Could I Add A Small Group Of Otos?

mattlee · Nov 17, 2009

i know my tank is fully stocked going by the 1 inch per gallon rule but i am running 2x externals and have no probs with water quality. i went to lfs at the weekend and fancied a small group of otos. they did have some giant otos but have sold out :sad:

so i am now thinking normal otos. or they also had SAE, i have 2 and a false SAE but will another 1 or 2 be ok...?

Truck · Nov 17, 2009

tank size? and a picture please.

Is it planted?

mattlee · Nov 17, 2009

4ft 240L, not planted has mossballs and frogbit but rest are fake plants. pic....! :crazy:

1 eheim 2215 and 1 x rena xp3

Truck · Nov 17, 2009

What's the algae like? Is here muh of it? A group of 4 would be okay providing the tank is mature and has quite a bit of soft algae.

mattlee · Nov 17, 2009

the tank is in the conservatory so gets alot of daylight so algae especially gda is there

Truck · Nov 17, 2009

A group of 4 or so will be fine, any more and your playing with fire IMO as they don't last long in captivity as they generally starve.

mattlee · Nov 17, 2009

would they not eat algae flakes etc if all the algae was gone from the tank? not that i think it will......

Inchworm · Nov 17, 2009

I've found that otos are not all that fragile if they are healthy when you get them. Most of my losses (not too many) have been right at the beginning. The tank they are in has corys and kuhli loaches. It's a 55 gallon with three big mossballs, a bunch of java moss and java ferns. Since it's the closest tank to the window it gets the most light of all. It produces enough algae to feed about a dozen of them but most of the algae is harder green stuff that they don't seem to touch. I supplement it with a constant supply of zucchini.

I know I've kept them for more than two years, and while some of them are newer, I think at least a few are my original ones.

If you get them, make sure that they are eating at the lfs and still have rounded bellies. If they have been without food for any length of time they will get thin and lose the bacteria that they need to process food. If that happens they will starve even though they are eating when you bring them home.