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Will Otos do well in my tank?

Sacha

Sacha

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Joined
3 Jan 2014
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London
I'm really keen to get some ottos for my tank. Mainly because I like the fish, but also for a clean- up crew/ algae control.

Just wondering if they'd thrive in the environment. The tank is a Juwel Rio 125, heavily planted with a small amount of wood. Inhabitants are 15 cardinal tetras, 4 Pentazona barbs, 3 corydoras trilineatus, and 3 zebra danios. I use RO water remineralised with JBL Aquadur and the tank typically has a TDS of 200-250, and a KH of 2-2.5.

I am mainly worried about two things: the Otos getting bullied, and the Otos getting enough to eat. While the Pentazona barbs are quite placid, they are very carnivorous, and greedy. They tend to feed quite enthusiastically.

Also, while there is a decent amount of biofilm/ algae in the tank, there isn't a massive amount. I wanted to get 4 ottos for the tank. But will they have enough food to survive? I know i need to supplement their diet with veg as well but my friend who keeps ottos says he has never got them to eat any veg.

Anyway, all advice is appreciated. Cheers.
 
Don't see any issue with your setup. I got 6 in early 2012, three left now. Not fed explicitly their own food, but do eat algae wafers and left over food from rest of fish. In my experience they are not an algae cleaning up crew, they ignore BBA and all types of green algae.

They do spend a lot of time hovering around and sucking on the glass. Maybe that stops algae forming.

However, soon after setting up my tank I got "new tank syndrome" diatoms and they did scoff that and if you have killed any serious BBA/BGA on hardscape using Excel they will polish off the dead remains.
 
Thanks Ian. My main "dirt" in the tank is diatoms and green dust algae on the glass. So I'm hoping they will help with that.

Do you have any idea why you lost the three?
 
Otos will clean out Diatoms in the time at all. Regarding feeding them vegetables, I found that you just got to keep placing them into the tank, they will eventually know what they are. I recommend feeding courgettes over cucumber because cucumber has less nutrients compared to the former. Spinach is also loved by Otos. If possible consider placing pebbles in a container of water next to the window to encourage algae. Place a pebble or two in your aquarium for the otos to graze, switch the pebbles out with a different one to keep a constant supply of algae.

Otos can be sensitive when introduced due to the method in which they are caught and transport, so it has best to ask about when the stock arrived and wait a while before purchasing to minimise stress and the chance of a quick death after introduction. Once settled in your aquarium they should be very hardy.
 
Thanks. When you say "Otos will clean out diatoms in the time at all", was that meant to read "no time at all"?
 
Very sensitive fish to sudden changes in water water parameters and prefers pristine water .
I've had many just suddenly die in an smaller established system where as its mates were ok but I have three in my main tank that seem to be doing well.
 
So I'm guessing they don't really like Co2?

I'm going to buy 4 today, I'll just have to drip acclimatise them really slowly.
 
Sacha said:
Do you have any idea why you lost the three?
Click to expand...
Nope. Generally though I have found when I get say 20 new fish I loose a few in a week or two and rest carry on living for ever.
 
Bought 4 ottos. Got 3 left. The little one died for no reason...
 
Some may die within days, often as you say for no reason. It's just because they were starved to the point of no recovery prior to coming to your tank, or were too stressed from what happened to them, or the methods in which they were caught if poison is used, etc..
But as ian says earlier, the surviving ones are very hardy. I don't think they are sensitive at all.
As for having enough algae, you'll have to see. Monitor them, their bellies should be round and looking like a fingerprint when pressed against the glass, and their tails should be thick. It's the tail that gets thinner first when they start lacking food. Normally all shop bought ones come with thin tails and need fattening up.
I don't know what exactly they actually consume apart from diatoms and certain green algae, and veg, but they at least keep the surface of the leaves clear of debris that can block how well the plants photosynthesize.
 
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