Bad Oto! Very Bad!

[BBrain]

My oto used to be my friend. I liked him a lot. I fed him well, and kept the tank spotlessly clean for him. When he looked lonely, I bought him another oto to play with. All seemed well in my tank.

Two days ago I noticed him hanging upside down from the floating Water Sprite (Ceratopteris spp.)
At first I thought he was dead, and my heart sunk. Then I saw he was breathing, and I thought, "how cute!"

The next day, I saw TEETH MARKS all over my Water Sprite:

I was angry, because I like my Water Sprite. I think it completes my tank:

I checked all my Water Sprite, removed all the damaged leaves, and placed them on a plate to survey the damage:

"I will fool that little fish," I thought, and planted a couple of the Water Sprites today. "That little fish will not notice these ones, down on the gravel," I thought.
Well, I looked in the tank this evening, after the lights had been out for a short while. The oto had targetted that Water Sprite, too! So, he does his dirty work under the cover of darkness! He is no fool. But I caught him in the act with my camera:

You can see the ravaged plant on the right, and the little #^$%@& working away on the other one. His friends, the Lemon Tetras, seem to be egging him on, don't they?!

Don't say I starve him. He has tons of food: nice, soft brown algae, some soft green algae, a different veggie every day or so (Romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, etc.), and even algae wafers in a special clip on the glass (up off the bottom so the other fishes don't get it). Maybe I've just spoiled him, and he thinks he's the boss now!

So, what do the oto experts suggest I do now?

 

[Silverlady]

Have you got a better picture of him, he doesn't look like my Otos.

 

[BBrain]

Here's the little devil:

 

[Griz]

deleted: should have read your post more carefully.

Definitely an oto though.

 

[Silverlady]

LOL yes definitely an Oto.

 

[catxx]

o. affinis

is water sprite related to any aquatic veges?! maybe he thinks its veges for him! try and distract him with a lump of cucumber or courgette.

 

[BBrain]

Aw, I missed what you wrote, Griz! Did you think it was another species or something? Just curious.

Catxx, I don't know much about Water Sprite, but I guess it must taste excellent to those otos! All I can think of is to try giving them something they might like better (zucchini/courgette?), or else just accept their chewings. In a way, the otos are helping with my tank maintenance, keeping that fast-growing Water Sprite from overtaking the surface and over-shadowing my rooted plants. Maybe they're my friends after all!

 

[demonmagus]

they may have thought it was a chinese algae eater. I think these guys don't actually eat much algae and I think they may eat plants. and they kinda look like otos (slightly)

 

[Themuleous]

Well my ottos have eaten one of my anubias and I think they are starting on the others, if it continues that'll 30quids worth of anubias plants down the dam drain, or I guess I should say down the dam otto mouth. Little sods!

Sam

 

[Dude]

Well my ottos have eaten one of my anubias and I think they are starting on the others, if it continues that'll 30quids worth of anubias plants down the dam drain, or I guess I should say down the dam otto mouth. Little sods!

Sam

your ottos ate an anubias!?! thats crazy .... even in my snail tank they stay off it

 

[Themuleous]

Well that's what I think anyway, the plant only showed signs of being eaten after I added them and its definitely not the other fish. Completely ruined my biggest one. Very tempted to take them out, but not really got anywhere to put them!

If I could identify which one it was them I could re-house just that one, little sod!

Sam