Do Otos Hide?

[peediedj67]

bought 4 otos over a week ago, recently changed plants in tank and only seen 3 otos since,can 1 be hiding really well or would he have been stuck to plant and gone ??

 

[Rorie]

I have had ottos on a few occasions from a few places. First off, they get themselves into very small places, upside down, in corners etc. So i wouldn't worry too much if you can't find them.

BUT, i also find ottos weak! I have only ever had one live over a year old. Many die in a month, then some more after a couple more months, then the rest..... I have heard from a few people experiencing the same issues

 

[Akasha72]

yep, oto's are notoriously hard to keep. They keel over at the slightest thing. I've had a few myself and lost them all. If you can't find one it might be a good idea to start a proper search. A possible dead rotting fish in your tank isn't a great thing.
It could be that it is hiding out or has found an excellant patch of algae somewhere out of sight that it's feeding on. I found mine usually turned up after a few hours. Any more than that and I started pulling out my bogwood and rocks looking for a body.

Hope you find it

 

[peediedj67]

just taken rocks etc out cant find him anywhere?? also iam putting courgette and algae wafers in and not touching either will they starve

 

[davejcollins]

just taken rocks etc out cant find him anywhere?? also iam putting courgette and algae wafers in and not touching either will they starve

They feed off a lot of the "film" and microscopic items we can't see - is it a planted and established tank ? That is a must really. I currently have 8 of them - originally bought 10 but 2 died. I clip zuchinni / courgette to the side of the tank and find them on it the odd time - they are nocturnal so night time is a good time time to put it in and leave it overnight.

Could a tank mate have eaten the missing guy?

 

[Akasha72]

mine would never touch algae wafers but they did take an interest in the courgette. They seem to prefer it when it was starting to go a bit mushy. Are you blanching it first? (as in boil it for a couple of mins then into cold water and allowing to cool before putting it in the tank?) Mine also wouldn't touch it if it was on the substrate. They seemed to prefer it suspended for some reason.

As Dave said - they prefer an established tank. I lost my last two because I upgraded to a bigger tank. One died of hunger the other cut itself on something and died a few days later.

They feed on algae and, as Dave said, the slime in the tank. If the tank is too new and that isn't there for them they may just die off.

They also keel over from stress quite easily. Have you looked in your filter for the missing one? I suspect if it's not been seen for a few days it has died

 

[peediedj67]

tanks been established 2 months there does seem a lot of algae i suspect the missing one was clinging to some of the plants i threw out but will have a look in the filter, i blanched a courgette and left it until it was very mushy and as i saywas untouched

 

[fluttermoth]

They don't always recognise things like courgette as food at first, so you need to keep on offering it unitl they get the idea.

Other things you can try are; apple slices (blanched); end slices of tomato, with no seeds; melon rinds; sweet potato (again, blanched); all my suckermouths go mad for broccoli stalks, split open and cooked for three or four minutes.

 

[peediedj67]

all my suckermouths go mad for broccoli stalks, split open and cooked for three or four minutes.

tried broccoli for 1st time there going mental for it lol, so will use it again, 1 of my otos is looking awful fat is this a good or bad thing?

 

[IcQb]

Normally; A fat otto is a happy otto

pics?

 

[peediedj67]

Normally; A fat otto is a happy otto

pics?

not a very good pic also you cant see his tummy lol hes the biggest of the 3

 

[Sammyb]

He looks a good size

 

[IcQb]

If he's still pooping green (and ottos should be pooping almost all of the time)
you're good to go!

The little #29### looks (st)healthy and happy.

edit: Ah, it seems like b.ugger is a no go here ?

 

[jenjen_82]

i got 2 oto's and 1 died randomly 1 day and i found him wedged in the switch which altered the flow on my filter. I had noticed 1 had been a bit lethargic but he looked fine and my water was all ok. At the weekend i went to purchase 2 more as the remaining 1 didnt look too happy alone. On the morning that i went to buy my new ones i wasnt able to locate the other 1 but thought he was hiding. Bought the 2 more as planned, got home and put my new plant in and found him dead in the corner of my tank blended in with the gravel

If i could have found him before i went to buy the newbies i wouldnt have bothered as even though they are lovely little fish i have had numerous people say the same; they die randomly within the 1st month. Mine died exactly a month after i got them and there was no signs of illness or anything.

I now have 3 panda corys (im going to get more at a later date) and they are very active and are fascinating to watch

 

[peediedj67]

i got 2 oto's and 1 died randomly 1 day and i found him wedged in the switch which altered the flow on my filter. I had noticed 1 had been a bit lethargic but he looked fine and my water was all ok. At the weekend i went to purchase 2 more as the remaining 1 didnt look too happy alone. On the morning that i went to buy my new ones i wasnt able to locate the other 1 but thought he was hiding. Bought the 2 more as planned, got home and put my new plant in and found him dead in the corner of my tank blended in with the gravel

If i could have found him before i went to buy the newbies i wouldnt have bothered as even though they are lovely little fish i have had numerous people say the same; they die randomly within the 1st month. Mine died exactly a month after i got them and there was no signs of illness or anything.

I now have 3 panda corys (im going to get more at a later date) and they are very active and are fascinating to watch

I,VE HAD MINE 3 WEEKS NOW(and touch wood) there thriving(the 3 i have left not sure what happened to other 1)