SpiritLiefe Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 I recently started this 10 gallon cherry shrimp tank back in October 2020. I was following the dosing instructions on the fertilizer bottle and getting a TON of algae growth. I taped up the lights to reduce lighting a bit and stopped dosing fertilizer for a few weeks and did hydrogen peroxide dips on a few of the badly effected plants. Most of the algae was gone but not all so I figured to add my 2 Otocinclus to the tank to fix up and maintain the remaining algae since they're considered shrimp safe. They appear to be shrimp safe as the shrimp don't appear bothered at all, especially because one comes to feed on the shrimp king complete food just about every time I feed them. I also added an algae wafer today and only shrimp are on it but the oto is on the shrimp food. Anyone else have any experience with this? Both Otocinclus seem more relaxed than they ever were in my 20 gallon with neons, a single guppy, and betta. The shrimp are breeding like crazy and by the end of the day there's no food left. I'm thinking this is a great arrangement but I want to make sure there's nothing too weird about it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 seems win/win! If the shrimp aren't getting enough food though, you can put the pellets somewhere the oto can't reach. As tiny as he is, that may be a challenge! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 I love the irony of the shrimp eating the 'fish' food and the fish eating the 'shrimp' food. 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 fish cant read the package, so they eat it anyways. as long as they are eating something, all is well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamTill Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 If you read the ingredients list of most “algae” wafers you’ll see more fish byproducts than in the shrimp food sometimes! It’s why algae wafers tend to be pleco food (for the “algae sucker fish” ie plecs) more than oto food. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 My otos go crazy for the bug bites shrimp pellets and for baby brine shrimp. A rally they eat just about anything that lands on a surface and doesn't move away before it gets in its mouth 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritLiefe Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 I'm definitely not overly surprised. I think is awesome that I can feed one easy item and everyone is happy! I'm glad to see that everyone is eating and getting enough. My shrimp population is booming the otos seem happy. This is my first planted tank and first shrimp tank. I will basically never have to do a water change based on the way it's going right now and it's been going since October. I'm very happy with the whole situation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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