Warning about ottocinclus

[Clare]

Just a little note to anyone keeping Ottos out there. Something very sad happened in our tank today and we just want to warn people of this experience.
Our Ottos are the dwarf kind and have lived happily with various goldfish and axelotls for a long time. Unfortunately, we found one of the goldfish swimming around with an Otto lodged in her mouth! The otto was dead, and we think it was before she took it, but it took a long time to get it out and it cut her mouth.
Thankfully she recovered and we thought it was a one off, unfortunately another otto died and an axelotl took it, got it lodged in its throat and died.

this was very sad for us, and unexpected after all this time but we want people to be warned that if ottos are kept in with fish big enough to fit them in their mouths, then beware.
your fish may not take the ottos usually but if one dies and the opportunity arises then the same thing could happen.

The other ottos are now being moved as we are very, very sad at this. We knew about their armour and none of the fish ever touched them, until they died and they saw it as an opportunity which is natural for the fish of course.
Clare

 

[Cheese Specialist]

That's a shame. They should not really be kept together to be honest. Not only are one species tropical and the other coldwater but also goldfish are known to eat any fish they can fit in their (fairly large) mouths.

Thanks for taking the time to warn others.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Yup, temperature requirements differ.

Also, sidenote, shouldn't otocinclus be put in the cat section?

 

[Dwarfs]

Tropical fish in general shouldn't be mixed with goldies

 

[The-Wolf]

Again people otocinclus are classified as sub-tropical (21-26C/70-79F)

Whilst the lower end of the scale is the mid to higher end of the goldfishs' temperature scale, It is unwise to keep them together; but not impossible.

Clare;
As Cheese has already stated thanks for the warning.

 

[Clare]

You say they shouldn`t be kept together yet they were brought up together along with minnows which are never touched and haven`t been touched for years.

It is simply because the ottos died that this happened but it just a small warning to others becuase i should think Ottos will fit in a lot of fishes mouths.

Our coldwater fish are kept slightly heated to keep them active and feeding all year round but because of heating in the lounge tanks often never drop below a certain temperature anyway. the ottos were very happy, eating cucumber, peas, and all the other food we put in there, it is just a very unfotunate story.
Thanks for the comments though and i just didn`t want anyone else to have the same experience. It is horrible.
Clare

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Minnows and larger goldfish should also not be kept together because of their size. I have read of many people's goldfish (on goldfish forums) being found with smaller fish in their mouths, often still alive.

http/www.####comfish.html

Edit: I wanted to link you to a goldfish site (with compatible fish page) but this stupid forum censors it.

www . kokos goldfish . com/comfish . html

 

[Clare]

I am well experienced in keeping fish and lots of people find that if fish are brought up together then they are fine.
In all these years not a single one of my minnows have been harmed, they are all kept in a good sized tank with lots of places to get away from eachother and fed a good varied diet.
In our 400 litre tank we have 9 minnows, lots of goldfish, orandas and black moor, axelotls, weather loach, common plec and snails and they go together fine. theyw ere brought up together, so thanks for the advice but they really are a nice lot. They all get on well together, quite a lot of people find that these fish are okay.

I know there are cases where fish take smaller fish, that happens with all kinds of fish, not just goldfish but it is the ottos that died that were taken and that is where the problem arose.
Clare