:sadI've got a 20g that I've been establishing for the last month or so. I've basically been following the advice on chuck gadds site for a planted aquarium w/out a cycle. Basically you put in fast growing plants and let them establish themselves, then slowly add some fish, starting with a few algae eaters. I guess the theory is that the plants will absorb the dangerous chemicals that would otherwise accrue and harm/kill a fish during a fishy cycle.
I've heard many stories about otos suddenly dying and such so last night I purchased 4 just to be on the safe side. I thought that I wanted 3, so if 1 died I wouldn't have to go and get another, if they all did well maybe I would get one more and put 2 in the 10 gallon. Well now 2 of these little guys have died and I'm feeling terrible. I don't know whether to think it's normal with these guys or whether to think it's something else.
I acclimated them using the floating method listed here
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19&ref=3319&subref=AI
At that point I netted the otos with my brine shrimp net and let them go in the tank. I planned it all so I could do it at night and hopefully produce the least stress possible for the otos.
Well this morning I noticed that the largest of the otos was going all over the place, it was really like he just couldn't get comfortable in one spot. He would rest for a moment and then try somewhere else out, he seemed distressed. I also noticed that the area next to his eyes looked pink or red (see the first picture at the bottom). Later this afternoon I looked over at the tank to find him swimming all crazy like upside down in loops flying into everything. After a short struggle he stopped moving and appeared dead. I netted him and could detect no movement, I waited leaving him floating in the net, just to make sure, but he had died. Now I walk in to see the tank again, only to see another little oto wildly fling himself against the glass and drop to the bottom of the tank. It made such a loud noise for such a little fish, I thought he'd bashed his head in, he barely moved when I netted him. His head was also red, although I hadn't noticed it earlier. I don't know if there was internal bleeding from wrecking into the tank, or if it is another symptom. He is dead now.
It should be noted that two of the otos were keeping to themselves all day long. I know the large oto was one of these, this smaller one may also have been one of the solitary ones. I thought this was odd since I had heard they were a fish that liked the company of their own. I also never saw "these two" eat the whole day while they were in the tank, but I thought maybe they were just getting used to it. Two of the other otos, the ones I still presume are healthy and alive, were hanging out together most of the day and did quite a bit of work on the brown algae that's all over my ludwigia.
here is all the info I can think to give about my tank, I use a hagen master test kit:
Ammonia undetectable
Nitrite less than .1mg/L (barely detectable, very very faint color)
Nitrate less than 5mg/L (also hard to detect much of any color)
PH 7.2
KH 110ppm
GH 220ppm
Temperature ~76F
Lots of plants, 3.25 wpg, 11 hours a day.
here is a link to a picture of the tank http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38490032
I did take some pictures of the otos so you can see what I'm talking about, I will just link to them because I understand that some will not want to see them. My tank water does smell a little funny, but I think that comes from the Prime that I use to dechlorinate, I can't think of anything else. Any advice would be deeply appreciated. I can't find any information on this redness...
poor dead oto:
:sad
the big one before death http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489803
the smaller one after death
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489823
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489827
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489854
I've heard many stories about otos suddenly dying and such so last night I purchased 4 just to be on the safe side. I thought that I wanted 3, so if 1 died I wouldn't have to go and get another, if they all did well maybe I would get one more and put 2 in the 10 gallon. Well now 2 of these little guys have died and I'm feeling terrible. I don't know whether to think it's normal with these guys or whether to think it's something else.
I acclimated them using the floating method listed here
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19&ref=3319&subref=AI
At that point I netted the otos with my brine shrimp net and let them go in the tank. I planned it all so I could do it at night and hopefully produce the least stress possible for the otos.
Well this morning I noticed that the largest of the otos was going all over the place, it was really like he just couldn't get comfortable in one spot. He would rest for a moment and then try somewhere else out, he seemed distressed. I also noticed that the area next to his eyes looked pink or red (see the first picture at the bottom). Later this afternoon I looked over at the tank to find him swimming all crazy like upside down in loops flying into everything. After a short struggle he stopped moving and appeared dead. I netted him and could detect no movement, I waited leaving him floating in the net, just to make sure, but he had died. Now I walk in to see the tank again, only to see another little oto wildly fling himself against the glass and drop to the bottom of the tank. It made such a loud noise for such a little fish, I thought he'd bashed his head in, he barely moved when I netted him. His head was also red, although I hadn't noticed it earlier. I don't know if there was internal bleeding from wrecking into the tank, or if it is another symptom. He is dead now.
It should be noted that two of the otos were keeping to themselves all day long. I know the large oto was one of these, this smaller one may also have been one of the solitary ones. I thought this was odd since I had heard they were a fish that liked the company of their own. I also never saw "these two" eat the whole day while they were in the tank, but I thought maybe they were just getting used to it. Two of the other otos, the ones I still presume are healthy and alive, were hanging out together most of the day and did quite a bit of work on the brown algae that's all over my ludwigia.
here is all the info I can think to give about my tank, I use a hagen master test kit:
Ammonia undetectable
Nitrite less than .1mg/L (barely detectable, very very faint color)
Nitrate less than 5mg/L (also hard to detect much of any color)
PH 7.2
KH 110ppm
GH 220ppm
Temperature ~76F
Lots of plants, 3.25 wpg, 11 hours a day.
here is a link to a picture of the tank http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38490032
I did take some pictures of the otos so you can see what I'm talking about, I will just link to them because I understand that some will not want to see them. My tank water does smell a little funny, but I think that comes from the Prime that I use to dechlorinate, I can't think of anything else. Any advice would be deeply appreciated. I can't find any information on this redness...
poor dead oto:
:sad
the big one before death http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489803
the smaller one after death
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489823
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489827
http://www.pbase.com/phoenix_dz/image/38489854
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