Buying Otos
- Thread starter celaeno
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arabballin
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dont wait on it, you want the ottos to acclimate to your water not the one at the lfs. Make sure you get a good size group, 5+ or so. I had 5 of them with tiger barbs and they did great so i imagine they will be ok with rosy barbs.
AlexAndCarmen
Scorched Earth
I'd wait at least 2 weeks before getting some. If you are worried about them being sold out before you get some, ask the LFS if you could book some.
They are pretty fragile and a huge percentage normally don't make it in the first week at the LFS. You'd also do better waiting to see which look healthier. If they're eating at the LFS, you'd have no problems with them eating at home.
How old is your tank? It needs to have been up and running for at least 6 weeks before adding any oto's. They do best eating brown algae and benefit from having lots of live plants in the tank. They normally rest and eat algae from the leaves.
I've bought from the LFS before, when they'd just arrived and they all perished. Second time round I waited a few weeks and only 2 weeks after buying them, they started breeding in my tank. Check my sig for my oto breeding diary.
They are pretty fragile and a huge percentage normally don't make it in the first week at the LFS. You'd also do better waiting to see which look healthier. If they're eating at the LFS, you'd have no problems with them eating at home.
How old is your tank? It needs to have been up and running for at least 6 weeks before adding any oto's. They do best eating brown algae and benefit from having lots of live plants in the tank. They normally rest and eat algae from the leaves.
I've bought from the LFS before, when they'd just arrived and they all perished. Second time round I waited a few weeks and only 2 weeks after buying them, they started breeding in my tank. Check my sig for my oto breeding diary.
thanks for the reply. both of my tanks have been running for over a year.
can i wait just 1 week instead of 2, as i'm worried that they will be sold out possibly? if not, maybe i can visit the lfs twice a week to monitor how many otos are left?
can i wait just 1 week instead of 2, as i'm worried that they will be sold out possibly? if not, maybe i can visit the lfs twice a week to monitor how many otos are left?
AlexAndCarmen
Scorched Earth
Well, it really is up to you. If your LFS has a good supplier and their fish are very healthy, good specimens, then wait a week. Could you not ask them to hold some for you? Have you got live plants in your tank?
How many were you planning on going for?
Good luck and keep us updated.
How many were you planning on going for?
Good luck and keep us updated.
i don't think they'd hold the otos for me, as they're only a buck each.
i don't have any live plants in my tanks (nor fake plants for that matter) and i plan on getting 4 otos, in case some die.
also, should i use normal or drip acclimation for 4 otos?
as my signature shows, i have two tanks i can put them in.
my 20g has a ph problem though. every 3-4 days, the ph decreases by 0.3, so i have to use pure baking soda to buffer it (otherwise, the ph keeps falling to dangerously low levels).
my 10g doesn't have this problem. i think it's related to fish density in the tank.
so anyway, which tank should i put the otos in, considering this? would it be ok to put the otos in the 20g regardless, after quarantining them in the 10g for a month?
i don't have any live plants in my tanks (nor fake plants for that matter) and i plan on getting 4 otos, in case some die.
also, should i use normal or drip acclimation for 4 otos?
as my signature shows, i have two tanks i can put them in.
my 20g has a ph problem though. every 3-4 days, the ph decreases by 0.3, so i have to use pure baking soda to buffer it (otherwise, the ph keeps falling to dangerously low levels).
my 10g doesn't have this problem. i think it's related to fish density in the tank.
so anyway, which tank should i put the otos in, considering this? would it be ok to put the otos in the 20g regardless, after quarantining them in the 10g for a month?
Otos are tricky to get established, partly because it's hard to find ones that are healthy enough to survive. They are wild caught fish that sometimes have poison poured into their water to stun them so they can be netted. Evidently some never do recover from this.
Another part of the problem is that between the time they are caught and the time they arrive in the lfs, they often starve. They need vegetable matter to eat and when they are being shipped around they often do not have any. When they haven't eaten for a time, they lose the bacteria in their stomachs that is necessary for them to digest their food. Once this happens, they might eat, but it does them no good.
When you buy them, try not to buy from a shipment that has just arrived at the lfs. It's best if you can wait a week or two so that the weakest ones will be gone. Then buy ones that are plump looking and have round little tummies. There is a chance that these otos will remain healthy for you.
BTW, the problem you are having with your pH is not good for the fish. Perhaps if you ask in the Science section you can learn a way to resolve the problem and keep it stable.
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=107
Another part of the problem is that between the time they are caught and the time they arrive in the lfs, they often starve. They need vegetable matter to eat and when they are being shipped around they often do not have any. When they haven't eaten for a time, they lose the bacteria in their stomachs that is necessary for them to digest their food. Once this happens, they might eat, but it does them no good.
When you buy them, try not to buy from a shipment that has just arrived at the lfs. It's best if you can wait a week or two so that the weakest ones will be gone. Then buy ones that are plump looking and have round little tummies. There is a chance that these otos will remain healthy for you.
BTW, the problem you are having with your pH is not good for the fish. Perhaps if you ask in the Science section you can learn a way to resolve the problem and keep it stable.
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=107thanks for the reply, inchworm.
i visited my lfs again today and saw 2 large pieces of lettuce in the oto tank. only one oto was on one of them though.
there were about 100 otos and most of them were active. they seemed to be breathing rapidly though. i spotted a few with decent tummies.
i visited my lfs again today and saw 2 large pieces of lettuce in the oto tank. only one oto was on one of them though.
there were about 100 otos and most of them were active. they seemed to be breathing rapidly though. i spotted a few with decent tummies.
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