Oto Pics: Fat? Or about to explode?

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mel_20_20

mel_20_20

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Sep 1, 2008
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Deep in the heart of texas
I have eight Otos and they all seem to be healthy, otherwise, but a couple of them are really fat and one of them is EXTREMELY fat. I mean he/she looks like a marble with fins.
I mean... seriously, they may turn into bullfrogs... they look so much like tadpoles.

I thought I'd post pics here for you guys to look at and maybe help me know for sure if this is normal.

Will an Oto eat until it explodes? LOL, I don't really believe that, but, kidding aside, will they eat so much that it can kill them?

They zoom around the tank and eat normally, I guess. I hope I"m not over feeding. I put a piece of zucchini in the tank and it usually takes 24 to 48 hours for it to be gone, (with a little help from the snails), then I wait a day or two and put another one in.

I also feed kensfish flake: spirulina w/garlic, and baby brine shrimp flake, and between the Otos and the Rummies the food is eaten in about 5 minutes or less. I do that twice a day. Then, of course, there's the algae that they scarf down, too.

Here are the porkers:

Oto.JPG

Otto2.JPG

Otto3.JPG

Otto4.JPG

This one is the one I'm really worried about. Is this Oto fat or possibly loaded with eggs?

I may try to upload a video that will help get a better look at the roundness of this guy/girl. Looking at it from behind, the caudal fin looks good, the peduncle looks normal sized as you move forward along the body towards the abdomenal area and then, BOOM, this huge bulge starts.

I hope maybe the Oto is loaded with eggs, but I need some expert advise on this. Thanks for your help.

Otto4.JPG Otto3.JPG Oto.JPG Otto2.JPG
 
D

dbosman

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Dec 5, 2010
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East Lansing, MI USA
That specific oto(s) is female and full of eggs. She'll be skinnier in a couple of days.
Don't count the fry yet as otos don't usually successfully spawn in tanks.
 
platytudes

platytudes

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Nicole
The fattest one does look like it may have eggs...they don't look dropsy fat, if that's what you're [understandably] worried about. They do seem to love zucchini and cucumber an awful lot, I feed them a lot of things they are much less interested in (arugula, spinach, lettuce, yellow squash) and they don't eat it with nearly as much gusto.

Their proportions look very normal, that's why I wouldn't worry. Usually with fish that are dropsical, there seems to be a slight bulging about their face and eyes. They look uncomfortable, whereas your otos don't at all...congrats! I think you just have some very "healthy" specimens ;)

That being said, I would maybe cut back on the feeding just a tad. I usually only feed a small piece of vegetable maybe once or twice a week, and for a little over a year now I've switched to only feeding them once a day. I know it seems mean, but I think it's better overall for fish to be a little on the hungry side if they're not breeding or actively growing.

One of the reasons I switched is because the snails were getting overwhelming! They are a whole lot better now. I notice you have quite a few MTS, is this a day shot? That's always a good indicator, if you find you are up to your eyeballs in snails, well...perhaps need to dial back the food a wee bit :)
 
mel_20_20

mel_20_20

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Sep 1, 2008
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Deep in the heart of texas
Thanks so much!! :) Platy, tbone, and dbosman, you have made me feel so much better.

I really didn't think this was likely Dropsy; I've seen that in person and it's usually an all over swollen look and pineconing to varying degrees, but I sure was afraid they were eating themselves to death, lol.

I guess the Rummies will have eggs for breakfast, one day soon. I do wish I would have some babies, though I know that's not very likely.

James0816 is very successful, but he has some kind of Oto-magic going on in his Oto tank.:worthy:

I will cut back on the food; anybody need any MTS, lol.

ADDENDUM: I'll try spinach and squash for a while. :)
 
James0816

James0816

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Feb 14, 2007
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Looks like some nice healthy little ladies there. I don't see anything in the pics that would send up a red flag.
 
elinore

elinore

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Aug 7, 2010
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Far Northern WI
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Ella
I have one of my four that looks just like that! I've been meaning to post a picture but that one likes to hide. I've noticed that the big one's colors are much duller than the others'. Is that how yours are?
 
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