[csong30]

So, my otos are nice and plump now. I have 4 of them. They cleared out my diatoms in my tank and on my plants very fast. I tried to supplement by adding cucumbers and zucchini, but they have no interest in them. Had a big outbreak of GSA and green hair algae. It's starting to go away slowly since I'm dosing Excel daily now.
Question is, what can I feed them? I'm not too sure if they eat the algae wafers, but I did notice it gone from the tank after about a couple days, I've never vacuumed it up unless my bladder snails got to them. (I'm getting rid of them slowly)

Second question, I've had my pygmy cories for about a week now. Don't know if they are getting enough to eat. I can't really tell if they are eating the flakes that float to the bottom when I feed my other fish. What can I do to make sure they are eating or what else can I feed them?

I know that there are some things in the tank I can't see and the otos and pygmys can find and eat, but just not sure if that's enough. Thanks in advance!

 

[Diana]

Try other vegetables, keep rotating them.
Raw: Cucumber, tender leaves like lettuce (not iceburg) and spinach.
Blanched or microwaved a very short time: Zucchini, other fairly tender things like firmer leaves or somewhat firmer things sliced very thinly.
A bit more cooking: Broccoli stems. Slice long ways so the Otos can get to the tender middle. Green beans, slice the same way, and feed them the immature beans, too.
Longer cooking: Harder vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin, yams.
When you figure out what they like, push an algae wafer into it. Then, as the Otos graze on the vegetable they will also eat the algae wafer.

Harder to tell if the Cories are eating, their mouth is almost hidden.
I would keep on rotating sinking foods that are higher in protein, not algae wafers. Try some of the NLS products- they are in many different pellet sizes.
Try shrimp pellets (Omega One). These are too large for the dwarf Cories to eat in one bite, so you may be able to watch them work on the pellets until they can handle them.

 

[csong30]

What's NLS stand for? I'll take a look at the pellets. How small so they have to be? Is 1mm still too big for pygmy cities? Thanks for all the tips btw.

 

[abaker1961]

My otos really like the sheets of dried seaweed. And yellow squash, like Diana describes in her post.

 

[roostertech]

Leave the zucchini in there. They might not be interested when it is fresh but once it is a bit more soften they'll chow down.

 

[Manami]

I have otos and they love to eat the Tetra Veggie algae wafers xtreme.

 

[ichy]

I feed my pygmies Big Al's premium catfish sticks. They literally will pile onto it and fed!

 

[thedood]

Ive been feeding my oto zucchini and cucumber and they eat it, especially when the lights are out. Ive been looking for seaweed sheets. How is it prepped? Not trying to hijack the thread, thought the op might find the info useful as well.

 

[csong30]

One of my otos did eat a bit of the cucumber, but became uninterested. I had to get it out because it was started getting mushy.

I would order from Big Al's, but they are from Canada, so I would shipping would cost a lot more to get it into the states???

Bump:

Leave the zucchini in there. They might not be interested when it is fresh but once it is a bit more soften they'll chow down.

I'll have to try it out. I only left it in there for about a full day. Only the bladder snails seemed to be interested in it. Got to remove 6 of them. They are such a pain to get rid of...

 

[thegirlundertherainbow]

Otos and Pygmies

I have a 20g long with otos/pygmies and RCS (well and nerites).. and in addition to algae wafers (the pygmies and nerites eat these and the otos do SOME)..
and veggies..
(mine won't touch frozen seaweed sheets for some reason)
I have recently started feeding Repashy Soilent Green and Shrimp Souffle and they go NUTS over it.
SO wish I had started feeding it sooner. It's powdered stuff you mix and it turns to gel then you let it harden.. and cut into cubes.. and then I keep mine in the freezer.
It's awesome. I think even my tiny pygmy fry eat it.. but they also get powdered New Life Spectrum fry starter and baby brine shrimp (preserved/refrigerated).

 

[ichy]

One of my otos did eat a bit of the cucumber, but became uninterested. I had to get it out because it was started getting mushy.

I would order from Big Al's, but they are from Canada, so I would shipping would cost a lot more to get it into the states???

Bump:

I'll have to try it out. I only left it in there for about a full day. Only the bladder snails seemed to be interested in it. Got to remove 6 of them. They are such a pain to get rid of...

Big Al's is not in Canada.

 

[csong30]

Big Al's is not in Canada.

Oh, where are they located? I thought they were..

 

[ichy]

Big Al's
840 Aero Drive
Cheektowaga, NY, 14225

 

[WaterLife]

What's NLS stand for? I'll take a look at the pellets. How small so they have to be? Is 1mm still too big for pygmy cities? Thanks for all the tips btw.

NLS stands for New Life Spectrum. It's just a brand name, but they have the highest quality fish food.

For pellet size, definitely get .5mm, especially for dwarves/mini fish.
There is the "small fish community" formula. If you can, get the Thera A version in .5mm as it's a bit better since it has more garlic. Finicky fish is their best formula (has garlic and New Zealand green lipped/shelled mussles), but as far as I know doesn't come in .5mm, so I would stick with the .5mm Thera A.

Repashy gel is a good food as well.

Ken's fish, similar to Big Al's, also has some pretty good quality food for the price (not all, but some are). I would definitely recommend most of Ken's foods over cheap low quality fish foods typically found at Walmart and pet stores (most of Ken's food with probiotics are pretty good). Don't get the catfish sticks at Ken's, get the earthworm sticks (there is a mini sticks version) as those are a big hit with the fish (not the highest quality ingredients, but the fish like it). You would think with catfish in the name of the catfish stick food, that catfish would actually like it, but nope, I bought a pound of it and the fish just didn't like it. Now the earthworm sticks were readily eaten by the fish though.

For what it's worth though, many of my fish like the cheap Wardley catfish pellets found at Walmart. They turn to mush fairly quickly in the water, but the fish really like it even though it's a rather low quality fish food.

 

[csong30]

NLS stands for New Life Spectrum. It's just a brand name, but they have the highest quality fish food.

For pellet size, definitely get .5mm, especially for dwarves/mini fish.
There is the "small fish community" formula. If you can, get the Thera A version in .5mm as it's a bit better since it has more garlic. Finicky fish is their best formula (has garlic and New Zealand green lipped/shelled mussles), but as far as I know doesn't come in .5mm, so I would stick with the .5mm Thera A.

Repashy gel is a good food as well.

Ken's fish, similar to Big Al's, also has some pretty good quality food for the price (not all, but some are). I would definitely recommend most of Ken's foods over cheap low quality fish foods typically found at Walmart and pet stores (most of Ken's food with probiotics are pretty good). Don't get the catfish sticks at Ken's, get the earthworm sticks (there is a mini sticks version) as those are a big hit with the fish (not the highest quality ingredients, but the fish like it). You would think with catfish in the name of the catfish stick food, that catfish would actually like it, but nope, I bought a pound of it and the fish just didn't like it. Now the earthworm sticks were readily eaten by the fish though.

For what it's worth though, many of my fish like the cheap Wardley catfish pellets found at Walmart. They turn to mush fairly quickly in the water, but the fish really like it even though it's a rather low quality fish food.

I'll definitely be doing some online shopping tomorrow. Lol. Need to get some different varieties for them. Thanks!!

 

[newbieshrimpkeeper]

They love decapsulated brine shrimp eggs.

 

[Nordic]

I have stuck raw cucumber under a rock (the stuff floats like crazy), first day - nothing, second day - nothing, third day - a few nibbles visible, 4th day, its all gone.
I think they waited for it to get soft enough. It did not get messy at all.

I sometimes treat my corys with tiny pieces of banana, the other fish like it too. Not too nutritious but I think they like it.
Saw on a monster fish episode how this old lady was catching fish after fish with banana, while the pro anglers couldn't get a bite.

I love feeding artemia and brine shrimp eggs to my danio... they already love eating eggs that size .

 

[csong30]

I have stuck raw cucumber under a rock (the stuff floats like crazy), first day - nothing, second day - nothing, third day - a few nibbles visible, 4th day, its all gone.
I think they waited for it to get soft enough. It did not get messy at all.

I sometimes treat my corys with tiny pieces of banana, the other fish like it too. Not too nutritious but I think they like it.
Saw on a monster fish episode how this old lady was catching fish after fish with banana, while the pro anglers couldn't get a bite.

I love feeding artemia and brine shrimp eggs to my danio... they already love eating eggs that size .

I never heard of using banana. That's a first. Lol.

I'll have to shop around. Glad I asked around because there isn't too much info floating around Google from what I've seen.

 

[newbieshrimpkeeper]

No offence, but banana breaks up to easily in water, so its best to feed SMALL amounts. A blanched and sheled pea is a better choice.

 

[Nordic]

That is why I said tiny bits... also most of my tanks are bare bottomed, so no food gets left behind. And the danios eat any small particles that may go into the water, just in case they are eggs.
Peas are friggen gross, only exceeded by cauliflower. I'd only feed it to constipated fish. My platies sometime fart bubbles... might work for them.