2 Otos in a 16gal tank, good or bad?

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duragon

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Jan 16, 2010
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I was in petsmart and I got 2 Otos for my 16 gal tank. In just a few hours, they'd eaten just about all the algae. I am wondering if the 16gal is big enough for the both of them. I have algae wafers, but when I put wafer in, one of the mollies hogs it all, which is fine, because it needs to be softened up a bit for the Otos first, but Im starting to wonder if there wont be enough food for the both of them, and whether or not they will take to the wafers. The reason I got 2 is because I know they like to run in groups...

Any ideas, comments, suggestions?

Thanks.
 

Troycool

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Feb 5, 2010
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Oto Information

Part of a large family of Loricariidae found in rapidly moving rivers throughout most of South America, the Otocinclus spp. are among the smallest species. Oto catfish grow up to 5 cm, which makes them suitable for smaller aquariums. They are usually tan with a black peppered body. Otos should be kept in planted tanks only! They do much better if kept as a small group. Otos are the best plant leaf cleaners and will remove almost all algae from it without damaging the leaf. They will ignore the grown algae, but will eat young algal growth and by doing that will keep the algae very low. Like all catfish, these one enjoy the presence of bogwood, so adding a piece to the aquarium would be a good idea. If there isn't enough algae in the aquarium, Otos should be fed with blanched zucchini once a week, boiled for 2 minutes and cooled down before feeding. Place the zucchini on the bottom or, even better, on the piece of bog-wood where the Oto will come readily and notice the vegetable. Do not leave the zucchini for longer than two days inside the tank and not shorter than a day. It's been known that Otos will ignore sinking catfish tablets and algae wafers, and will ignore most of other vegetables like lettuce, spinach, cucumber, etc. Zucchini is the best proven feeding choice. Some aquarists farm algae and than introduce them as Oto food. It's been known that Otos relish brown algae (diatoms). One of the best ways to ensure that Otos will have sufficient algae is to keep one Oto per approximately 60-70 liters. After observing the algae in your tank for a week you will get the answer for whether or not you need to add more Otos or if they have sufficient algae. Keep a close eye on their stomachs: round bellies are a good sign of algae sufficiency. It is good not to clean all your aquarium glass at once since they will eat the algae off the glass. Otos should be kept with smaller/calmer fish. They like to rest on broad plant leaves and bogwood rather than gravel.

Otos can be difficult to acclimate to the home aquarium, but if provided with correct water conditions and there is some green food they will be fine. The setup should be well established with a sand or gravel substrate, and densely planted with live plants. An established algal growth is essential. While they will take flake food and sinking pellets the natural greens are needed to provide proper health. If no algae is available they will eat soem softer bodied plants. Provide good water circulation and filtering. Best to keep in groups. The actual number will vary upon the tank size. Compatible with most fish except the larger predatory species. Otos live up to 5 years. They need a pH around 7. Water temperature should be around 25°C.
 

lilim10

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Aug 7, 2008
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Chicago
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There's a couple things you can do in this situation to feed your otos:

1) Grow your own algae. This can be accomplished by throwing some large flat rocks into a tub of water by a sunny windowsill and when the rocks are covered with algae, place them in the tank. Replenish the rocks as necessary.

2) Use zucchini or cucumber. Blanch them and strap them to a rock and toss into the tank. Replace every couple of days.

3) Feed algae wafers/flakes (but it seems you're already doing that, and in my experience otos don't accept them as readily as the other two methods)
 

NegativeLogic

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Feb 12, 2010
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Vancouver, BC
I have found that green beans are an excellent supplement as well. I simply blanche a frozen one and then drop it in ice water (this will make it sink) then leave it in the tank for up to 48 hours.
 
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