Do you need lots of algae when quarantining algae eating fish?

[Supermassive]

I'm redoing a tank and I'm considering getting some ottos or a small pleco species. When you quarantine algae eating fish should you have a lot of algae in the QT tank or will they be okay getting fed some type of algae based food?

I've heard ottos can be a bit difficult and if they stop eating its unlikely to get them to recover.

[Galabar]

Plecos will eat anything and everything in your tank.  Mine like the sinking API Algae Eater tablets.  For ottos, I only ever add them to an established tank.  I think, as long as your QT tank has been set up for a while and has some amount of algae, you'll be fine.

[Supermassive]

On 2/7/2024 at 2:19 PM, Galabar said:

I think, as long as your QT tank has been set up for a while and has some amount of algae, you'll be fine.

I don't have one setup at the moment.

When I set it up ill put a light on it for 24hrs a day until it starts getting algae if I decide I want the ottos. Thank you.

[beastie]

When i was quarantining my otocinclus i made sure the qt had a lot of diatom algae as that one is easy to grow and i had bunch of submerged slimy leaves and wood. It is very hard to grow the soft algae they like, there are some how tos with rocks and fertilizer and 24hr light but mine always turns to yuck.

I lost 'only' 40% of my otos in such quarantine so a 'success'. I am still never purchasing otos again because of this

Also beware they do not eat cyanobacteria, hair algae, black algae or anything like that. Not even the green spotted algae. Just auchwus and soft green algae

[Tony s]

They will eat slices of zucchini. Just microwave in water to soften. Stab with a fork so it doesn’t float. And drop in 

[Andy's Fish Den]

In the past when quarantining otocinclus, I have made some soilent green repashy gel and spread it on some rocks or wood and put it in the tank for them. 

[Supermassive]

I think ill end up passing on the ottos. Sounds a bit intimidating for me.

[Tony s]

Yeah, a bit. The problem with most otos, they’re usually wild caught. By the time they get to the store, they’re usually starving. You can increase their survival by looking at their stomach. They need to have a pea shape bit of pouch. Beer belly, as it were.  If not, they’re already in trouble. Really, after that they’re not hard. The zucchini trick works wonders. On a fully cycled tank they usually have a lot of food available. They not only eat the algae, they love the biofilm on the surfaces in the tank. You know, the slimy feeling stuff covering everything. They can even be trained to eat algae wafers. That’s how my lfs does it. 
 

if you want them, and watch their belly’s, they should do good for you. 

[Supermassive]

On 2/8/2024 at 11:20 AM, Guppy Lover said:

You could do a bristlenose!

I think I'll most likely do a clown pleco

[Tony s]

Could get fancy. Red lizard whip tail catfish. Dans fish has some available . Depending on tank size. But fancy clown pleco would be good