. If this isn't a good idea, I may need to figure something else out. So far they hang out on vertical surfaces and the driftwood, but I do plan to add a few larger rocks.

I stocked my tank with the intention of having a pleco (which I still have) so there's plenty of driftwood and a PVC pipe inside. I also bought some potted plants which died and were consumed by snails, the ottos really love to hang out on the edges of the empty pots so I left them in there.

Hopefully someone will pipe up and clue both of us in!

 

I stocked my tank with the intention of having a pleco (which I still have) so there's plenty of driftwood and a PVC pipe inside. I also bought some potted plants which died and were consumed by snails, the ottos really love to hang out on the edges of the empty pots so I left them in there.

Hopefully someone will pipe up and clue both of us in!

Lol! Yes! I put a bucket of gravel from the small tank into the new one, just temporarily, but that is the Oto's favorite "vertical surface"!

 

I don't think there would be any issues with otos and cories sharing the same tank space. Both are peaceful catfish and if they're anything like my otos and pleco.. they'll even play together. My otos don't stay on the substrate very much, they wander down there sometimes but they're on the plants or glass or swimming around and eating the vast majority of their time. Their favorite sleepytime hangout is the leaves of my wendtiI crypt, they each take a leaf (amusingly enough.. the same leaf each time) of their own.

I use eco-complete substrate and my otos are healthy and seemingly happy. I know many people with cories love sand and say their cories do too, I don't imagine otos would complain about pure sand if you go that route

 

I don't think there would be any issues with otos and cories sharing the same tank space. Both are peaceful catfish and if they're anything like my otos and pleco.. they'll even play together. My otos don't stay on the substrate very much, they wander down there sometimes but they're on the plants or glass or swimming around and eating the vast majority of their time. Their favorite sleepytime hangout is the leaves of my wendtiI crypt, they each take a leaf (amusingly enough.. the same leaf each time) of their own.

I use eco-complete substrate and my otos are healthy and seemingly happy. I know many people with cories love sand and say their cories do too, I don't imagine otos would complain about pure sand if you go that route

My biggest concern with mixing otos and cories was if it would make the tank too crowded. Just as having too many peaceful schoolers can crowd upper levels of the tank, I want them to be comfortable

mine seem to like the decor and glass more than anything, I don't see them on the substrate or plants much - I do usually only see two at a time though. I was just worried if they eat straight on the substrate if that could cause digestive problems from ingesting the sand as well.

 

Doubt they could ingest the sand. As far as mixing otos and corys to me it would be the same as mixing any fish; just be sure they all have access to enough foods and make sure there is enough filtration. Otos eat algae if I'm thinking right and corys are omnivores but tend towards meat. Corys don't have sucker mouths if that matters.

 

I have corys and otos in the same tank with black TMS. My corys sift the sand and my otos seem to like chillin on the plants and the glass. The otos and corys diet differs. Otos like veggies and corys are omnivorous. I never had a problem housing these species together.

 

I doubt the substrate would make much of a difference to an oto. They stay low in the tank for the most part but usually on plants, the glass, or other decor. They don't really go digging around for food like cories.

 

I have both otos and corys in my tank, mostly sand substrate, some eco-complete substrate. They do very well. They never bother each other.