Otocinclus Catfish - Best Algae-Eating Nano Fish?

[@GirlTalksFish]

*What are your favorite tips for keeping and feeding otocinclus catfish?* Comment below to share your experiences and check out my other fish care guides here: kzbin.info/aero/PLlBBJ7xBuqub5Xljq6XpQ1D0Y4hEci2zX

[@brycemartin4130]

If your tank is lacking algae, put some medium size stones in a cup of dechlorinated water outside in a place with sun and let them sit. Eventually, algae will grow on them and you can stick them in your tank for the ottos to graze on.

[@mainelybettas847]

I live in Maine and we can get them here in the LFS’s but I haven’t found any in the last 2 months. None of the stores have been able to get them lately. Thank you for posting this video though ! I really wanted to learn about them.

[@GirlTalksFish]

@@mainelybettas847 My pleasure! Best of luck getting them on store sooner than later.

[@gttkp]

Sorry not related to otos but do you have a current stocking list of your shy guy tank?

[@GirlTalksFish]

@@gttkp Oh good question! I originally stocked it with 6 kuhli loaches, 6 celestial pearl danios, and 1 peacock gudgeon. Now I have 1 betta, 1 peacock gudgeon, 3 otocinclus, 3 hillstream loaches, 3 amano shrimp, 5 kuhli loaches, and 4 green laser Endler's livebearers (which replaced the CPDs). I usually don't like having so many different species in one tank, but since I've been going through some algae troubles, I wanted to experiment with multiple algae eaters and see which species ate what. So far, I've been very impressed with the hillstream loaches. 👍

[@luilocolombia]

I don't know what is it but you bring something different that other channels don't have. I love it.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Awww, thank you so much! That warms my heart. 😊

[@matilda9906]

She sounds like she’s talking to you and not at you

[@rockonmyfriend]

I mean it seems like she loves her swimmy pets at least as much as I do.

[@angelcrow6256]

Agree

[@SimandDriver]

That would be a personality, voice inflections, enunciation, and a nice smile.

[@roxisone]

Oh my goodness! What a adorable mini-me you have there! ❤

[@GirlTalksFish]

Haha, she knows she's cute so I have to be careful she doesn't get an inflated head about it...

[@natchats3099]

I love that you teach your daughter your native tongue !!!! It’s soo important to pass it on to the next generation. I also loveeee you fish video’s and the layout you do it in.

[@Chompchompyerded]

You have such cute kids! It's as fun to watch how they behave as it is to watch the fish. You can tell that they just love their mom!

[@Scrizal]

I love how you teach your children to be multilingual..They are so adorable! And thank you for the great infos :)

[@natep6729]

Yeah duh! All minorities in the US, especially latinos and Asians are actually multilingual with the exception of a few.

[@PimpolloMorales]

@@natep6729 thats sadly not true. Many parents were coerced into not teaching their children their native language in an effort to assimilate to American society better

[@Shrimptoast21]

I agree I can’t have a tank without otos. Definitely a favorite, they are so fun to watch zoom around and I just love when they all hang out together!

[@alison6437]

They're precious little buggers and I'm so glad my algae problem drove me to them. Great little fish

[@EddVCR]

I’ve seen a video by a Japanese betta breeder and specialist talking about the many benefits of keeping otocinclus together with your betta. Just as you described, the betta will sometimes flare its fins at the otocinclus, which serves as a good exercise for the betta. Even when the betta pecks at the otocinclus, since they are armor-plated, they could care less. Another benefit he described is how if you have a betta with longer fins, such as the half moon betta, keeping it with otocinclus will dramatically decrease the chance of him chomping on his own fins. The presence of the otocinclus distracts the betta’s attention away from his own fins, and also keeps them from getting destructive from boredom. He said how the otocinclus swims matches well with how the betta swims, and they make good tank mates. Also, he said that the otocinclus will help pick up the food crumbs left to sink by the betta. And of course, he mentioned their amazing ability to fight off algae growth. These catfish are amazing little guys!

[@denisesomewherearoundhere1798]

I have hair algae. I got 3 otos and I just love them. I don't have any other algae types so can only speak to the hair algae. They are just busy, busy, busy, working assiduously all over the plants and on the gravel. They will hang on the glass for short periods but don't really feed on that, as there really isn't any algae on the glass. They are in a community tank and get along well with all. When they're feeding on the plants they're all over the place and toward the evening they group up and work together on the gravel. I feed Tetra tropical flakes and also Tetra algae wafers, a couple of them every three or four days, which to my surprise is a big hit with everybody, even the serpae and cardinal tetras. Who knew? Anyway, I really enjoy the otos a lot. And am happy to see they have plump bellies.

[@jamiehamilton6935]

4 years after the fact.... Thanks for this. Best video I've found on feeding this little things. It's been a struggle.

[@bigmiguel80]

One of the best care guides/ species profile ever. Keepem coming. Thanks

[@GirlTalksFish]

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun making this one. :)

[@DrawerFullofRocks]

This is a great video! So many people have no idea of how to care for otocinclus catfish. This is a pearl of an explanation. I'm waiting to get some more after I escape my tank. The first ones I had lived for almost five year. I was very sad when they died. I believe they died because I didn't understand how to care for them, and was just lucky that they lived as long as they did. Your daughter is absolutely adorable! Future fish grrrrrrllll!

[@ObeyTheSnarf]

I've discovered that my otos love blanched beet greens! It actually clued them into the fact that the plant matter that I drop into the tank is usually edible, and they are now also enthusiastically consuming zucchini and Repashy gel food! I was very concerned that they were not getting enough food, so that's a relief!

[@maxverafrank7061]

My Oto's are little gluttons eating whatever the other fish eat despite giving them food specifically for them. Harvested from the wild via ruthless methods and not properly accommodated afterwards, many Oto's are in really bad shape once they get to you. If they fully recover, though, they're a really durable and gregarious little fish.

[@pulse03_nic51]

I am about to get them and u made a video of them immediately How lucky

[@jamesmclamb3682]

Great video. My 5 gallon heavily planted betta tank all of a sudden started growing excessive algae on the glass. I realized I hadn't seen my zebra nerite snail in quite awhile. :( Anyway, since it's only a snail, I stopped by my local PetSmart just to see if they had any. The only nerite they had was a black racer and he was dead. Nice. The girl there was very helpful and suggested some octocinclus catfish. First thing I asked was how big do they get. She said they were as big as they were going to get and at a sale price of $1.99, I said give me two. After acclimation, I let them go in the tank and within 3 seconds, they were on the glass and haven't stopped eating. They seem very happy and so am I. Great channel and video as usual.

[@cats4114]

Last year I bought 6 otocinclus for my 40 gallon bowed tank and we just moved everyone to our 75 gallon and i now have 11 of them. I also have loaches and livebearers so i'm happy babies even survived. i've NEVER been so happy i over feed my tanks :) lol

[@bonwrentaylor2743]

Love how calm, and VISIBLE, your Kuhli loaches are. I've got 6 (at least I should have), and due to their apparent crepuscular/nocturnal nature I'm lucky if I catch a glimpse of one any more than once or twice a week. Always a thrill to see them though and don't regret having them ...!! Oh, have 10 Otto's too in my 50 gallon tank and wouldn't be without those either - amazing little fish ! Thanks for the great Otto video ...

[@indigocrayon520]

My Kuhlis are out and about all the time. I 10 in a 42gallon bow front and have a river rock set up with lots of plants and have caves against the glass so I can see inside. Looking at my aquarium at any given moment I see 1-3 lounging or sifting they really thrive in this set up.

[@DankDaHerbalist]

I swear ur channel does content on fish I literally just pick up here and there lol! Honestly ottos just got 2 in my 20 ga last week! they cleaned my spider wood hair algae so fast they school and unlike my nerite dont lay eggs everywhere! Ottos in my top 10 all time fish and im a cichlid guy!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Yess! Great minds think alike. 😜

[@FishEZ]

Good video and timely. I just got 6 Otos myself two weeks ago and they are busy cleaning the brown algae in my planted tank. They were not expensive either. Thanks for the video.

[@denisepollitt1021]

Hi, great video. I have 5 otocinclus and I love them. They cleared my 15 gallon planted guppy tank of algae in less than 2 days. However, since then it's been a constant battle to get food to them because my 7 guppies are such greedy buggers. No matter what I put in there, the guppies get to it first and devour it. Then they swim around very pleased with themselves and their big fat bulging bellies. The struggle is real, lol! Cucumber is about the only thing that the otto's actually get to eat. I've had them a few months now so they must be eating something, but I still worry about them. At the moment I'm putting very fine powdered, high quality, baby shrimp food in. It circulates all round the tank and I just hope they eat it from the leaves and substrate.

[@mooneatert]

Thanks a lot for using my photo with the creditation! Awesome to see it used like this! Many thanks, Thijs Janzen

[@hummingbird3771]

Oh my gosh, I love your adorable daughter's cameos! So cute!!!

[@wendybarrows8422]

Just watching this for the first time. I’m going to be getting some of these little guys today. Very informative video, excellent! Thank you so much.

[@Iv723an]

Perfect timing! I was just looking into getting a few of these guys.

[@TheLiam14141]

always thought these fish were a bit too boring but I needed some good cleaners for my shrimp tank. After adding these guys I found out real quick that they're adorable when they're swimming around and looking for that next patch of algae

[@shesellsfish]

I love ottos. They are so industrious and once they get used to you, so much fun to watch zin zagging around the tank. Your daughter is so adorable! What a cutie. 👍💕👍

[@GirlTalksFish]

Thank you so much! Haha, now my son wants to show up in my videos.

[@timw.8225]

Just got 5 Ottos the other day so this video is right on time!! Thanks for the feeding tip and you have one of the best aquarium fish/plant channels on YT !!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Yay, glad I could help!

[@shavawk572]

Lol this is amazing, I was thinking about buying some of these today but wasn't sure!

[@GirlTalksFish]

You totally should! I love this little catfish.

[@bent4332]

Samee

[@delphinelumen]

Instead of blanching vegetables myself, I just use frozen ones, as they are already blanched.

[@GirlTalksFish]

I actually tried to look for frozen squash/zucchini because I remember seeing it before, but couldn't find any. Great shortcut!

[@Shrimptoast21]

Wow I never thought of this

[@drmscaper5878]

I love how you explain things!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Thank you so much!

[@_lucid_one]

Great video! I picked up 9 Ottos for my 55gal planted tank (lost one within a day) but the remaining 8 have been busy little fish! My tank is full of Vallisneria with some Amazon Swords, Stellatus Octopus and scattered Monte Carlo and these little ones are constantly on the Vall, resting or eating from their leaves which seems to be the perfect size for them. The angelfish, much larger then they were, were curious about them but soon left them alone. Now I have a small school of Ottos cleaning the brown algae off the Vall, which is more and more green every day!

[@johnnyhill7342]

Great job on the Otocinclus Catfish video! I love mine and they cleaned my entire tank in just 3 days - such hard voracious little workers. :O)

[@lameemo]

Really enjoy your tank. I had a 55 gallon with Otos, SAEs, Kuhli loaches, and especially 2 Peacock Gudgeons. It was my first big tank and I thought they had died but I found out later on that they had tucked themselves underneath a plate and when I turned the plate upside down it was covered with eggs! They all hatched and were sold on to my local fish store, but your tank reminds me a lot of that first tank I had :)

[@albamarin2037]

Hi! I bought 4 otocinclus in a store because I think they are beautiful. This is my first tank and they were the first ones that I had, despite I "search" a lot, the guy at the store must told be they are not beginner friendly :( 1 of them died the first night and the 2nd one the night before, I was so sad because I felt I was doing something wrong. Actually that guy sold me some pellet to feed them and otos couldn't care less about that, actually the pellet get rotted in the tank!! I was worried they get starving and died too. At this time they look health but I'm watching over them tho. I tried zucchini the way you just explained, I hope it work and they can overcome it :) I'm not native speaker but I'm trying my best to make me understand, and thank you so much for your channel. Greetings from Chile!!

[@spooky3669]

First mistake you made was Only buy 4! 2nd mistake was that LFS sold you Only 4! Oto's are shoal fish keep at least 10. Your fish where getting shy, feel unhappy, stressed out, stop eating and eventually die. and 3th I think you tank wasn't ready (cycled/matured) for Oto's. Hard lesson but learn from it ;)

[@sehrtoericht3904]

i can recommend spirulina and mulberry and iron almond leaves for this kind of fish!

[@lared112]

Awesome video! I'm getting some otos next week and I'm so excited to see them clean up my tank!

[@forrealfifavids7144]

I have River darters in my tank and need the Otos to get busy but they are bullies, mine spend most of the time at the surface right on the glass. Think I’m gonna add some veggies to make sure they make it to adult size

[@suee031]

I have 4 of them in my 29 gallon. They are great little fish. They don't eat staghorn algea which is what my three month old tank is dealing with now. I supplement them with zucchini or cucumber and hikari algea wafers. They love the zucchini.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Haha, mine used to go crazy over zucchini, but now I think there's plenty of algae to feed off and now they're just too full 😂

[@madmax1412]

Hi, would Cucumber be an ok substitute for zucchini, and would these be ok for Corydoras and Bristlenose Plecos? TIA.

[@azikiwe12]

Love the video. Love that you included your kid. Extra loved that you are teaching your kid Chinese dialect. Keep doing what you're doing.

[@SilverScarletSpider]

thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@KipCount]

Just bought some Oto cats and found your video and loved it. New subscriber here. Thanks!

[@marksguitars5617]

glad I stumbled across this video! I recently bought some Zebra otos and just finished preparing zucchini using your method. Thanks Irene!! 😺🐟

[@gezaerdelyi4476]

I've just got 2 otos they are super cute and everything was clean the 2nd day

[@Eric_In_SF]

I got one of these to keep my algae tamed. It’s just a small 2 gallon tank and he’s doing great. An amazing how fast they can clean an entire tank.

[@cl00bie]

I originally had a common pleco with my lemon guppies who did a great job in my 10 gallon, but he got to be about 7 inches long and I had to trade him in. Then I tried a clown pleco. He didn't do too well (I think he was damaged from the store). Then I tried a snail, he worked okay, except that the guppies abused him and soon he was gone. Thanks for all this great information. I think I'm going to give these a try.

[@jacklaporte472]

Thanks for this and all videos. I soooo badly want these in my tank. I’ve just never pulled the trigger. Thank you again.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Yay, I hope you'll give them a try!

[@thomaswilliams9582]

Thank you! Got my first tank (17 gal) and it’s cycled and ready to go! I’m starting off with 6 neon tetras, and I want to get Oto’s soon after! I really want to introduce a betta to round it out but I’m afraid of the Betta not doing well in a community 😔

[@matilda9906]

It’s definitely worth a try, but I wouldn’t do it without having a backup tank already set up. The odds that the beta wouldn’t like the others is so high, a backup would be needed for immediate removal of the beta is aggressive. I’ve heard of people co habbing betas but it doesn’t always work out.

[@Alniemi]

Awesome! my second tank is almost the same! Ive got neon tetras, a few nerites, and now im contemplating do i get Amano shrimp or a few otos!

[@catfishcave379]

I find they like cooler temps (low 70s), a strong current, and big water changes. Mine always live 8-10 years. They get along great with Sewellia hillstream loaches, often sharing a rock or sticking on the glass next to each other. When cleaning the front glass, they do not shy away from my hand; on occasion they will attach to my hand. I don’t think there is a better algae eater for small tanks, and I still keep them in bigger tanks with Chaetosoma or Ancistrus. Nice video - Otos need more love!

[@GirlTalksFish]

I love this! Thanks for sharing how long they live; I totally forgot to look that up since I haven't had any die of old age yet.

[@celticbarry9877]

@@shockadellick If they look good in store generally they are fine. Biggest problem is water quality and getting them to eat. If you do a 30% water change every week and clean the debris out of your filter once every 3-5 water changes then unless you have CRAZY stocking then you should have perfect water. If the ottos look good in store they are probably eating and will be fine also. I actually have really "bad" stocking in one of my tanks with 9 full Platy, 9 Neon Tetra, 6 Ottos and 14 Corydoras - 38 FISH in a 33 Gallon/125 Litre tank. But they are all peaceful fish, during the day they stay out of each others way and I have enough plants, rocks and wood for them to "sleep" in their own spots at night so they don't really have any stress. What kills fish is mainly stress first, then bad water quality, then lack of food (other than disease or injury). So stock your tank to minimize stress, I have corys for the bottom, Ottos and Neons for the middle then platies which roam around, they kind of stay out of each others way except feeding and none of them bother each other. Then I religiously do water changes every 7-10 days, usually a Monday or Wednesday and every once in a while maybe 4-6 weeks I take the filter out and remove build up and thats it. Maybe 2 hours maintenance per month for a clean healthy tank. My Corys keep the sand spotless, the Ottos keep everything free of algae. I feed once a day mostly mini sinking pellets which all fish eat as they're really small and flake also only really because it occupies the platys at the top for long enough to let the pellets reach the bottom. 2 to 3 times a week I feed 1 cube of frozen food mostly bloodworms and mosquito larvae and every other day I put in a slice of cucumber or a piece of canned green bean or carrot for the Ottos(you want it cooked or soft so they eat it easier). I also keep my tank light on 10 hours a day which I know creates algae since it used to create small algae build up every 2 weeks from being on 7 hours a day before I go the ottos but the ottos never let me see the algae as they are eating it before its there. They constantly graze so every 1mm of algae that pops up is took away. After years in the hobby you slowly build up your knowledge and skills through experience. If I tried having 38 fish in a 33 Gallon tank in my first year it would have ended in disaster but after knowing what works and what fish are compatible and to be vigilant with water changes and for me only feed big once per day, I have things dialled in. When I was 1 year in I didnt know how long to leave lights on, was feeding 3 times a day or so, did a water change every 2 or 3 weeks, bought new fish at random and sometimes like 5 guppys and 8 cherry barbs at once to a tank that already had platys, mollies and rasboras and wonder why a lot died quickly when now I know I added them to probably poorer water and to fish that already filled their roles and stressed them all out. Now if I am getting new fish I do a water change a day or two before to make sure water is at peak cleanliness and I have heavily researched the fish and know I have room and they are compatible.

[@indigocrayon520]

If I have multiple tanks could I put 1 or 2 temporarily in my 5gal to clean the driftwood and plants? (they mainly be in my 40 breeder)

[@amandatremper]

I have a planted 10 gallon tank and I want to add otos and a betta. Would they be a good fit and how many can I get?

[@JustNatax3]

Very informative video, they are so pretty amd totally underrated. But your daughter stole the show haha she's adorable!

[@SCP01986]

They are the best little guys, I love mine! They do amazing work keeping algae down and generally cleaning up the scraps in the tank alongside the amano shrimp.

[@Maskensupermoto]

My favorite oto is the Giant otocinclus they are such stunners. They are perfect in a little bigger tank like 30 to 40 gallons.

[@salmagutierrez4696]

I was so scared to get catfish because I had a Cory and it died but I didn’t want to get a pleco since they grow to be big. I ended up getting 2 and they ate ALL the algae off the glass of my tank which was EVERYWHERE and wow, they’re also really cute and fun to watch

[@edyoung6573]

Awesome video Thank you!!! I have a 30 Gallon 2 month old fully cycled tank with lots of live plants that are growing and doing awesome, I have 5 Zebra Danios and 3 cory cats. Getting some brown and green algae. Going to pick a 3 of these guys.

[@user-mo4wt9gk9y]

What a great little helper you have! :) so cute- thanks for the all the info-needing something for the brown algae!

[@jarred4734]

OMG YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER ARE SOOO CUTE!!! Also loved the awesome video about a fish so many people seem to think is so intimidating to keep!

[@GirlTalksFish]

Yay, hopefully it'll inspire more people to give them a shot!

[@sarahsalinas7049]

One of the most helpful vids I’ve seen. Thanks!!

[@PukanuV]

I love your channel! It's so great seeing woman represent! I mean, I do appreciate all the guy channels out there, and I've learned a lot from them, but I just get a really great feeling when I other women into fish keeping like me! I've learned a lot from your channel, so thank you! (I just bought some ottos because they are soo cute!)

[@mrsmiggins81]

Thanks for the info! Bought a few of these today and hoping they will do the job

[@Zoe-ee6ff]

Thanks for yet another super helpful video, Irene! Also, LOVE the bloopers 😂 Classic kid response to do you want to do A or B? "I want to do A and also do B" 😂

[@calebcologna8681]

Oh my goodness the stinger at the end was so precious

[@GirlTalksFish]

Yesss, someone watched it! I think I like putting Easter eggs in the outro of my videos to see if anyone actually watches to the end. 😂

[@calebcologna8681]

@@GirlTalksFish I just loved that you're raising her bilingual, much respect!

[@GirlTalksFish]

@@calebcologna8681 Haha, thanks! I'm trying with my horrible American accent. :P

[@RuanLFC]

I got 6 normal and they are amazing i also got 2 zebras and they are so pretty all nice round bellies

[@CrayZJo3Davola]

Love the amount of work you put in your videos. Good stuff

[@theroyalsus8856]

I only have one otocychlid in my 20L tank and I have had him for almost a year now and he’s still string and healthy, he doesn’t show any signs of sickness or anything and yes it’s pretty hard to feed but he’s still kicking it

[@davidcruz3400]

So helpful! Ill definitely be adding these to my tank you are the best!

[@bobzillaofbutter6326]

Sorry if I come off as a nitpicker but the brown string algae you showed at the beginning is actually rhizoclonium algae not diatoms. It grows as a result of too much lighting and too little co2 and nutrients. I've been battling it and it's going away after reducing my lighting! Just got ottos for my aquarium and thanks for the great info!

[@MrAarthorn]

Thanks for the video, Great guide.

[@brfinger]

Fun little note: Otocinclus will shoal/school with dwarf chain loaches. They seem to compliment each other extremely well.

[@Trojan0304]

Tank close to patio door so lots of light. Got 5 of these & see less growth

[@1LifeInAnalog]

always, always, great easy to understand videos. thanks.

[@MrSteelface96]

5:27 ''real vegetables meant for human beings'' i get what you mean, just interesting way to formulate it.

[@GirlTalksFish]

Haha, I guess I meant veggies you can easily buy at the grocery store, versus some kind of plant or algae that people normally don't eat/buy.

[@MarysInks]

I have a couple of Otto questions. First, I have not seen any at my local pet stores. The local fish stores have flying foxes and Siamese algae eaters. Petco and Petsmart only have a couple labeled “algae eaters.” They look like ottos, but I’m not sure. Any tips to help me identify them? Second, I’ve heard in several videos that they aren’t fed much between being caught and ending up in a fish store. How would you recommend feeding them while doing the quarantine trio? I love your videos! Thanks for the fun and info.

[@RoseKindred]

I found this video because I was trying to find what type of Otoci I have. The store owner said they only get 2 inches, 3 weeks later and it is 5 inches now. At least they eat the algae wafers.

[@mariahe8811]

Your daughter is so cute!! Didn't know you speak Mandarin before =)

[@rosehill9537]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you for putting the metric and Celsius in. Saves me looking it up😀🥰😍

[@GirlTalksFish]

My pleasure! I'm trying to get better about it.

[@cheldsyclimaco4606]

Wow! Loved this! I recently bought me some of these gorgeous fellows and I honestly, fell in love with them! They are always cleaning and cleaning. I barely know anything about them but after watching this video, it definitely inspired me to do more research! And yes, those half-pearl bellies are so fab!! I did have 3 at the start but now, I currently have just one sadly. I do have wafers for him but he doesn’t really eat them, my tetras end up nibbling at it. Definitely will try the zucchini.

[@ravenred7908]

Aww your little one made me laugh pulling faces lol 😆

[@davidbroschay3917]

I don’t have any live plants in my fairly new aquarium. It’s pretty much cycled now, but I have to keep scrubbing, algae off leaves, and rocks. Will 2 or 3 of these in my 40 gallon do ok with no real plants? Along with 2 Angels, 5 Bleeding Hearts and 5 Rummy Nose. Thank you for all I am learning from you!!

[@XzroClan]

I love how you tell the story on how you got them

[@GirlTalksFish]

Awww I'm glad to hear it. I try to include a little of my back story to explain why I'm even making a video like this in the first place.

[@jimdavis9034]

OMG your daughter is SO adorable!!!

[@michaelfox6820]

Thanks for posting this. I am setting up a new 20 gallon long aquarium, and am trying to decide which fish I want to have as bottom feeders/algae eaters. This one is now high on my list.

[@christophersmith8028]

Another cool bottom feeder(not algae though) is the Pygmy corydora. Because of how small they are you could go with easily 8 or 10 in your 20 gallon and would have a blast watching them zoom around together on the bottom. I have 5 in my ten gallon and plan on getting a couple more, and they’re easily my favorite to watch. Cheers, and have fun with your tank!

[@christophersmith8028]

Another cool bottom feeder(not algae though) is the Pygmy corydora. Because of how small they are you could go with easily 10 or 12 in your 20 gallon and would have a blast watching them zoom around together on the bottom. I have 5 in my ten gallon and plan on getting a couple more, and they’re easily my favorite to watch. Cheers, and have fun with your tank!

[@katherinegalbo9913]

Hi irene, I love watching your videos. They're super informative and right to the point. very well articulated and easy to understand! I just added 3 otos to my tank and am loving them. I was curious what kind of substrate that is in your tank? Looks like black sand?? Thanks!

[@anthonymorrison8883]

What kinda floating plant do you have in your tank?

[@jjxtwo1]

Bacter AE is great at making biofilm. We have a couple dozen Otocinclus and they really seem to enjoy eating the biofilm. We do supplement with blanched zucchini and they still work on the algae too.

[@scorpio663]

What if your nitrites go up to 20 - 30 ppm . Will they die or can they tolerate it being flexible until you clean your tank ? 😮

[@JG-vn5fe]

LOVE your voice! Your videos are so informative and your daughter is darling! Great job !! ~ Thank you

[@CherylJ8]

How many fish do you have in your 20 gallon? Right now i have 4 cory cats, 7 pristella tetra and 1 betta plus 2 nerite snails. However i still have a huge algae problem and was thinking of getting 2 of the Otocinclus catfish. Do you think that would be overstocking my tank?

[@K11777]

You are unique, girl! Keep going! ❤️

[@manuelcruzaguilar958]

What kind of fish is the one in the left in 1:31

[@Alniemi]

hmm im torn on otos or amano shrimp, that would make a fun comparison video.

[@derryabdul3292]

I'm keeping green carpet algae on my goldfish tank, but I need to clean the brown diatoms algae. Did it clear only the browns? Or it will eat the green too? Anyone can answer this?

[@bdbunes]

Would it be possible to request a video of making the Rapashi food for the Ottos?

[@Leib33]

Thanks for your great educational videos! Please tell me what is the fine leafed plant in the background a 0:44?

[@bethparsons7434]

Love your channel! I’m new to fish keeping and have a 20 gallon male Betta tank. I’m getting algae on my plants and rocks so wanted to get some of these fish. Should I quarantine first?

[@friend_of_fish]

Great video! Love my Oto's.

[@Amy-dw7ii]

I love this ❤️♥️❤️♥️😂♥️and your beautiful daughter. Thank you.

[@beaka63]

Loved this very informative video. Thank you so much!

[@GirlTalksFish]

My pleasure!