Will betta build still build nests if ill add an oto catfish to the tank?

I keep my betta alone in a filtered, heated, cycled 10 gallon tank with some live plants. I have a little problem with brown algae in the rear wall of the tank. I was thinking about getting an oto to clean that up (yes i will feed him with algae waffers and/or vegetables). Now my question is: Will my betta build bubble nests once he's no longer alone in there? ( I just want to know because i kinda like how they look.)Will betta build still build nests if ill add an oto catfish to the tank?
He shouldn't stop building nests just because you've added the oto. I've kept otos with bettas before and I don't recall them changing their bubblenest building behavior. My only suggestion is to keep a few ottos instead of just one, because my bettas would sometimes chase the otos. You don't want to stress out just one fish, better to have a few he can pay attention to instead of just one.Will betta build still build nests if ill add an oto catfish to the tank?
i don't think its a good idea to put other fish in with a beta because they're fighter fish...now i don't know if they only attack other betas of the same sex or if they attack other fish too...you could try though
The honest answer is, I don't know. It really depends on your specific fish's temperament.


You can only try it and see. If he doesn't feel threatened, he'll build a nest.





The same answer is true in regards to whether or not bettas can be kept with other fish.


The pat response that no betta can be kept with other fish, ever, (and also the opposite pat response that they all can be kept with anything, or all with some specific things) is simply not the reality.


It depends on your specific fish.





I see this sort of question so much on Y!A that I actually have a pat response on file.


:-D





The real answer to whether or not a particular betta will get along with this or that (in my experience) is that there's no way of knowing without trying.





Bettas are aggressive and territorial by nature. You should expect them to establish a territory and defend it. The smallest tank I have ever heard of two male bettas being kept in without fighting is a 55 gallon. It can be extrapolated from that, that a male betta could be expected to defend a territory at least as large as 25 gallons.





Female bettas are also very aggressive by nature, and CAN BE just as aggressive as males.





Your worst scenario expectation should be that your betta will be too aggressive to tolerate ANY tank mates. I have had more than one like that, and one was even a female. I've seen shrimp eaten, neons eaten, mollies de-tailed, even a danio isn't fast enough for a betta who means to kick it's butt.





That said, bettas can be very much individuals, and some of them can be surprisingly tolerant. I have even seen a few who are positively timid and get picked on by other fish. I had one betta who was buddy-buddy with an african dwarf frog. They were often seen hanging out in the water next to each other.





So, in the end, the only way to know is to try and see.


Be prepared to have to pull out either the betta or the tank mate due to aggression.





My advice regarding adding other fish is to first try something more innocuous than, say, a platy or any other open-water swimmer. Bettas are less likely to feel territorial toward types of fish that don't really have any territory, like algae eaters (I recommend otocinclus) that hang out on the glass and plants, or cories and other bottom dwellers.





Lastly, the best way to try to stave off aggression on the part of the betta is add the other fish first.





If the betta is already established in the tank, remove him from the tank before adding the new fish. Rearrange the tank so it will look new to him when he goes back in. Keep him out for a few days (a few days in a bowl won't hurt him), and let the newbie settle in.


Then, when the betta is returned to the tank, he is introduced to a ';new'; environment with an established resident. He is less likely to view the whole tank as his territory this way.





One last piece of advice that regards ALL new additions to an establish tank- QUARANTINE.


No one likes to do this, and I understand the impatience, but it will prevent you from bringing disease into your tank, and allow you to medicate, if necessary, only the newbie.








Now. In regards to the comment that otos need 20 gallons. I have seen recommendations that otos should be in groups of 3, 4, whatever, and that they should be 1 or 2 for each 10 gallons. That would explain the advice given.


I, personally, have had success with having a single oto or a pair.


What you decide to do is up to you.





The reason for no more than 2 per 10 gallons has to do with the fish needing enough algae available to survive. You should not add an algae eater if you don't have some algae. Other things otos need for their diet are sinking pellets, greens like spinach, Nori, or peas (I recommend thawed from frozen and deshelled, just in case another fish not designed to digest roughage, like your betta, tries to eat it); and driftwood.





If you google, you can find plenty of info about putting driftwood in tanks.





The last issue is the brown algae itself. If your tank is relatively new, the brown algae is likely a sign that your tank is not as stabilized as you think, yet. Brown algae is a common result of cycling a tank. I would give the tank more time, if it is less than 3 months old, to become a stable environment. Now, if your tank is indeed established, you really should look into why you have brown algae. Most algae blooms are a response to too much nitrate and/or too much phosphate in your tank. If this is the case, it should be addressed, because it provides an unhealthy environment for your betta.





Do a nitrate test, if it is high, then you need to cut back your feedings, be more scrupulous in keeping food waste out of the water, and increase the frequency of your cleanings. Keep your nitrates at 10ppm or less, and see if your algae goes away.


A small amount of algae in the tank is fine, especially if you intend to keep otos in there.


Too much is a sign that you need to do bet
Otos need larger tanks than 10-gallons, (20+)


An imbalance in your water's chemistry is likely causing the brown algae, and needs to be corrected. I suggest a test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Also, chloramine is know to encourage the algae growth, (and stress the 'ell out of fish,) so make sure that your water conditioner removes both chlorine and chloramine.


Good luck.





Edit:


Well, despite that I take great offense to being referred to in the same sentence as Walmart, (I boycott the place and can't think of anything more evil,) I'll tell you, no, the presence of an oto will not prohibit your Betta from building a bubble nest. Why would it. Bettas build bubble nests because it's programmed into them to do so. It has nothing to do with their general well being, happiness, or general surroundings.


However, that does not negate the fact that your tank is too small to add Otos, and that it's a problem with your water that's causing the algae in the first place. It annoys the 'ell out of me when people insist on adding fish that don't belong in their tanks in the first place to take care of a problem that they're too lazy to address.


And BTW, good luck finding a clerk at Walmart that has even the most basic understanding of a fish's requirements.


Geesh.