14 days ago I bought 4 otocinclus for my 180 litre tank. The tank is mature with nitrite and ammonia readings at 0. The nitrate level is about 20ppm. The ph is between 7.6 and 8.00. The shop I bought them from is local and has the same water type that I do. The shop had had them in for 3 weeks so I bought 4. I acclimatised them very carefully to my tank as I know they are very sensitive. For 10 days everything was fine with my new Otos happily bouncing around my tank grazing algae and partaking of the odd bit of cucumber or courgette. In th last 4 days their behaviour has changed dramatically they rarely move and are all hanging out together in one corner of the tank amongst a large clump of Hygrophilia. They are showing no signs of physical distress, no gasping or reddened gills. Is inactivety after a period of activity nomal for Otos? Perhaps my ph is too high, but if so why has it taken so long for it to adversely affect them. Any ideas would be welcome as I dont want to lose them. They are great little fish and were earning their keep. Thanks.
Otocinclus on Strike
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I have 10 otos in my 55 gallon tank and they're pretty much active all the time. That being said, they are supposedly more active at night, like all catfish. You might want to try brining your pH down a bit since I think they generally prefer something a little closer to neutral.
Also, what's your water change schedule like? How much and how often? How often do you give them cucumber and zucchini? You might also want to try blanched spinach. Mine really seem to love that. Who are their tank mates and how do they interact with them?
Otherwise, if they are active and feeding at night, don't worry about it. If you want to make sure they're active and acting naturally, flip the lights on sometime during the night and see what they're up to. Also, are they fat? They should have a somewhat rounded belly and the tail shouldn't be skinny. That's a sure sign that they're eating.
Also, what's your water change schedule like? How much and how often? How often do you give them cucumber and zucchini? You might also want to try blanched spinach. Mine really seem to love that. Who are their tank mates and how do they interact with them?
Otherwise, if they are active and feeding at night, don't worry about it. If you want to make sure they're active and acting naturally, flip the lights on sometime during the night and see what they're up to. Also, are they fat? They should have a somewhat rounded belly and the tail shouldn't be skinny. That's a sure sign that they're eating.
Is one of them fatter all around than the rest? If so, there might be some courtship going on ... ;^> But just in case they are reacting to the nitrates, a 20% water change would help.
Patricia
Patricia