I think my otos are mating...!

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I did have the opportunity to capture my Otto's mating in my tank. You should be able to witness the Male hugging the female by wrapping his head around the female. I also captured a fry in the tank days later. The Female typically released eggs three at a time. Pictures attached.
I don't think water parameters are too critical as mine are as follows:
Well Water as source; Nitrite Not measurable, Nitrate .26 mg/L, pH 8.0, TDS 280. Hardness measured via test strip approx 350 ppm. Temp. 76 FView attachment 112851View attachment 112852View attachment 112853

Oh wow, those are some incredibly photos!! You're so lucky that only did they breed, but that you caught them and were able to get such awesome images! Did any of the fry survive? Also did I read that GH right? So your water is not only hard, but very hard, and they bred anyway? Incredible!

Seeing those photos had me go peering at the tank. I'm pretty convinced based on body shape and larger tummies that right now I have two females, three males.

I'm also super encouraged that three people who've posted in this thread have bred otos before. Sure it's very difficult to breed them in high numbers, enough for the aquarium trade, but it might be somewhat easier than I thought to produce a few for your own tanks?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Oh, I also couldn't see any eggs, but I have a lot of plants in there. Lots of crypts, some vallis, some swords, among others. While I didn't see any eggs, I did notice that quite a few different plants have lots of pinprick holes in their leaves, like something tiny has been eating them So that's a new concern to investigate...

 

[Essjay]

In theory, rain water should be pure water. But it will dissolve things in the air on it's way to the ground, things like industrial pollution and agricultural spraying. It will pick up things from the roof if that's how it is collected (given the amount of crow, wood pigeon and even seagull poop on our roof, I would be afraid to use rainwater!). If the roof is made of something that could contaminate rainwater, that will be in there too.

I am also confused about how you rainwater has calcium/magnesium (GH) and carbonates (KH) dissolved in it

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

In theory, rain water should be pure water. But it will dissolve things in the air on it's way to the ground, things like industrial pollution and agricultural spraying. It will pick up things from the roof if that's how it is collected (given the amount of crow, wood pigeon and even seagull poop on our roof, I would be afraid to use rainwater!). If the roof is made of something that could contaminate rainwater, that will be in there too.

I am also confused about how you rainwater has calcium/magnesium (GH) and carbonates (KH) dissolved in it

Something I hadn't thought of until Byron questioned it came to me, I added this earlier;
"
The reason for wanting to use a mix of either rainwater or RO with tapwater is cost and availability. I have access to some clean safe rainwater (covered plastic rain barrel that comes from a covered plastic gutter, that my dad used in his tank for years without ill effect) and the nearest RO place to me is a 30 minute drive. Buying and storing enough RO to use only RO, or buying an RO unit, would cost a lot more and be a lot more difficult, and funds are tight So I anted to get the hardness down enough to be okay for them, even if it was at the upper end of their range.

Hmmm, I didn't know why there was a reading for KH and GH for the rainwater either, I figured I just didn't understand properly, or that perhaps the test strips I had used were inaccurate, and planned to test the water from each source again when i had better testers. But a thought just occurred to me... my dad would sometimes top up the rain barrel from the hose pipe when there had been in a dry spell, and leave it uncovered "to let the chlorine gas off", since he distrusts tap water and water conditioners. He may well have done that at some point without my knowing, and the lower part of the barrel below the tap would keep some water for a long time, only gradually diluted out as the additional rain water collects, mixes and drains. Perhaps there was enough tap water remaining in there to give a reading?

I can empty the barrel and clean it out then retest. The gutters are being cleaned soon too, so that would be a good time to do it."

I'm hoping that that's what it is, because if I need to rely solely on RO, then I will have to stop keeping otos once these ones pass I think. I just can't afford the cost or the time for RO unit or buying and collecting that many litres of RO per week, permanently, when the hobby has already turned out to be more expensive than I'd really expected. I love otocinclus so much, but I have to draw a line somewhere if I can't find a workable solution.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Feeling disheartened about potentially giving up keeping otos once these ones pass. RO is just so complicated, so much hassle, and the additional costs will rack up quickly. Failing moving to a soft water area, which isn't happening while my parents are around and need looking after- or winning the lottery so my hobby costs don't have to be restricted, I'm not seeing a solution that really works.

I won't get rid of these ones, I've had them for a long time now, the damage is already done to them, and they would likely end up dead or in an even worse situation if I returned them to the store. I'll set up a tank that is half rainwater half tap, so it's softer for them, but then once they pass, I won't replace them.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

@Byron I hope you don't mind my picking your brain again, please?

I'm considering what fish I would like to be able to keep later, after otos have passed, and once I stop keeping guppies. I can adjust and get larger tanks so I'm not so limited in what I can house, but ideally, I'd prefer to keep fish that can cope with my hard tap water (253ppm or 15dGH, 7,6 - 8 pH), since RO is a difficulty for me.

The problem is that the fish I'm really drawn to are soft water fish! I like planted tanks, peaceful community types and bottom dwellers, and nano species, like ember tetra, CPD's, otos, botia, cories... all of which I'd need RO for. Perhaps one day I will move to an area with softer water, but for the next few years at least, I'm stuck here.

I'd like something other than livebearers, and I'm not fond of cichlids like African and American cichlids, which seem to be the main two types of fish suggested for hardwater.

Rainbow fish are a distinct possibility, and could be perfect for me if I can swing a large enough tank, but I also want to consider other options, especially for bottom dwellers.

Do you know of a good resource that might list fish via their hardness range? Just so I can explore other options please?

 

[Byron]

@Byron I hope you don't mind my picking your brain again, please?

I'm considering what fish I would like to be able to keep later, after otos have passed, and once I stop keeping guppies. I can adjust and get larger tanks so I'm not so limited in what I can house, but ideally, I'd prefer to keep fish that can cope with my hard tap water (253ppm or 15dGH, 7,6 - 8 pH), since RO is a difficulty for me.

The problem is that the fish I'm really drawn to are soft water fish! I like planted tanks, peaceful community types and bottom dwellers, and nano species, like ember tetra, CPD's, otos, botia, cories... all of which I'd need RO for. Perhaps one day I will move to an area with softer water, but for the next few years at least, I'm stuck here.

I'd like something other than livebearers, and I'm not fond of cichlids like African and American cichlids, which seem to be the main two types of fish suggested for hardwater.

Rainbow fish are a distinct possibility, and could be perfect for me if I can swing a large enough tank, but I also want to consider other options, especially for bottom dwellers.

Do you know of a good resource that might list fish via their hardness range? Just so I can explore other options please?

I cannot remember the actual GH here, but one group of fish to look into are some of the nano species of cyprinids (in the rasbora/danio family). Some are definitely soft water, but there are species that manage well in harder water. We've had a couple threads recently. Daniop choprae, Danio erythromicron, Sawbwa resplendens, Brevibora dorsiocellata come to mind, and there is also Tanichthys albonubes, and all of these can manage in moderately hard, some harder, water.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I cannot remember the actual GH here, but one group of fish to look into are some of the nano species of cyprinids (in the rasbora/danio family). Some are definitely soft water, but there are species that manage well in harder water. We've had a couple threads recently. Daniop choprae, Danio erythromicron, Sawbwa resplendens, Brevibora dorsiocellata come to mind, and there is also Tanichthys albonubes, and all of these can manage in moderately hard, some harder, water.

Awesome, I will look into those, thank you so much!