oto cat and skunk cory questions

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etspam

AC Members
Feb 11, 2007
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I got two oto cats a week ago for a brown algae problem, but they don't seem to making a large dent in what's there. I am wondering if I am just expecting too much and need to wait longer? I have fake plants and some plastic logs which are covered with the stuff. I can see it growing on the glass too. I have read some forums saying their oto cats devoured the brown algae within several days. But mine seem to like to hang out mostly in the area where my filters are jetting water (I've read they like current), and don't seem to be fully cleaning the brown algae even in that area. Maybe they aren't sensing it very well? I'm also trying to monitor my oto cats health, and don't understand what is meant by full bellies that I see people writing about. I'm told they should generally have plump stomachs, but am not sure what that truly means.

Also, I have 3 skunk cories. The largest seems to be more active than normal, and is swimming around a lot. It's tail seems to be frayed, but there's nothing in the tank that would nip it (golden white cloud minnows, red-tailed rasboras, and oto cats). I don't see signs of fin rot, at least from the pictures I've seen on the internet. I'm worried that it might not be doing well. Is there something that I can add which will strengthen the health of the fish in general, and maybe treat the tail? My water chemistry is fine, and the tank is fully cycled. I do 20-25% water changes every week, treated with Amquel plus.
 

Plecosterone

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Jan 25, 2007
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How big is the tank? Otos are small, even though they are great at keeping algae in check, they can only do so much. They also like being kept in a group and would suggest you buy at least 4 more if the tank is big enough.
 
Mar 29, 2007
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how big is the tank, my 20 gallon tank was algae free from 1 oto so i would think theres something wrong with the oto, not the number of them. When i introduced mine they didnt eat for a while, which lead to the death of one of them, once that one died they started eating my algae, although slowly they did get the job done. One more died in the first month, after that one died my last one stopped eating for a few days. Then wham, went into crazy mode and ate ALL my brown algae in my tank.

They are probably just getting used to surroundings.
 

etspam

AC Members
Feb 11, 2007
81
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Thanks, I'll keep monitoring the otos, and maybe get another one or two, especially now that I lost another fish. I found my biggest skunk cory dead this morning :-(. I was thinking he wasn't going to make it when I saw it get suctioned/stuck by my filter one time when he swam past, but was hopeful he might be okay.

*sigh* That's one skunk cory, five panda cories, and one red-tailed rasbora I've lost.
 
Mar 29, 2007
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well expect some otos lost in the first month, there the type of fish you get 5 and end up with 2..... (i started with 3, ended with 0)

plump belly means when they suck on the glass, there bellies should almost be touching the glass, and there should be fat sticking out the sides.
 

GirlieGirl8521

Planted Tank Collector
Dec 21, 2006
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Alabama
What are your water parameters? If you tank is cycled, you shouldn't be losing so many fish, unless they are sick from the store. What kind of substrate do you have? Do you vac the substrate weekly?
 

Kyohti

Curiouser and Curiouser...
Jan 5, 2007
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etspam

AC Members
Feb 11, 2007
81
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Thanks, the pictures and descriptions help somewhat. It looks like they've finally started to clean the brown algae some, so I think they're finally acclimatizing. They seem to sometimes scrounge the shrimp pellets I leave for the skunk cories, but hopefully they will eat the algae too.

My tank parameters are normal, tank has been cycled for months. The panda cories I've read are hard to keep sometimes, the longest one only lasted a month. The rasbora was due to some cyst, but don't know why the skunk cory died. They other two seem fine.
 
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