Has Anyone Bred Otos?

[AlexAndCarmen]

Thanks everyone. They are so adorable, you just want to squeeze them (well I do anyway). I released the rest of the oto fry into the fry tank this morning. We had more than first thought. I released 5 the other day, and released another 8 this morning. Unfortunately, one of the fry looked weak, very small, about the same size as when he hatched. He did swim away, but I haven't seen him since. The cory fry didn't pay him any attention when first released, so hopefully he will make it. I did find a deceased on in the breeding net too, it was also very tiny, so it seems the same old thing, survival of the fittest!! Sad to find any dead, but I know with raising cory fry, that they don't all make it, and you'll find even some of the stronger looking one's dead for no reason. But on a plus, the others I released the other day have gone through another growth spurt. I wasn't able to get pics, they were on the back glass of the tank, behind plants, but in time they should be more brave and out and about more.

Keep well and will hopefully have a bigger pic in a few days. Carmen

 

[Littlelady]

Awww you have every right to be so proud - they are lovely, well done! Looking forward to seeing more pics, so keep them coming!!

 

[§tudz]

what did you feed them, or what are you feeding them, while they were VERY small?

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Thanks Little Lady

I am really proud, they are so adorable. We found one of the really big one's this morning, and he's almost as big as the 4 week old panda fry!!! But most of the others are small, but growing.

Studz

We had a breeding net in the tank for about 2 weeks with the panda cory eggs in it. We have been releasing panda fry when they reach the two week mark into the fry tank, so it's not too crowded. Because the net had been in there 2 weeks before we got the eggs, it was absolutely full of algae and we put a small sprig of hydropollysperma in as well, full of algae. I think they also ate some of the microworms I fed the panda cory fry, because their bellies were white for a while in the beginning. Now you can see green poop, so it must be algae. We also have some daphnia in the net, keeping it clean and they breed all the time, so they might be eating some of them too.

Keep well, Carmen

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Just a couple of pics of the biggest fry.

Finally facing mommy for a pic

Look at that sucker mouth, eating as much as he can

Keep well, Carmen

 

[Bloo]

Ahhh mini Oto's !

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

My biggest oto fry, he' almost twice the size of the others I don't think this is the same fry from the other day!!

Keep well, Carmen

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Just a quick update. Our otos spawned again this weekend. I was only able to retrieve 4 eggs, which all hatched and I have 4 very fat oto fry swimming around with panda fry in the breeding net. The others are 3 weeks 2 days old, and the largest is already 2cm long!!!!! It is now identical to the parents, just a minature version. Cannot believe they grow so quick. Some are still small, but growing at a good pace. I have 3 of similar size, about 1 and a half cm. They are doing a great job of eating the algae in the fry tank, but poop as much as their parents When the biggest stops darting around like a lunatic, I'll try get a pic of her. I say female because of the size.

Keep well, Carmen

Edit: Pics added, she was munching on the side of the tank!!

Keep well again, Carmen

 

[soritan]

It's amazing that they breed for you. Oo And they breed a lot, apparently, you said "every time the pandas breed, the otos do too." So I imagine this has happened before? Wow.

Congrats! Tell us your secret. *laugh*

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

It's amazing that they breed for you. Oo And they breed a lot, apparently, you said "every time the pandas breed, the otos do too." So I imagine this has happened before? Wow.

Congrats! Tell us your secret. *laugh*

Hi Soritan

To start off with, they spawned with the panda's weekly, but the pandas have taken to spawning every day or two now, so the otos still seem to be weekly, although if our little male had his way, it would be as often as the pandas He does seem to harass the females a lot, but only gets his way once a week!! Our breeding conditions are ideal for the corys in the tank, so it would seem otos need the same. I don't really feed them anything special to condition them. They eat the algae and I pop algae disks in which I suppose they get some of, although never seen them eat. Apart from that, nothing special. We hadn't had them too long when they started spawning. We'd only had them 2 weeks!! Will keep everyone updated with growth progress.

Thanks and keep well, Carmen

 

[soritan]

Do you put Spanish Fly into your water?

 

[Bloo]

Truly amaaaaaaaaaaazing !
What are you going to do with all these babies !?

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

The babies in the fry tank will stay there till they're a bit bigger and put some in the main tank as there are 5 already there, and still plenty algae I will be keeping a few in the fry tank as because we were talking about getting some for the fry tank before they started spawning. If they continue to breed, we'll just sell the rest!! Hope they do though. Even though we have some fish that have probably been wild caught, I would love to rather buy fish that are captive bred. Our pandas have been at it again, got loads of those fry and the bronzes started this morning. Although I haven't got space for millions of their fry, and our female tends to lay over 200. I've saved a few and the cardinals and angels are feasting on the rest. Must be one happy tank this one. Just wish the Sterbai would get it on. We are taking our older bronze fry to the LFS in a few days, so will free up a bit more space. Keep well and hope everyone doesn't mind my millions pics of oto's. I can't help being a proud mom

Keep well
Carmen

 

[Kesaph]

So what are your tank conditions? Amazing that they are all at it.
I thought it was an old wives tale that "there must be something in the water". Reading this thread I'm not so sure

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Hi again

For all who want the tank stats:

Temp 26
Nitrate 15ppm
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Ph 7.2
Kh 4
Gh 9

It's a 4ft, 50gal tank heavily planted with hydropolysperma, java moss and camboba. They favour the polysperma to lay on the underside of it's leaves.

Keep well, Carmen