Otos Vs. Cherry shrimp

[Jonathan Aquari]

Dose anyone have prefer Oto cats over cherry shrimp or visa-versa.
i need some algae controll since clown plecos SUCK at eating algae. I have been thinking about getting one of the Cherry shrimp or Oto cats) and can't decide.

also If i do get the cherries I need to know if my cacatuoides will keep the population in check

thanks

 

[tjudy]

Apistos will definitely eat the baby shrimp, and may harass the adults to the point of death. Otos would be my choice.

 

[tompoz]

The only shrimps that would help with algae are Amano but Apistos would make their lives miserable and short. Go for Otos or Loricaria red.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

also If i do get the cherries I need to know if my cacatuoides will keep the population in check

They certainly will, I use Red cherries as a supplementary feed now, and the fish love them. Otocinclus are fine with Apistogramma, but you need to feed them supplementary vegetables and remember that they are a very sensitive fish, they only do well in planted tanks and need very high quality water.

cheers Darrel

cheers Darrel

 

[CopabX]

I have a stock of around 20 shrimp I keep on the side so they can breed and when there are too many I throw them in the tank so they clean and are a treat to my apistos and tetras when they catch them.

 

[Ernie]

if not breeding you can use bristlenose pleco's around the apisto's, I keep ottos and bristle nose in my tanks, remeber the female is the algae eater not the male

 

[Apistomaster]

if not breeding you can use bristlenose pleco's around the apisto's, I keep ottos and bristle nose in my tanks, remeber the female is the algae eater not the male

Both sexes eat algae but less so once fully grown.
I have been able to keep Cherry Shrimp colonies going in planted breeding tanks which have few Apistogramma and believe it or not, even with Dwarf Pike Cichlids like Cr. wallacei and Cr. notothalmus..

 

[henkh]

I almost all my tanks i have cherry shrimp. Of course they eat young shrimp, but the only dwarfs hunting grown up shrimp are my F1 ramirezi;s. None of my apisto's and even not my wild caught rami's hunt grown up shrimp. At least, i never saw it. I consider young shrimp as good life food.

 

[wethumbs]

My Dicrossus maculatus male will kill adult RCS for sports, he single handedly wipe out the entire RCS population in the tank within two weeks. Interesting enough, female D. maculatus will tolerate Otocinclus cocama around the fry but will attack the baby bristlenose pleco viciously.