New Ottos

[Vivienne]

OK, I know it sounds like a silly question. Picked up a couple of tiny ottos yesterday. They're little more than half an inch long at the moment. As soon as they were released into the tank they started munching away on the algae. There's plenty algae in the tank just now (lots growing on the concrete background, a little on the plants and a little on the glass) so do I need to bother with algae wafers or bits of cucumber etc at the moment?

They seem happy enough, but I do want to make sure they get enough to eat.

 

[JackDemp528]

I put algae disks in anyway, at night, because they're always gone by morning. It's important to supplement them, because in a month when the algae is gone they'll starve.

 

[emma12321]

once the algae has gone you can add algae wafers for them. They also like cucumber, just cut a slice off, poke a plant weight through and drop it in.

Hope this helps

Emma

 

[Vivienne]

Thanks - I figured they'd need something else eventually, but I'll start putting in a little of something else each evening and let them graze on algae during the day.

 

[Briarmoor]

You can freeze fresh squash then thaw it. That is supposed to make it easier for the fish than just cutting up fresh. My fish all like it. I also give them thawed frozen peas.

P.

 

[Vivienne]

Well I tried a piece of blanched courgette yesterday and then half an algae wafer overnight. No interest in either of them. I guess an algae wafer is a bit dull when there's plenty of the fresh stuff about. Every time I look, they're busily munching away somewhere. As to the courgette, I think it was still quite tough even after blanching it. Thanks for the freezer tip. I'll try them on a piece of cucumber or suchlike after I next go shopping. I guess if they were that desparate for more than algae they'd start eating the plants ?