View Full Version : xtra otto food?
My 2 ottos have cleaned all the algea in my tank! I have a banana plant and a java fern and another tall plant (don't know the name). I drop sinking wafers in once a week but have no idea if they get any of it (I think the cories get it all). What else can I feed them so they don't starve, and how often? Thanks.
ChileRelleno
02-26-2005, 12:18 AM
Algae wafers, zucinni, cucumber, broccoli, lima beans, shelled green peas, just about any green leaf veggie e.g. spinach, escarole, green leaf and ect...(No iceberg lettuce). It is best to blanch (partially cook by immersing in boiling water) before serving. It can sometimes take a little while for them to accept these foods, be patient and they'll get the hang of it.
Aqualung
02-26-2005, 1:13 PM
ChileRelleno pretty much covered it. Just be sure to take out any uneaten food before it spoils. If there is no algae left in your tank, it shouldn't take them too long to notice the fresh veggies. As I type I am watching my zebras munching away on a cucumber slice. For wafers, I recommend the HBH brand veggie wafers. I prefer them over the Hikari algae wafers, and so do my fish (the first ingredient in the Hikari brand is fish meal, in the HBH it is spirulina).
Oh - as far as how often to feed them, if there truly is no algae for them I would give them a constant supply of veggies. I give mine a variety, including zucchini, cucumber, baby spinach, romaine lettuce, and the wafers. Take out the uneaten portions each day and replace with fresh. I use plant weights to hold the veggies in place, but you can also rubberband them to rocks or driftwood, hold them down with rocks, etc.
Another option is to start an "algae farm". You can put some rocks in a container near a window that gets lots of light, and once they get covered in algae just drop them in the tank. Once they are cleaned, drop some more algaefied rocks in and put the clean ones back to grow more algae.
YOu mean aquarium safe rocks in dechlorinated water? Could I use any of the tank decorations to grow algea?
ChileRelleno
02-26-2005, 5:57 PM
YOu mean aquarium safe rocks in dechlorinated water? Could I use any of the tank decorations to grow algea?
Yep, thats right anything you want it to grow on and no, unless your going to keep something live in the algae farm you don't need to treat the water, filter it or heat it. Just set up a 2-10 gal tank, add whatever rocks ect that you want to grow algae on, add some nutrients to the water (couple pinches of food), high nitrates I believe help algae growth so don't bother cleaning often and last but not least, give it full sun or high light..... Algae farm!
Oh boy, can't wait to start the algea farm. Thanks! :D
Spikor
02-28-2005, 4:49 PM
what kind of light setup do you have now? how many watts/gallon are you using? i hear that giving more light to your tank will help grow algae (and the plants)
I just have the 19 watt light that came with my 20 gal tank kit. I have two small plants, a banana and a java fern and another tall one, but it was a gift--not sure what it is. LFS said it did well w/low lighting. I'm a newbie so I don't know the first thing about upgrading the wattage, other than buying one of the Plant-Gro lights at the LFS. I thought I read that they wouldn't work in my hood, if my hood has a 19 watt bulb in it. ??
ChileRelleno
03-02-2005, 3:57 PM
The light you have will be just fine, just put it where it'll get alot of sunlight.