Feeding Ottos??

[Mustang5L5]

I just got my 4th otto today. I love these little guys. I got my first one about 6 weeks ago and then each other one maybe 10-days apart. Anyway, they go to town on my tank and do a good job of keeping it clean, but now that i have 4 (thinking of a 5th) i want to make sure they are really eating well.

They will not eat algae wafers and will not eat flakes if they land next to one. Since they don't go for excess food, i'd like to think they are getting enough algae.

WHat other foods do you guys feed yours and how do you prep them?

 

[Rudy2860]

they will eat the waffers eventually they may be full from the algae that was in your tank or they may be settling ( the newer ones)

i know mine ate waffers happily and if i recall correctly, lots of others did as well
some are more active during the night so they might be eating then while others seem to be most active during the day

 

[crazie.eddie]

You can also feed them zuchini or cucumbers. Cut a slice, lightly boil it in water so it will sink, and drop it in the tank. Remove it after about 24 hours so it doesn't foul up the tank.

What other fish are in the tank?

You can also feed them frozen peas (skinned).

 

[Mustang5L5]

Other fish in the tank? 13 barbs, 6 tetras and a breeding pair of convict cichlids.

They get left alone by the other fish. The convicts spend their day chasing the barbs out of their territory (which was my intention) and the barbs seem to think it's a game. So the ottos don't see any aggression directed at them. The thing with algae wafers is my male con got an appetite for them. If they are in the tank he will round them up, take em back to his next and chow down on em. None of the other fish like them at all.

The ottos have been grazing near the wafers before. I try to put them on some driftwood near the surface of the tank near their favorite resting spot but they pay no attention to them. I always see them grazing on the leaves of my plants which i can see algae on so i know they are getting something. I always see them start to go crazy in the tank around 8-9PM and if i wke up at night i can see them swimming around and sucking on the glass, driftwood, you name it.

I just want to be sure they are full if you know what i mean by supplimenting their diet with maybe some cucumber ever week or something like that

 

[snowyangel]

Don't worry i totally feel your pain. I very much worry about my ottos and especially after one died of unknown causes. The other one is still fatter then ever and loves the live plants so I'm hoping he'll be ok as well.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Mine eat plec tablets with my cories.

 

[susangc]

I let my oto work on the tank for a while on brown and green spot algae. When he started slowing down, I supplemented with algae tabs. He still eats tank algae on the weekends.

Susan