Losing my otos--is this normal?

[LeahK]

I've heard that otos can be difficult to keep alive, and I've also heard that once they make it past the first month, they're usually ok. But since getting some new otos in Feb. 2009, I've lost roughly one per month. I'm down from 9 to 6.

I bought my original 3 otos in April 2008. From what I can tell, I still have these original 3. I bought a second group of 6 in Feb. 2009, and they're the ones that are having problems. Here's an approximate timeline:

2/28: purchase 6 new otos
3/15: otos move from QT to main tank, making 9 total
4/8: 1 oto goes missing, I never found the body
5/13: 1 oto found dead
7/10: 1 oto goes missing, no body found

Is this normal? I'm worried that it's something I'm doing wrong. But my otos are all fat and healthy-looking. They eat algae and zucchini and other veggies. They show no clear symptoms before dying. My tank is cycled with no ammonia or nitirite, and I keep the nitrate between 10 and 20. I change 30% to 40% of the water per week.

None of my other fish are sick (see the 55 in my sig). I've had the barbs and the cpd's for a year and a half.

I'm also really confused as to why I never found a body for two of the ones that went missing. My tank is covered, and I've checked around it multiple times looking to see if anyone jumped.

Do other folks with otos lose them like this? It's really bothering me. It's made me decide never to buy wild-caught fish again.

[fishorama]

Otos are REALLY good hiders, are you sure they aren't there somewhere? Many times I don't see mine for months at a time. Then suddenly 1 will shoot by the vac or put in an appearance on the glass.

I've rarely seen them eat veggies but sometimes shrimp or earthworm pellets.

[LeahK]

There are hiding spots.... maybe #7 will turn up again.
One thing I meant to mention, my otos have actually figured out how to eat the flakes and pellets I feed the other fish. When I dump in the food in the morning, all the otos go and sit on the biggest anubias leaves, where some of the pellets always land. Then, they start sucking on the leaves until they run their mouths over the pellets. It's really pretty cute. But I wonder, could too much animal protein be hurting them? I mean, they're designed to be algae eaters, so maybe the fish food isn't good for them.

[babygeige]

I finally gave up on otos for the same reason. I think I went through about 12 in a 10 month period. I only had 1 oto last a decent amount of time, which was about a year. The rest of them just died for no apparent reason.

It makes me sad really, because they're such funny little guys. But oh well. I've moved onto Flying Foxes and SAE's. They're much hardier.

I hope your luck begins to improve!

[fishorama]

Hmm, I thought I answered already...

I'm not sure of their protein needs, most algae eating fish get lots of "micro-critters" as aufwuchs that grow in algae. I never clean my back glass so lots of stuff is available to the fish. Otos eat only some types of algae, I think they don't necessarily get enough in "clean" tanks. I do think it's good your visible otos have found food they'll eat, many don't. & I also think they learn feeding choices from other otos.

Do you have driftwood available? Differient "stuff" grows on it too.

[chunkswrestles]

Otos need oxygen rich water so if your water is a little calm add a powerhead. I hope this isnt the case but a lot of times when smaller fish cant be found they have died and their body was eaten by a larger fish such as your barbs. Also, are your barbs picking on your otos because this could contribute to their death.

[LeahK]

Do you have driftwood available? Differient "stuff" grows on it too.

Yeah, I have lots of driftwood, and the otos spend a lot of time on it.


Otos need oxygen rich water so if your water is a little calm add a powerhead. I hope this isnt the case but a lot of times when smaller fish cant be found they have died and their body was eaten by a larger fish such as your barbs. Also, are your barbs picking on your otos because this could contribute to their death.

Well, oxygen is probably not the problem--I run two AC 70 HOB's on the 55 gallon, and I keep the water level about a half inch below the black trim, so there's lots of splash.
But I do worry about the barbs. When the first oto went missing in April, my first thought was that the barbs killed it. I've never seen the barbs be aggressive toward the otos, but one time I tried introducing some juvenile platies into the tank, and about an hour later I found the barbs eating one of them. I have no idea what happened. Maybe they were small enough and colorful enough to look like fish flakes. I don't know if the barbs killed it, or if it died first.
But the barbs lived with the original three otos for over a year, with no problems. I've only been losing otos from the group of 6 I added this February.
If it is the barbs who are killing the otos, I am going to feel SO guilty....

[James0816]

I don't personally think it's the barbs. I could be from a bad batch since you said that your original three are still going strong. As we all know, they are very tendor when (if) they make it to the market. Are you supplimenting feeding with fresh veggies?

* Edit * sry...just re-read your first post...you do give them zuc.

[mel_20_20]

I think it's true that they are just more sensitive to the handling they get as "live caught". I have two that I bought at my lfs almost a year ago. They've been through quite a few spikes, though I jump right on those, nevertheless, the two I have must be from genetically stronger stuff.

I think, from what I've read, this is very common. You keep trying, though this can be disheartening, and when you wind up with the long term survivors - you've got some tougher-than-your-average-ottos in your tank.

[Hebily]

I've got one otto. This guy's been with me for over a year and a half so far. I tried several times to get the population back up to about six, before giving up. This guy has been alone (from other ottos) in my tank for over a year. He's doing great. I had a nitrIte spike a while back that killed some fish, he did fine. He didn't even clamp his fins... This guy is like 'Super Otto'. I don't know what it is, but this one doesn't seem as sensitive as all the others. I've heard that a common method of catching ottos is to put large doses of sedatives into the stream, and then 'harvest' them by hand. This could be a major factor in their initial fragility.

[Madding]

My guess is they are probably hiding or there is something in your wood that they are not taking to.

My personal experience is that oto's are very hardy -- more so than most people give them credit for. One of mine survived for over three hours in the mouth of a baby Ropefish who couldn't swallow him. He was spit out and has recovered beautifully (the ropefish were of course moved.)

[perticola88]

Ottos are generally small and fragile if you read up all the posts about them.

But don't worry, they really may be just hiding on you. I had one that vanished for over a year. Found him one day just hanging on one of the stems of my plants. The others that I had may be hiding as well. In my case I have a forest of crypts which makes it hard to tell if I lost a small fish when no corpse is found.

BTW, the one that I found I haven't seen for a long time again.