How do you get your Otto cats their algae wafers? My endlers are pigs!

[thrujenseyes]

I got a few ottos to help after the addition of spiderwood because I had a little algae bloom and the wood had some bacteria bloom (even though I boiled for 6 hours and soaked for 24).

All is perfectly clean and beautiful and I wanted to make sure my Ottos had enough to eat so I got some algae wafers and tried the first one yesterday...

It was a feeding frenzy and only one Otto got some (not much).

I had to remove it because I could see my fish getting stuffed.

Any suggestions??

See for yourself

 

[marnold00]

Break a wafer into a few pieces, distract the endlers with floating food in one corner and drop the wafer pieces at the other end of the tank. It's how i have to feed my cories. By having multiple pieces of wafer it'll leave some unattacked by the endlers for the otos to go to, and then hopefully theyll outmuscle the teeny endlers you can also feed at night. Wait till the tank has been in the pitch black dark for 30mins + and then using as little light as possible drop in the pieces of wafer your endlers wont go as crazy for it overnight but the otos will

 

[thrujenseyes]

Ahhhh ok! Great tips! Thanks so much!

If I didn't take it out I swear that one guppy would have exploded!

 

[NickAu]

Bettas are just as bad I have to use a shrimp feeding cage or my crown tail will eat the wafer I feed the shrimp..

 

[thrujenseyes]

Bettas are just as bad I have to use a shrimp feeding cage or my crown tail will eat the wafer I feed the shrimp..

Omg I've never seen such a thing!
Guess I'm short on options since my fish are just as small as the shrimp and ottos.

 

[Toney]

my new otos ate alot of zucchini last night. Was two on it for most of the day, yesterday evening I finally seen 3 on it!

 

[thrujenseyes]

View attachment 81608 my new otos ate alot of zucchini last night. Was two on it for most of the day, yesterday evening I finally seen 3 on it!

I forgot about zucchini. Did you blanch it or give it raw?

 

[NickAu]

Raw is fine it will soften over a few hours

 

[Toney]

The wife put it in a cup of water and microwaved it for a few minutes

 

[thrujenseyes]

I'm still having a difficult time getting food to my ottos.

I've tried the algae wafers and broke into pieces and put in after lights out.

Even veggies....this is a piece of blanched kale.

The tiniest shrimp will find it but the ottos don't seem to?!

Because my anubias is so huge (especially for a 6 gallon) the leaves all the way at the top get a lot of direct light causing algae and the ottos seem to hang up there.

Do you think they're getting enough and that's why their not eating their special treats? Or are they just getting out muscled?! I'm worried for them!

 

[Mark Z.]

I have wondered the same thing in the past. I will be interested to see what others say.

Seems like you have a good natural food source going on with the algae up near the top.

 

[thrujenseyes]

I have wondered the same thing in the past. I will be interested to see what others say.

Seems like you have a good natural food source going on with the algae up near the top.

I sure hope someone chimes in! They definitely have a great natural source and as long as they are loving it I won't move the plant (which I was going to do since it's practically coming out of the top and getting too much light. The top leaves are getting covered in green algae but all the rest look beautiful).

I know they're delicate little fish and I enjoy them so much, I want them to be happy and healthy.
Cute thing about them....sometimes they school around with my endlers ...isn't that cute?!

 

[Mark Z.]

Now you have me wanting to get some again!

 

[Toney]

Mine eat them just fine but my angels kept running them off of them...

It's neat how they all school together after a water change

 

[thrujenseyes]

View attachment 81749 Mine eat them just fine but my angels kept running them off of them...

It's neat how they all school together after a water change

They are such a delightful little fish! I adore them schooling with other fish.
And I love how they use they're little back fins as feet, when resting on wood and such.