# Otocinclus in 2.5 galon tank



## norm53 (Mar 1, 2011)

I have had Otocinclus before but in a large tank (75galon). We have a 2.5 gallon desk top aquarium with a divider and two Betta's in it. The tank has a filter, a heater and florescent light. 
I would like to put something to help clean up any algae etc in the tank. I'm afraid that the Betta's would harass if hot eat any shrimp. So I was thinking of putting an Otocinclus on each side to help with cleanup. 
I've read that Otocinclus like room, is 2.5 gallons to small for 2 Otocinclus?
Would shrimp do ok with Betta's?


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

Too small for an Oto. Sry. Shrimp will most likely be lunch meat as well. Especially in such small confines.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Tank is too small for two bettas. 1 betta can fit, or a bunch of shrimp, one or the other however.


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## Bettalovely (Nov 16, 2010)

Honestly, that tank isn't really big enough for two bettas. Generally 2.5 is the min recommended for one betta. I definitely wouldn't add anything else.


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## norm53 (Mar 1, 2011)

I never ask if the tank was to small for the Betta's.
In my opinion it is not. We have had them this way for quite a while and they are doing fine. No stress at all. They will go by and flash each other then go about their business. 
I just wanted some ideas on what to use to keep algae down.
Thank you


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

Put a single ramshorn snail in there. I've got one in my 2.5 and he's doing a pretty good job. Make sure it's a juvie so it doesn't lay eggs!

I did QT 9 Oto's in a 2.5g for 2 months with no problems. The tank is heavily planted and I did WC's every 3 days though.


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

norm53 said:


> I never ask if the tank was to small for the Betta's.
> In my opinion it is not. We have had them this way for quite a while and they are doing fine. No stress at all. They will go by and flash each other then go about their business.
> I just wanted some ideas on what to use to keep algae down.
> Thank you


The answer is nothing, as the tank is too small for what you already have in it.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

I used to have a betta in a 15 gallon and he swam all over it. Half a 2.5g is a nice place to show the fish but it's not such a hot place for it to live.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

wendyjo said:


> The answer is nothing, as the tank is too small for what you already have in it.


Hate to say it, but I agree.

I wouldn't recommend you add anything to the bioload.

If you're having algae issues, it's most likely because the bioload is already too much for the tank...

If you rehome one of the bettas, then you could maybe add a few otos as long as you are sure to feed them fresh veggies once they run out of algae and are faithful with weekly water changes. An Amano shrimp would be a better choice, though.


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## Hadouken441 (Mar 19, 2010)

Getting an otto for such a small tank wont fix the algae at all. I think you need to do a little more research on algae / overstocking / bioload.

And yes 2.5 gallons is wayy to small for 2 bettas.


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## thatbettaglo (Jun 7, 2011)

I get soooo frustrated when people say that 2.5 gal is "too small for a betta"... I have been keeping bettas for a LONG time and all of my fish have been in containers ranging from 1 to 10 gallons. My current tanks are a 2.5 gal (with a 10 gal filter on it) with a boy and 3 small females divided down the middle, a ten gallon community with a crowntail, another in a 2.5 with 4 guppies and two snails, and 3 one gallon tanks with one betta each. All are perfectly happy and have colored up significantly since I got them. I had a male like two and a half years in a 1 gal unfiltered bowl that got weekly water changes and was perfectly content. I do not think that one oto would hurt.


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## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

How about this.. it's not that you cannot house them in such a small tank, it is recommended that you keep them in 3 gal or larger because they need the room to swim around. That 2.5 with substrate, plants, decos and whatever else you may have has less volume because of all the items. 

Reading this you are telling us you divided the 2.5 and house not one but two fish and now you want to add 1 Otto to each side. You can certainly keep them there and yes they are alive but would you keep your dog living in a small room all the time? Again, not criticizing or telling you anything but offering an opinion. If you choose to keep them in that housing then your answer is do not add any other fish to the mix. 

I will tell you right now those bettas, if they are male at least from my personal experience will harass the crap out of the Otto to the point it will jump the hell out of the tank. I had an Otto in a 6 gal, heavily planted with plenty of places to hide and my one lone betta chased, harassed and fought that poor Otto to the point I removed it because it was stressed to high heaven. 

If you keep bettas you know they are extremely territorial and will fight their own reflection. You are trying to stick a pit bull and a poodle into a port-a-potty and thinking all will be dandy.

Don't get upset, just constructive criticism. 

PS pics of the bettas.


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## thatbettaglo (Jun 7, 2011)

I was never saying that I wanted to add oto's. I have 3 in my 10 gal. Heres pics of some of my boys. I dont have pics of the girls yet.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?250751-My-boys-lt-3&highlight=

The crowntail was moved to my 10 gal and is doing very well there. The only reason I moved him was because my show off boy was intimidating him and he is non-agressive. Definitly one of my more docile bettas, leaves me with a total of 3 laid back boys.


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

thatbettaglo said:


> I get soooo frustrated when people say that 2.5 gal is "too small for a betta"... I have been keeping bettas for a LONG time and all of my fish have been in containers ranging from 1 to 10 gallons. My current tanks are a 2.5 gal (with a 10 gal filter on it) with a boy and 3 small females divided down the middle, a ten gallon community with a crowntail, another in a 2.5 with 4 guppies and two snails, and 3 one gallon tanks with one betta each. All are perfectly happy and have colored up significantly since I got them. I had a male like two and a half years in a 1 gal unfiltered bowl that got weekly water changes and was perfectly content. I do not think that one oto would hurt.


I feel sorry for those fish - you have a 2.5 with 4 bettas in it? And another with a betta and 4 guppes? That's awful.


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Below is a link from the International Betta Congress site, for those interested: 

http://www.ibcbettas.org/pages/knowledge-base/qa-betta/1-betta-qa/5-live-jar.html


OP - 

From my perspective the issue isn't whether you are keeping your Bettas in too small an aquarium. That is your call. You are in the best position to understand the needs of your fish and continuously evaluate how they are doing, being fully aware their welfare is 100% dependent upon you. 

Probably some combination of too much nutrients (perhaps from overfeeding, the bioload relative to the tank size), too much light, and/or not enough water changes is causing the algae. If it was my setup, I would initally focus my efforts on trying to identify why algae is growing in the first place rather than attempting to treat the symtom (by introducing another fish/snail/shrimp). Are you possibly overfeeding? Most of us probably overfeed on occasion without even realizing we are doing so. In a small tank such as a 2.5G, the problems caused by overfeeding are magnified significantly. What type of fluorescent light is being used and how long is it on in a 24 hour period? Is the aquarium located near a window such that sunlight hits the tank? How often do you perform water changes a week and what amount of water is changed each time? Are you removing all of the "waste" that settles in the bottom of the tank during the water changes? 

Having kept and bred Anabantoids (Honey Gouramis) in the past, I know it is easier to "slack" on water changes given the fish (like a Betta) is capable of breathing oxygen from the air. Fortunately for me, I had more leeway with a lightly-stocked 45G planted tank. But the price to pay for using a 2.5G desktop aquarium is an increased vigilance to ensure the tank conditions (including water quality) are better than what the Bettas need to survive. 

Best of luck in determining the cause of the algae.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Tank is too small for 4 bettas. They'll live but they'll be unhappy fish. Imagine your parents gave you the room under the stairs to live in.. like Harry potter.

My Betta tank dont even have a light nor a filter. 50% weekly water change. he is happy in his Bungalow.


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## thatbettaglo (Jun 7, 2011)

wendyjo said:


> I feel sorry for those fish - you have a 2.5 with 4 bettas in it? And another with a betta and 4 guppes? That's awful.


 
Feel sorry for them all you want, they are perfectly content with each other and perfectly happy. In fact, one of the guppies just had babies, which means free food for the betta. Lol. People need to think of the fish's natural habitat, puddles in rice patty fields during the dry season and 5 gal territories in the wet season. And think about betta breeders, have you ever seen their fish rooms? The containers they use are smaller than anything I own and yet they are still able to create beautiful and breath-taking specimens. 

Tank size falls into personal opinion and in my opinion, and from my own observations, the fish are perfectly fine.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

thatbettaglo said:


> Feel sorry for them all you want, they are perfectly content with each other and perfectly happy. In fact, one of the guppies just had babies, which means free food for the betta. Lol. People need to think of the fish's natural habitat, puddles in rice patty fields during the dry season and 5 gal territories in the wet season. And think about betta breeders, have you ever seen their fish rooms? The containers they use are smaller than anything I own and yet they are still able to create beautiful and breath-taking specimens.
> 
> Tank size falls into personal opinion and in my opinion, and from my own observations, the fish are perfectly fine.


Your opinion that tank size falls into personal opinion is just that (an opinion).
Speak to how happy or content the fish are when they gain the abiltiy to speak.
Your opinion is shared by all too many uninformed new hobbyist's and a disturbing number of expierienced hobbyist's as well. This is precisely why nearly every forum is littered with all too many post's regarding Betta's suffering from varying degree's of poor health (Fin rot,fungus,dropsy,velevt,etc).
A five gallon minimum for a single betta with heater and healthy biological filter would provide the fish with room to swim and water quality will ALWAYS be easier to maintain in a larger volume of water. 
Ain't no opinion, but rather simple fact's that benefit the fish and apply's to only those with a sincere desire to provide an enviornment where fish can thrive as opposed to just being able to survive.
Is the difference between those who keep fish,,and those who collect fish.


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## Plantedshrimptank (Jan 18, 2011)

Last time I checked rice paddies were quite large. That arugument that they are happy in small living spaces sort of reminds me of all the happy men and woman we have in our correctional facilities.


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## NStarr (Jun 3, 2011)

I don't mean to butt-in, but 2.5 gallons is much too small for multiple Bettas - 2.5 gallons is even small for 1 Betta! A 10 gallon does not cost too much; you can divide it and put your current stock in it. But again, who's to get into your business?

As said before, the algae and other problems would get worse with more stock.

And *yes*, rice paddies are quite large.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

thatbettaglo said:


> Feel sorry for them all you want, they are perfectly content with each other and perfectly happy. In fact, one of the guppies just had babies, which means free food for the betta. Lol. People need to think of the fish's natural habitat, puddles in rice patty fields during the dry season and 5 gal territories in the wet season. And think about betta breeders, have you ever seen their fish rooms? The containers they use are smaller than anything I own and yet they are still able to create beautiful and breath-taking specimens.
> 
> Tank size falls into personal opinion and in my opinion, and from my own observations, the fish are perfectly fine.


Just because bettas can SURVIVE in small space, it does not mean that they are HAPPY in such place. One can say the same about goldfish too. You put it in a bowl, sure, she is hardy, she'll last for years. But a fish is an animal with basic sense of living - they need space.

Of course, it is entirely up to you in the end, either to make your pets happy, with large space to swim around, or not.


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