Oto not looking good...

[drunkenmonkey]

On sunday i purchased all of my fish (finished fishless cycle). i bought 3 otos, and one of them does not appear to be doing very well. the first thing i noticed was that it couldn't stick to the glass... it would sort of fall down. the other two otos have been pretty active. they usually swim around and eat some algae off of the glass/plants. but this one just sort of sits at the bottom, since it can't seem to stick to the glass. It is also very fat compared to the other two, and i don't think it has eaten anything since i've introduced them. This morning it was breathing heavily, but it has stopped (hopefully). any idea what this could be??

just checked on him/her again... it looks red around the gills, and is breathing heavily again. (s)he's lying horizontally on its side along the back wall

 

[impur]

Sounds like some sort of parasite. What are your tank parameters?

 

[drunkenmonkey]

Parameters are

NH3 : 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: dont have a test kit for it
pH: 7.6
Temp: 26 C

edit - read through the common disease section. i think it has gill flukes, but that still doesn't explain the buldge. could it be a bladder problem??

 

[Rudy2860]

it is pretty unlikely a bladder problem would cause swelling, that could be bacterial or diet related that could be causing a build up of fluids.

 

[tstenback]

Sorry about your oto drunkenmonkey.

i love otos but i have had 3 die in the last month with exactly the same symptoms. I have searched the net and emailed everyone i know in the biz and no one can tell me why this happens. they have all seen this happen and it usually occurs within the first 2 weeks of bringing them home. I have taken hours to acclimate the fish and still some die quickly others hang on for a couple of weeks and still others have been with me for many months and over a year. They are very sensitive fish and if anyone here can explain this or provide info i would love to hear from them as well.

 

[drunkenmonkey]

i just bought the otos two days ago... so would the stress from being accimilated to the store, moved to my tank, then accimilated again be a cause?? the other two are very active and feed on algae. oog

 

[Ruby Shark]

Well I'm not sure what that is...but I do know that Otto's are very sensitive fish in general. I just put two in my tanks almost two weeks ago. They are both fine...swimming and eating algae off of the galss etc., but I can't get them to eat algae wafers.

 

[Ruby Shark]

Oh and I'm sorry to hear about your otto.
I hope he gets better.

 

[drunkenmonkey]

i just checked him and he died so sad

i'll go back to my lfs and get a replacement hopefully. i bought 3, and now the 2 are left. do you think i should get another one ?? thanks

 

[Ruby Shark]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that.

Yes I would get another otto as they like to be kept in groups of three or more.

 

[luxum]

I have heard that otos are wild caught using cyanide methods, highly stressful. If that's true then they would be very susceptible to diseases, and they seem to get something bacterial and die with red mouths and bellies. I had some die in the same way you describe, but they took the entire tank with them.

 

[drunkenmonkey]

I have heard that otos are wild caught using cyanide methods, highly stressful. If that's true then they would be very susceptible to diseases, and they seem to get something bacterial and die with red mouths and bellies. I had some die in the same way you describe, but they took the entire tank with them.

yeah i've read about using cyanide to catch them. pretty scary stuff . The oto isn't actually dead... its just really lethargic and barely moves. its belly has gotten bigger though, and there is red all over it. another oto was afflicted by this i found it this morning lying down breathing rapidly. i have both of them in quarentine. should i take them back to my lfs??

 

[Tednol]

ottos have been known to just di in the first month of purchase, i will be acomodating 4 soon, hope it all goes well

 

[luxum]

should i take them back to my lfs??

I would. And check the tank they came from to make sure there aren't others in the tank with the same problem. If the otos they have look healthy, get replacements and quarantine them. If ~any~ of the otos in the tank look sick, just ask for a store credit and replace them when they get some in that aren't sick.

 

[drunkenmonkey]

well i took the two sick otos back to my lfs. the woman there insisted it was my tank's fault. its newly cycled with one water change, and another one coming soon. anyways... i got store credit so i can hopefully buy more when things settle in more