# please help with algae id



## Legacy2005 (Sep 18, 2007)

here are a couple pics i snapped of what the algae looks like. it seems soft to the touch and you can wipe some of it off the leave however it comes right back.

any help identifing it and how to get rid of it would be most helpfull.


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## NoSvOrAx (Nov 11, 2006)

Diatoms
New tank?
I keep ottos in all my tanks. They love diatoms.


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## Legacy2005 (Sep 18, 2007)

7 months old. i had thought of getting otos but it seems they have a high mortality rate and if you get an overzelous one he may suck on the slime of the other fish.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have never had an oto bother another fish, as far as I could tell. They seem too timid to even approach another fish. But, you are right about the problems with keeping them living for the first few days they are in the tank.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hmmm... I've never had problems with keeping ottos alive but I have heard others do. Some of the LFS don't even stock them because of their mortaility rates. Maybe it has to do with the very soft water I have?

I usually buy my ottos from petco and they usually all do fine, they are the best/cheapest source of ottos in my area.

I like to keep 1-2 ottos per 10 g of water, they do an awesome job of eating up any algae, they eat diatoms and even GDA.

I have heard of them eating the slime off discus fish and even seen a few pics. Come to think of it I have even seen them do it in my tanks, but I don't think it hurts the discus as the ottos don't do it for long. The discus don't seem to mind.


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