New to Otocinclus
- Thread starter tks4d2
- Start date
My understanding is that they are significantly weakened during collection and shipping and to expect some die-off initially. They need good water conditions in an established tank. Those that make it through all that and settle into their new home tend to do well for years to come.
Again, this is just my understanding from research and following oto posts on AC. I'm new to oto's too having just gotten my first that are 1 week into QT. FWIW I got 6, lost 1 two days into QT, but the rest seem to be doing fine. Mine were/are little poop machines (significantly more then any other fish I've had) so have been doing 30+% water changes every other day; granted there were lots of diatoms in the QT tank for them to devour so I don't know if this is normal or not.
Again, this is just my understanding from research and following oto posts on AC. I'm new to oto's too having just gotten my first that are 1 week into QT. FWIW I got 6, lost 1 two days into QT, but the rest seem to be doing fine. Mine were/are little poop machines (significantly more then any other fish I've had) so have been doing 30+% water changes every other day; granted there were lots of diatoms in the QT tank for them to devour so I don't know if this is normal or not.
No they are not hardy but then again, they are not fragile. They need standard water parameters and temp like any fish prefers. Make sure you buy some algae wafers in case you don't have enough algae for feeding them. Most of them die from starvation, ammonia poisoning, and attacks by unfriendly fish.
They are very good at cleaning up diatoms.
They are very good at cleaning up diatoms.
I've only been keeping fish for ~6 months or so, not counting our lone betta in a 2.5gallon tank, who required very little effort to keep very healthy and happy, and I've put ottos into our 10 gallon tank before it was fully cycled (I didn't know) and they did perfectly fine, and are still healthy and happy. I recently finished cycling our 36 gallon and added 3 ottos there, and again, they're perfectly happy and healthy.
In my limited experience, if yours come from good stock, and you follow the general necessities of fish-keeping, they should be fine. Mine love finding a piece of sinking algae wafer that the cories miss, enjoy hanging out on the driftwood, and our glass always looks clean (on the inside at least). As long as you don't have agressive fish in there already or anything that might see the otto as food, and as long as your tank is cycled and healthy, I'd give it a try with a few otto.
In my limited experience, if yours come from good stock, and you follow the general necessities of fish-keeping, they should be fine. Mine love finding a piece of sinking algae wafer that the cories miss, enjoy hanging out on the driftwood, and our glass always looks clean (on the inside at least). As long as you don't have agressive fish in there already or anything that might see the otto as food, and as long as your tank is cycled and healthy, I'd give it a try with a few otto.
I agree with the fact that they vary. They do best acclimated slowly and added to a planted tank (the heavier the better) that's been established for awhile (6 months or so) IME.
I have had 2 in my 10 gallon thats pretty much full with amazon swords for about a year now. They quickly ate all the algae they could find but i'm lucky enough to have otos that love wafers of all kinds.
I want the angelfish in your avatar! All the ones I've been seeing around here are boring, plain colors and weak patterns.
my otos just seem to do just fine i got them right after i decided i was going to make it a planted tank and i didnt have many plants when i first got them so i fed zuccine to them while they also ate alage and they did just fine. i have had one die of starvation because it refused to eat zuccine but other then that they all are doing good in my tank
