Ottos...

[fmervin]

Hi all,

I have a couple of ottos in my 65ltr tank. It had quite a bit of algae which has now been cleaned up by the ottos,trumpet snails and amano shrimps. I have read somewhere that a well fed otto is a happy otto but how do I know if they are full enough? I mean I feed regular flake food and put in half a slice of cucumber (mashed up) which the guppies really enjoy but I've never seen the ottos have any of it. They are mostly stuck to the glass. They are real fun to watch, but I'm completely naive about their feeding habits. Do they feed like other fish? Please do advise, I don't want them to starve. The lfs suggested algae wafers, but since I had quite a bit of algae in the tank I did not get any.

 

[MHunt]

If you still have algae in the tank your otto's should be well enough fed that they don't have to pick the tank clean. If they do eventually remove all the algae from the tank then i would add an algae wafer every day or so to keep them fed until some algae grows again.

 

[fmervin]

Thanks MHunt

If you still have algae in the tank your otto's should be well enough fed that they don't have to pick the tank clean. If they do eventually remove all the algae from the tank then i would add an algae wafer every day or so to keep them fed until some algae grows again.

Are they any indications as to when they are full? Occasionally I see them still on the sand. There is a bit of algae on the sand, will they clean that up? I've never seen them feeding on a pea or cucumber from the sand. I believe they won't feed from the surface. How do they feed? Do I need to stick the algae wafer on the glass of the tank? Please help a confused soul

 

[MHunt]

Thanks MHunt

If you still have algae in the tank your otto's should be well enough fed that they don't have to pick the tank clean. If they do eventually remove all the algae from the tank then i would add an algae wafer every day or so to keep them fed until some algae grows again.

Are they any indications as to when they are full? Occasionally I see them still on the sand. There is a bit of algae on the sand, will they clean that up? I've never seen them feeding on a pea or cucumber from the sand. I believe they won't feed from the surface. How do they feed? Do I need to stick the algae wafer on the glass of the tank? Please help a confused soul

I'll be honest i haven't got any otto's yet, although i want to get a couple for my planted nano. But from my general observations about fish they won't feed unless hungry (apart from goldfish who are like gannets!) If they haven't stripped all the algae from the tank, i'd say they don't want to eat it yet.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

when they are stuck to the glass you can see if their bellies are full or empty, they should be podgy little fellas! so monitor that and if you see their belly shrinking you know they aren't eating properly.

just drop in an algae wafer and they'll eat it off the bottom, that's if the amano shrimp don't get to them first! (best to put a couple in)

if feeding regularly becomes a problem then you can get a rock and leave it in a jug/glass of water in the sunniest place you can with a bit of plant fertiliser in the water, it'll soon be covered in algae, you can get a couple of rocks on rotation so while one is growing algae the other is in the tank being cleaned by the otto's and shrimp.

 

[fmervin]

when they are stuck to the glass you can see if their bellies are full or empty, they should be podgy little fellas! so monitor that and if you see their belly shrinking you know they aren't eating properly.

Oooooh boy, never seen a podgy otto Any pics of one so I can compare with mine? Having said that they don't seem podgy to me (but I don't find my podgy baby podgy either )

just drop in an algae wafer and they'll eat it off the bottom, that's if the amano shrimp don't get to them first! (best to put a couple in)

I think I'll get in a box of algae wafers anyway. Just in case...

if feeding regularly becomes a problem then you can get a rock and leave it in a jug/glass of water in the sunniest place you can with a bit of plant fertiliser in the water, it'll soon be covered in algae, you can get a couple of rocks on rotation so while one is growing algae the other is in the tank being cleaned by the otto's and shrimp.

I love this idea I love your solutions, completely natural and innovative And I'm sure going to try this out. Only question is what kind of rocks can I use. I read on the forums that some rocks might increase the hardness/pH of the water. Also, do the ottos/shrimps only eat algae? Would they eat any fresh veggies? I tried with a bit of cucumber/pea but there is still a bit left on the bed. Any other veggies they might feast on?

Thanks again

 

[Miss Wiggle]

have a look at some of the pics of this thread http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35094

i robbed that idea from someone, can't claim it as my own. can't remember who to give them credit though

i do try to keep things natural though, there's not a lot that can't be solved by water changes IMHO! i've also spent many years as a poverty striken youth so i know anything that's cheap is good, water not on a meter so i can use as much as i like, and the amount of plant fertiliser you need is gonna be pretty minimal so it's a nice sustainable cheap natural healthy source of food. wish feeding ian was this easy and cheap !

check out wolfs thread about rocks suitable for the aquarium which should give you some guidance, but yes it does want to be inert.

dunno about fresh veggies tbh, i've not tried them on it

 

[tropicalgirl2007]

Hi, I feed mine on sera Spirulina Tabs, as soon as I drop them in the tank they go straight to them, they do also it the cucumber I drop in.

 

[rdd1952]

Rather than using algae wafers which the shrimp will almost assuredly eat before tha otos get any, try hanging cucumbers or zuchini strips on the tank walls using veggie clips. The otos much prefer to hang onto something like that than to go to the bottom to get wafers.

 

[Feral123]

lol, yeah, just hang some zuchinni on the sides and they can survive on those if all the algae is gone.

 

[-germ-]

Yeah cucumber has little in the way of nutrition, courgette (zucchini!?) 'd be better for him.
The rock thing works but takes a fair bit of time, need a really sunny day and nice mucky water, think the original idea comes from the famous rivertank post on hillstream loaches, but been mentioned on here many a time before.
I've heard that ottos have been known eat from the surface when feeling confident in their environment and/or hungry.

 

[Feral123]

ive heard that too. once youve had them for awhile theyll grow comfortbale and start to eat like all the other fish.

 

[fmervin]

Thanks everyone for the help. I tried hanging a slice of cucumber (half buried in the sand) so the ottos can feed on it. However, they haven't even touched it yet. It's been more than 12 hours now. They keep swimming around like crazy attaching themselves to evey corner of the glass except for the place where the cucumber is kept
They seem to be hungry and the tank is cleaned up of algae. I also bought some sinking pellets meant for bottom feeding fish but they didn't even take notice of it. The guppies went a bit mad trying to nibble on them though. Last night I saw one otto trying to attach itself to the underbelly of a guppy. I've read that they can do this to slow moving fish. I'm sure they're hungry and I'm worried for their lives How do I get them to eat or notice that slice of cucumber?

 

[rdd1952]

Get some veggie clips and hang them higher up on the glass. From my experience with otos, they don't seem to go to the bottom of the tank and glass very often.

 

[fmervin]

Get some veggie clips and hang them higher up on the glass. From my experience with otos, they don't seem to go to the bottom of the tank and glass very often.

My lfs doesn't have these in stock for a long time. Do you know where else I can purchase these from?