oto cat feeding

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E

etspam

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Feb 11, 2007
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I have a 20 gallon tank w/5 rasboras, 6 gold while cloud minnows, and 3 skunk cories. Tank is cycled and chemistry is normal (0 ammonia, say 20+nitrates, ph around 7.6-7.8). I've been having brown algae problems for a while - for a period of time, I was leaving lights on for 10+ hours, and it got significantly worse. I stopped doing that, and now only turn on the light briefly in the morning to feed them before work, and a couple of hours at night when I come home from work. However, the brown algae is still growing, even when I clean it off of fake plants.

So am now thinking of getting oto cats, since it appears they're one of the few fish that eat brown algae. However, if I'm gone on vacation for a week or two, can they survive on flake food? I've been reading that they prefer veggies (zuccini and such), or at least algae wafers. But not sure if an automatic feeder can dispense algae wafers well/correctly.
 
Jessu

Jessu

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Dec 27, 2006
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Mabye you could chop up veggies and wafers and mix it with the flake food in the feeder. I would try every thing out while your home so you know it works well when your away.
 
Swayde

Swayde

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Mar 12, 2007
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Mine won't touch algae tablets or veggies =( They have annhilated my brown algae in 3 days though and it was looking pretty bad. Their little bellies are nice and rounded so I am sure they are getting enough to eat. I hope they continue to get enough to eat. I was really hoping they'd take to the zucchini cause it would be fun to watch, maybe later when there is less algae for them and they are bigger =)
 
Pepe

Pepe

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Jan 1, 2007
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I have a 10 gallon with 6 white clouds, a shrimp and an oto. Initially, the oto vacuumed up a lot of algae. But, eventually I think that it ate all the types that it prefers. <This happened all at night. I rarely saw it feeding. Anyway, I tried adding some spinnach and I am not sure if the snails or the oto ate some of it. Now I drop in algae tablets that disappear but, who eats them I can't be sure. (sometimes white clouds go after them, shrimp, snails, oto?) Anyway, I have had the oto for maybe 5 months with no change in behavior so I am assuming that it is getting what it needs.

Good luck and post any results you get. I'd be interested.
c
 
ct-death

ct-death

Fish & Visitors Smell in 3 Days...
Feb 27, 2007
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I got Oto's for the same reason (Diatoms or Brown Algae). In a 20G tank, I would suggest Oto's for this, but this is probably a result of a new acrylic tank?

Either way, the other posters have had the same experience as I. We can't get them to eat anything we put into the tank!!! I will tell you 2 Oto's cleaned my 30G tank free of Diatoms in about a week and this was 5-6 months ago. They are still going strong and there is zero signs of this stuff anywhere! :)

I feel confidant that they would be perfectly content in ur tank while you were gone ;)
 
echoofformless

echoofformless

Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Oct 1, 2005
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Phil Uh Del Feeya
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I have never once added anything supplemental to the tanks that have housed and do house my otos. They do just fine. They're eating something. Whatever it is, it has sustained them for years.
 
BucJason

BucJason

I drink like a fish
Dec 30, 2006
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They will not eat flakes...but like everyone else said, if it's an established tank that has even minimial algae growth , etc...they should be fine.
 
Kuhlifan

Kuhlifan

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Mar 28, 2007
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My otto is actually really digging the shrimp pellets I drop in for my kuhli loaches. They ignore the algae discs I drop in, but love the shrimp pellets for some reason. I had read that they don't even eat that, but mine do. One of the little beggars died over the weekend though. My tank is at work and was unattended for a few days. The temperature dropped a lot, so I think that's what got it. Otherwise, the remaining otto is doing fine...and sitting on shrimp pellets gobbling away all day. He's ignoring the algae that is building up more and more in my tank.

Does anyone know a good, small algae eater that won't eat plants? I've got lots of the brown algae and some green. The two ottos had really gone to town cleaning the algae until the one discovered the joy of shrimp. I'll replace the dead one, which will hopefully be more of a vegetarian.
 
U

Ulan

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Sep 22, 2006
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Kuhlifan said:
My otto is actually really digging the shrimp pellets I drop in for my kuhli loaches. They ignore the algae discs I drop in, but love the shrimp pellets for some reason. I had read that they don't even eat that, but mine do.
Click to expand...
My otos are the only fish in my tank that really love the shrimp pellets. Like yours, they prefer them to everything else. Obviously, that's quite common :).

Unfortunately, there isn't really any other small algae eater that fits a 5 gallon available. Bristlenoses are the best, but even they get a bit large for a 5 gallon tank.
 
E

etspam

AC Members
Feb 11, 2007
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I put off getting an oto cat until after my vacation, since I wanted to make sure I was around before trying one. I really need them too, the brown algae is getting out of control, and grew significantly while I was gone. I actually do have a glass tank, not acrylic, so oto cats should be good. Unfortunately, I already feed my skunk cories the shrimp pellets on a daily basis, but hopefully the oto cats will go for the brown algae, not the pellets. Otherwise, I might have to stop feeding the skunk cories for a while, at least until the brown algae gets under control.
 
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