otos?

jammanjt

jammanjt

AC Members
May 25, 2006
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Hey

I am trying to stock (but not overstock) my 15H aquarium. I have 3 platys that are cycling my tank and seem very happy. I have read that otos are a lot of fun, do not add much to the bioload, and will keep the tank spankling. My question is: how big of a group should I put in my tank and what other fish might make good tankmates?

I have a UGF/Powerhead and an aquaclear 200 Gph Aquaclear power filter.

Thanks!
 
You should wait until you have good algae growth, not the initial growth of brown or blue green stuff but the harder to scrape green algae, and then I would say you could add 3-4 ottos maybe even another 3 later if your algae growth is excessive and the originals look plump.
 
Oh, and for tankmates anything that won't see them as food will work: livebearers, tetras, cories, maybe even a single dwarf cichlid (bolivian ram) in that size of tank.
 
if you start getting brown Diatom algae(really it's a growth as diatoms are not a true algae)
add the oto's they love the stuff and they thrive on it.
I have a 20 with 3 oto's two rams and two brbs..the barbs i am trying to find a good home for..I will need to place an angel in that tank eventually.
 
I have very little algae growth so far. My tank has been set up for about a week; I'll wait another few weeks before adding the otos.
 
You can also buy algae wafers to supplement the available food in the tank for oto's. If you keep your tanks pretty clean, having a supplemental food source for them is probably going to be necessary.
 
Here's a link you might want to read up on before you get your otos:

http://www.otocinclus.com/newoto.html

Make sure that when you buy your otos .... take a good close look - many Otos are almost starving when you get them from the fish store. They should have rather plump bellies. Mine are so plump that when they rest on their pectoral fins, their bellies are touching the ground. Very cute. :)

As for how many... I have four in my 20g. They seem to like playing together, so try to get a few, anyway. What kind of plants do you have? Some plants have nice sized leaves - perfect for an oto to rest on.
 
My otto has a big ugly red spot on his belly whenever I think he's dead and I use the fishnet to get him out he dashes away. What the hell is that red patch?
 
Hard to say about the red patch..some oto's eat and look bloated..it's pretty normal for them..they constantly eat..
I have seem my biggest one eat get bloated andf it's belly turns real pink..I think it's blood in the stomach area.
 
Put some zuchini in for the otos too. Mine absolutely love their veggies! It gives them plant material to eat when the algae is running low.
 
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