Just Got 3 Otos

[FoundMoney]

I went to the lfs this past weekend and bought 3 otocinclus catfish for my 30 gallon. These fish look great! They are very active and are continually grazing all surfaces of the tank, especially my plants. They particularly like to hang on the vallisneria and it is funny to see them hanging on with their fins. It doesn't particularly look like they are eating much algae, everything looks pretty much the same, but they seem fat and happy. I also put in an algae wafer to make sure they were eating and they gorged themselves on that. I might have to limit their treats.

I am a little worried that these guys might not survive since I've read so much about them dying after a month. I'm hopeful though for a couple of reasons. First, when I talked to the lfs about their sensitivity and delicate nature they said that unlike many other stores they always put their otos in a planted tank. Indeed, this was the case. The lfs has a very nice, large, planted tank that they keep a lot of their tetras and catfish in. They said this was a much better environment for them than a regular 10 or 15 gallon holding tank that many stores use for their fish.

Also, these guys were quite active at the store and never missed a beat in my tank. I spent an hour acclimating them to my tank water (no, I don't have a quarantine tank ) and they were raring to go from the start.

These are great fish and I hope to add three more at some point. I just want to make sure these guys are established first.

 

[coryd]

If you stop feeding them the algae wafers, you should start to notice them put a dent in algae. Enjoy.

 

[FoundMoney]

Thanks for the advice. Yes, I will have to cut back on the algae wafers but I want to make sure they're eating and there's enough food in the tank for them. I'd rather slightly overfeed in the beginning and make sure they stay healthly than risk them starving. My tank has some algae, but I wouldn't say it's overrun and I do have a bristlenose in there, too. I'll throw another wafer in there in a day or two and then cut back to once a week. If they still seem fat and happy I'll cut that down even more.

 

[coryd]

Remember, if there is algae, there is food. However the ottos and the BN won't eat certain kinds of algae so make sure what is growing is eatible.

I have an algae eater in my sons 6gal. i have never put a wafer in for him and he has thrived for a year. He is getting too big in fact and will soon be moved to the 36.