That would explain it. I do notice that their stomachs looked sunk in when they die. Never knew of this starvation prob. Thanks guys you are a great big help. It just seems hard here to find them sometimes I will have to buy a few and hope one or two of them make it.
Well, here's an update for you guys. Lost one Oto overnight. He was one of the smaller ones (whatever that means) but the rest seem to be doing fine and happily munching algae. This fish did not appear to have "starved" in the traditional sense. But I have read that lack of food at the LFS can result in intestinal bacteria needed for digestion dying and the fish does in fact starve, even though it is eating.
Most of these fish went into two 18g tanks with a ready supply of algae. Three went into a 5g q-tank that does not have much in the way of algae. I fed the three a Hikari algae wafer this afternoon. I wouldn't say they exactly jumped all over it but they definitely ate it at different times during the day.
I have read that Otos are true herbivores, rejecting anything that is not veggies of one kind or another. But I have also read that they will take flake and even bloodworms. Does anyone have any experience with these guys eating meat?
never seen my otos go after anything but diatomic algae, algae wafers or a hunk of cucumber. mabye they go after leftovers when the lights are off but i dont think so.
my otos dont really go crazy with the wafers when there first introduced but after they get all soggy they munch on it all day long. the big one even has the habit of laying on the sog wafer pile and guarding it from the kuhlis.
My experience has been the same as Rich. I was fortunate that all three of my Otos were healthy when I got them from Big Als, and are still healthy today.
Rich, interesting point. You specified "diatomic" alage i.e. brown algae. In your experience, do Otos eat any other kinds of algae e.g. green, red, hair. blue-green, etc?