If you want to add algae eaters, otocinclus catfish would be a better choice
for a ten gallon tank. Get three, if you can.

Which means get six, as half are likely to die in the first week. Otos
have a high mortality rate when first brought home.

That has not been my experience. I've found them to be very hardy, even when
first brought home.

I wonder if it's the shipping process that's so stressful for them. I know
pl*cos tend to suck on each other in transit, since there's no algae to eat. A
good shipper will put each pl*co in its own bag for that reason. But otos are
so small and cheap, it's really not economical to do that.

Or maybe they just starve on the long journey. They're so small.

Anyway, I don't buy otos fresh out of the truck. Otos are a "bread and butter"
fish that the pet stores always have. They tend to buy a bunch every once in
awhile, rather than a few each week as with more expensive, exotic fish. So
there's no rush to buy them, and they tend to be in the store tanks awhile. If
you wait a week before buying, for any fish, you're much less likely to suffer
losses.

Good advice, but make sure (Cam) that you're actually getting
bridgesii snails. You may be best off buying them from an experienced
hobbyist. May pet stores will sell a variety of snails under the
blanket name "apple / mystery snail". If you get Pomacea canaliculata
instead of bridgesii, your plants will disappear along with your
algae!

Very true. Worse, PetCo, PetSmart, etc., often sell P. canaliculata under the
name P. bridgesii. Even experienced fishkeepers often can't tell the
difference. Make sure you get them from a hobbyist or company that specializes
in planted tanks. They usually know the difference.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/