Oto Update

Karackle · 03-21-2008, 02:35 PM

Well, 2 of the 3 Otos I added to my 5 gallon are fat and happy and doing well, they've cleaned all my crypts of any algae and cleaned the glass quite well, and they eat algae wafers! I've been putting in ~1/4 of the small (about dime sized) wafers, and they eat them! The wafers disappear and I've seen the otos picking at them, so i assume it's the Otos not the Betta eating the wafers

The third Oto is AWOL. I couldn't scare him out of hiding when doing a PWC yesterday, but i didn't find a body either. So he may or may not be hiding somewhere, but my hopes are not high, he was the smallest by a good deal. But i'm so glad the other 2 are doing well, i've tried otos before without much luck, so thank you everyone who gave me advice! I think it really helped! :-D

Sponsors

**cah925** · 03-21-2008, 03:45 PM

I heard the stories when I was researching them, but decided to give them a try. I aclimate them nice and slow (as recommended) and I've never lost one. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Karackle · 03-21-2008, 03:54 PM

Yeah, the previous times I did the add a cup of tank water every 15 or so minutes method for acclimation, this time I drip acclimated them for about 4 hours, and they seemed much happier immediately. The AWOL guy was small and not so healthy looking when i brought him home, i should have noticed it at the store and requested a different one. Ah well. Such is life, i'm just happy the other 2 are doing well so far!

**lauraleellbp** · 03-21-2008, 04:43 PM

Slow acclimitization goes a longggg way in helping otos out. Try picking out ones that have nice round bellies and seem fairly active.

If you have room in your tank, they also really prefer to be kept in a small school of 4-5?

Karackle · 03-21-2008, 05:57 PM

Yeah, I bought 3 initially to see how they did/whether they'd eat algae wafers etc. since my tank seems pretty well balanced and I haven't had too much of an algae problem, would adding 2-3 more be too much bioload with the betta in a 5 gallon? Or probably manageable since it's heavily planted?

Thanks!

**cah925** · 03-21-2008, 05:59 PM

With such a small tank I would stick with the three that you already have.

mistergreen · 03-21-2008, 06:16 PM

I have three in a 10G.. I think that's a good number and size for them.
They like to hang out in groups so if you see one the other should be close by.

Karackle · 03-21-2008, 06:21 PM

Yes, the 2 that survived (at least I'm assuming the other one has passed) are hanging out in the same vicinity about half the time i see them. Perhaps I'll find one more fat one at the store next time I'm there to add, we'll see.

Karackle · 03-25-2008, 04:40 PM

Well, I was at the fish store last night getting a few tetras for my 20 gallon and I was looking at the Otos, they all looked fat, happy and healthy, should I grab 1 more to replace the little guy I lost, or is just 2 better for a 5 gallon? I know they do best in groups, if 2 is a big enough "group" i can leave them as is, but I think htere's probably room for a 3rd? Any and all thoughts / suggestions / opinions welcome! thanks!!!

**NeonShrimp** · 03-25-2008, 05:19 PM

I think that 1 or 2 more would be alright as these fish do not produce much bioload from what I have seen. They do better in the larger groups and you will not need to worry about the algae

Please remember what lauraleellbp said about slow acclimation, it does go a long way with otos.

rasetsu · 03-25-2008, 08:24 PM

Getting 2 more would be good. The don't add much to the bioload and stay small. The water won't notice the addition much, but the otos will.

Karackle · 03-25-2008, 10:25 PM

Thanks for the input! I think i'll definitely add at LEAST 1 more so that I definitely have 3 if not 4 (depending on whether the other guy is just REALLY good at hiding or not

) And yes, I let them slooooowly drip acclimate for 4+ hours last time, and plan to do the same if i get more.

Thanks!

**Blue Ridge Reef** · 03-26-2008, 01:30 PM

I find that acclimating them into an unheated tank with a high oxygen content has been best. I usually deal with 50-100 per shipment, but my losses were close to 50% when just floating/net releasing them in heated systems. Now I have quarantines w/wet dry that run cool and it makes all the difference in the world. There's no time for drip acclimation when dealing with a large shipment of livestock, but I've definitely noticed that ottos like cooler water, are sensitive to ammonia, and ship poorly -so this seems to be the best method for me.

Karackle · 03-26-2008, 10:23 PM

Thanks Blue Ridge! That sounds pretty good, i think the water cools off as it drips in, so that probably helped too if cool water helps them acclimate

I hope my tank isn't too warm for them once they're in my 5 gallon...perhaps i'll turn the heat down a little in there to make them happier

Thanks again for the tip!

owlavatar · 03-27-2008, 01:38 AM

I just got more otos tonight

03-21-2008, 02:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Oto Update Well, 2 of the 3 Otos I added to my 5 gallon are fat and happy and doing well, they've cleaned all my crypts of any algae and cleaned the glass quite well, and they eat algae wafers! I've been putting in ~1/4 of the small (about dime sized) wafers, and they eat them! The wafers disappear and I've seen the otos picking at them, so i assume it's the Otos not the Betta eating the wafers The third Oto is AWOL. I couldn't scare him out of hiding when doing a PWC yesterday, but i didn't find a body either. So he may or may not be hiding somewhere, but my hopes are not high, he was the smallest by a good deal. But i'm so glad the other 2 are doing well, i've tried otos before without much luck, so thank you everyone who gave me advice! I think it really helped! :-D

03-21-2008, 03:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
cah925 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (38) Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 344	I heard the stories when I was researching them, but decided to give them a try. I aclimate them nice and slow (as recommended) and I've never lost one. Maybe I'm just lucky. __________________ The new alternative to Paypal - Sign up for Revolution Money Exchange here

03-21-2008, 04:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
lauraleellbp Fresh Fish Freak (View User Tanks) PTrader: (11) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Naples, Florida Posts: 4,283	Slow acclimitization goes a longggg way in helping otos out. Try picking out ones that have nice round bellies and seem fairly active. If you have room in your tank, they also really prefer to be kept in a small school of 4-5? __________________ Laura Lee; 10gal planted RCS colony, 46gal FW community w/ el plasticos, 90gal FW planted in progress- see my journal at http://forums.tfhmagazine.com/viewto...p?f=82&t=23207

03-21-2008, 05:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
cah925 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (38) Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 344	With such a small tank I would stick with the three that you already have. __________________ The new alternative to Paypal - Sign up for Revolution Money Exchange here

03-21-2008, 06:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
mistergreen Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 2,432	I have three in a 10G.. I think that's a good number and size for them. They like to hang out in groups so if you see one the other should be close by. __________________ Algae happens.

03-21-2008, 03:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Yeah, the previous times I did the add a cup of tank water every 15 or so minutes method for acclimation, this time I drip acclimated them for about 4 hours, and they seemed much happier immediately. The AWOL guy was small and not so healthy looking when i brought him home, i should have noticed it at the store and requested a different one. Ah well. Such is life, i'm just happy the other 2 are doing well so far!

03-21-2008, 05:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Yeah, I bought 3 initially to see how they did/whether they'd eat algae wafers etc. since my tank seems pretty well balanced and I haven't had too much of an algae problem, would adding 2-3 more be too much bioload with the betta in a 5 gallon? Or probably manageable since it's heavily planted? Thanks!

03-21-2008, 06:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Yes, the 2 that survived (at least I'm assuming the other one has passed) are hanging out in the same vicinity about half the time i see them. Perhaps I'll find one more fat one at the store next time I'm there to add, we'll see.

03-25-2008, 04:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Well, I was at the fish store last night getting a few tetras for my 20 gallon and I was looking at the Otos, they all looked fat, happy and healthy, should I grab 1 more to replace the little guy I lost, or is just 2 better for a 5 gallon? I know they do best in groups, if 2 is a big enough "group" i can leave them as is, but I think htere's probably room for a 3rd? Any and all thoughts / suggestions / opinions welcome! thanks!!!

03-25-2008, 05:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
NeonShrimp Wannabe Me (View User Tanks) PTrader: (103) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 1,381	I think that 1 or 2 more would be alright as these fish do not produce much bioload from what I have seen. They do better in the larger groups and you will not need to worry about the algae Please remember what lauraleellbp said about slow acclimation, it does go a long way with otos. __________________ A little kindness goes a long way!

03-25-2008, 08:24 PM	#11 (permalink)
rasetsu Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Frisco, TX Posts: 187	Getting 2 more would be good. The don't add much to the bioload and stay small. The water won't notice the addition much, but the otos will.

03-25-2008, 10:25 PM	#12 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Thanks for the input! I think i'll definitely add at LEAST 1 more so that I definitely have 3 if not 4 (depending on whether the other guy is just REALLY good at hiding or not ) And yes, I let them slooooowly drip acclimate for 4+ hours last time, and plan to do the same if i get more. Thanks!

03-26-2008, 01:30 PM	#13 (permalink)
Blue Ridge Reef I do stuff (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 548	I find that acclimating them into an unheated tank with a high oxygen content has been best. I usually deal with 50-100 per shipment, but my losses were close to 50% when just floating/net releasing them in heated systems. Now I have quarantines w/wet dry that run cool and it makes all the difference in the world. There's no time for drip acclimation when dealing with a large shipment of livestock, but I've definitely noticed that ottos like cooler water, are sensitive to ammonia, and ship poorly -so this seems to be the best method for me. __________________ Nothing good happens fast in an ecosystem.

03-26-2008, 10:23 PM	#14 (permalink)
Karackle Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 147	Thanks Blue Ridge! That sounds pretty good, i think the water cools off as it drips in, so that probably helped too if cool water helps them acclimate I hope my tank isn't too warm for them once they're in my 5 gallon...perhaps i'll turn the heat down a little in there to make them happier Thanks again for the tip!

03-27-2008, 01:38 AM	#15 (permalink)
owlavatar Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South Jersey, USA Posts: 63	I just got more otos tonight __________________