defenses in action

[Magnum Man29 144]

I added some zebra oto’s in with the silver dollars ( maybe not a good idea, as they were pretty small ) watched a dollar try to taste one, but the oto kept turning leaving it’s long side to the way the dollars mouth opened… if it was sideways it could have easily been grabbed, but the oto kept turning, depending on the angle of the dollar so that it couldn’t get grabbed… will see how they do, I fed the dollars before adding the oto’s, so it was only a half hearted attempt… plenty of spaces that need munching, the oto’s can go to that they would be safe from the dollars

 

[GaryE28 143]

A dangerous life indeed.

 

[TwoTankAmin23]

I am of the opinion that otos have a unique way of dealing with threats. They ignore them. At least this is what the otos I tried to keep did. So, your oto may not have been so smart but was just turning so it did no have to see the silver.

 

[GaryE28 143]

I've read and heard many stories of Otocinclus being eaten in the days and weeks after introduction. As small fish they are often targeted by bigger fish. I think their main defence is their habitat - up in a floating meadow the number of larger predators is limited by access. The larger algae eaters that are more likely to encounter fish the size of yours have armour, spikes or better camouflage.

I suspect it was an evasive move. I've seen other Otos do it to avoid being gobbled down head first. It's not much of a defence, but you work with what you have. I once saw Otos being put in with fish that would eat them by a careless pet shop employee, and they turned their sides when they were cornered. He was running for a net and I was trying to distract the hunters so he could move them, but a few fish got eaten. It isn't a pretty sight. Some tetras do it too. Maybe it isn't to foil the mouth size - maybe it's to simply look bigger as a lot of creatures do when attacked. It's not something nature may have equipped them for.

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

these are the “zebra” oto’s and I also wonder if their pattern helps with camouflage as well…

they are in with plant pirahnas, that don’t typically eat other fish… unfortunately these were conditioned with a failed shrimp addition previously…

I saw 3-4 of them this morning, and no partial carcasses, so far, it seems to be ok, if I keep the dollars well fed, during the introduction, I’m sure the oto’s have a better chance…

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

I’m also trying the Leporinus granti again, and while they should be a natural with the dollars, these are babies, and they were overwhelmed in the dollar tank, so the new ones( also babies ) are in the tetra tank, while they grow… I just don’t like to put a fish into a tank, that I’ll later have to disturb the tank, to move them later… they came in even smaller than most of my tetras…

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

one of the oto’s on the front glass at the top of the tank, the red hook dollar making multiple attempts at it, with no success…

time for some cookies to take the pressure off the lil guy…

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

with the dollars having full bellies, they are less inclined to try to grab the oto’s

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

sure enough, not too easy of a life… but this guy is not trying too hard to hide…

 

[GaryE28 143]

Either he is not afraid of the other fish, or his natural microhabitat keeps him from recognizing danger. If you keep many annual killies from extreme habitats, they often have no other fish in the world. They have no flight instinct and will approach a larger tougher fish fearlessly to tell it to get out of their yard. They can get killed.

Otos don't venture into the tough kid part of the schoolyard, and a lot of predators can't get into the microworld of roots and tangles. The fish may not know it's dangerous, which at least reduces stress.

I've never kept them with fish large enough to eat them, so I'm speculating.

 

[Magnum Man29 144]

as a follow-up… Oto’s have never lived here for very long on my previous attempts in any of my tanks… my best attempt lived in my tetra tank for around 1 year… back then there was talk about the lack of digestive bacteria, but that certainly wasn’t the case with the one that lasted a year…

that said, when I didn’t seen any of the Oto’s for a few days, I assumed, they either got snacked on, or succumbed to the pressure the bigger fish were putting on them, or just died the quick death of previous Oto’s, and added a couple small honeycomb bushy nose plecos…

then I started seeing the largest Oto occasionally, then that became several times daily… yesterday I saw a smaller one ( can only tell them apart, because of the size difference ) now I’m seeing each of them a few times a day… and they seem to be getting along fine with the plecos

I’ve not witnessed the dollars try to snack on the little bushy’s ( they are only slightly longer, but are a more durable stature ), and have not seen the Oto’s catching the eye of the dollars any more… ok, spoke too soon, the red hook dollar is probably the most aggressive, and it just noticed the smallest Oto, and gave a little chase ( actually just moved the Oto, but did not give chase ) so somehow the seemingly no defensive strategy has been working…