What's The Dea With Otos

[LolaLouie]

About 3 months ago i bought 2 otos, 1 died. I bought a new oto to keep the 1st company, within 3 hours he died. I just bought 2 more otos yesterday came in today and 1 is dead!

What's the deal?!?!

I bought them from different stores so can't blame the stores. I acclimatised as you should so can't blame that. All the otos had fat little bellys, were active in the tank and for the time they were alive were active in my tank and ate plenty of algae.

What's going on?? I'd like to get my oto some mates but having now wasted £10 on dead otos i'm very reluctant to.

Thanks!

 

[Colin_T]

if they are dieing that quickly I would say there is something in the tank water that doesn't agree with them. Perhaps the nitrates are too high in the tank, or the PH too low. Maybe the tank temperature is too high and you have a faulty thermometer.

 

[geo7x]

I used to have otos and they all died within a few months.

Otos are sensitive little things, I personally wouldn't bother with them again.

 

[groovitudedude]

Hey, Geo7x, what size tank is that bichir in?

 

[LolaLouie]

Nitrates 20 and pH 7.6.. I know the pH is a little high but it's 7.8 at my LFS and the otos were fine there. I don't think I will bother with them again but i feel bad having 1 on his own!

 

[geo7x]

Hey, Geo7x, what size tank is that bichir in?

30 us gallons. 36"x12"x15"

 

[Snooks1!]

I've never had any problems with my otos...They are all doing fine, chubby little bellies and voraciously eating all the algae out of my tanks .

 

[Mr._Fishy]

IME, ottos are very easily stressed out when moved. Once you get them settled in and eating, they are very easy fish.

Ryan

 

[Zenn]

Ive recently got 5 little oto's and they seem to be fine, ok two have settled down, they know where to feast on the algea, where as the three most recent are darting back and forth, but i draw the conclusion it is because they are very young, because they are very small, now ive kept all kinds of fish, so naturally i managed to get a touch for changing things to fish needs, we all know that different fish need different tempertures and different pH level and that to live within, but take my word for it friends these are only guide lines, I have a angel and a red tail black shark, their needs are very different, yet i have achieve in the aspect of adapting the tank enviroment and adapting the fish so that both are living a FULL and healthy life, i intend to do this with my oto's, it comes from adjusting the temperture, and sometimes prolonging water changes, or making water changes in very small amounts, fish can adapt, its what they do in the wild, they dont just go into a pool of water and die if its not to their needs, they adapt, you need to master a bio system of your tanks enviroment, before you can start playing with it, so if you dont think you know how it works, dont try to test it, and dont buy fish you know are sensitive to changes, because too much of a drastic change as i learnt in the past can kill a fish in less than a few hours, I lost my prize Veil tail angel fish because of it, but that was 4 years ago, i have never managed to get my hands on another and i dare not to, because my current angel who loves to be alone would kill it on the spot, ive tried to get him tank mates but he kills them and so gave up, and he loves his life and all i can do is respect that, hence why i have very few fish.

 

[paw-paw]

Well I bought three ottos for my small tank and one died, but the remaining two are fine. they eat algae and are now becoming more and more outgoing. at first I could hardly see them, they were always hiding, but now they can often be seen on the bootm, rocks, plants and glass eating algae.

I would like to get more ottos in the future, I think they are full of character