# What should I do with the otos?



## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

So I moved a few weeks ago. Moved over my ten-gallon that has a betta & some snails, got a new 40 gal tall and moved all the inhabitants of my 20L into that (cherry barbs, kuhli loaches, snails). My local petsmart seems to have turned over a new leaf recently- the fishes look healthier than I've ever seen for several weeks consistently, and the employees offer what seems to me decent advice. I took a chance and got 5 otocinclus a week ago- both my tanks (planted) have algae right now.

I did not quarantine them (I have never been able to keep these fish alive in QT tank- not enough algae) but they looked nice- alert fins, no fungus, pretty active, round tummies, saw a few of them even poop (so I think their digestion is working ok!) I put two in my 10gal and three in my 40gal.

Now the 10gal is looking sparkly clean and the otos in there look bright & happy (as well as you can tell with a fish). The betta leaves them alone. 

In my 40, which still has lots of brown algae/diatoms (I think I have not got the balance of light/ferts right yet) two of the otos died (no fungus or symptoms, looked fine one day, dead the next) there's only one left. So: should I move the lonely one into the 10gal? (concerned that whatever killed his companions could contaminate the 10gal) Or should I move the 2 healthy looking otos into the 40gal (which really needs them)? OR should I leave them all where they are and perhaps buy a few more for the 40?

what do you think....


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2015)

First I would test the water, make sure that your water parameters are normal. Then do a water change just to be on the safe side. Do not move the otos until you are sure that whatever killed the two otos in your 40 gallon.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Yes I have been testing the water almost daily- there was an ammonia spike to 0.25 when the first one died and I did a 25% wc, since then it has been fine - Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrates 20. pH is about 7.6 Doing another water change tomorrow


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2015)

Are these tanks cycled?


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Yes. "Instant cycle".

I set them both up with their established filters and all the substrate, plants, rocks, decor etc when moved- it was only a 5 min drive so nothing dried out- I have tested frequently the 1st two weeks and there has been no ammonia (except for when one fish died), no nitrites, plenty of nitrates- so I assume my biofilters are alive and functional.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

ok..i am not so bright...can somebody tell me what a 40 gallon tall is..what are the dimensions ?


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

lohachata said:


> ok..i am not so bright...can somebody tell me what a 40 gallon tall is..what are the dimensions ?


Well lohachata, here is a site that will tell you the dimensions of 2.5 gallon to 180 gallon tanks

http://www.anapsid.org/resources/tanksize.html

I am surprised that you of all people, with 40+ years of experience in the fishkeeping hobby, don't know the dimensions of a 40 gallon tall tank. I would think that a 40 gallon tall has the same dimensions as a standard 40 gallon tank only the height would be a bit different.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would not put the healthy otos in the 40. At least not immediately. Although they can eat brown algae, its not the best food and its possible there is some toxic "algae" in the 40 that did in the others, maybe cyanobacter. Or maybe its a pH thing or a trace metal or whatever. Or maybe it is just new oto death and buying new ones would help. But if you don't move them, you have to find something for the otos in the small tank to eat. The repashy gels are supposed be good. Wait and see if the lonely one gets better or worse in a few weeks.

I'd guess at 40T is a like a 30L but 1/3 taller. 1'x3'


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i am not thinking that 40 T is an actual "Standard" aquarium size..if it has a 36 x 21 footprint it would be approx. 21" tall...
what i see a lot of is folks calling both 40B and 40L tanks 40 Tall......I have had all kinds of tank volumes but never an actual 40 Tall..
i was just curious to find what folks call a 40 Tall...


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

hmm, the link given does not give dimensions for a 40T


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

WildForFish: I know it doesn't. I have to look at other sites, but I am doubting there really is a 40 gallon tall tank. The link I posted gives standard dimensions of tanks, 2.5 gallons to 180 gallons. 

OP: please provide a picture of your 40 gallon tall tank. We are just not seeing how you can have a 40 gallon tall, as we never saw a 40 gallon tall tank. At least I have never seen one.

lohachata: maybe it is a custom made 40 gallon tall tank, could that be why we never seen or heard of one? I know you have heard people say they have a 40 gallon tall when they really have a 40 gallon breeder or long, but have probably never seen one.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

Actually the thread is not about the tank size.

Maybe stick to helping the OP?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i agree with EMC...leave the otos as they are..let the 40 get better established.make sure you keep the otos well fed..they are a great little fish to have..


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

as far as the tank size issue...i never said that i didn't know what a 40 T was or that i had never seen one..i just wanted to know what the OP actually bought....i have seen almost every tank size one could think of...odd sizes are often home made or custom built...but for the most part only a few manufacturers offer a 40 T.....PLUS...there can also be variations of the dimensions relative to the makers...
here is a company that makes a wide variety of tank sizes..
http://glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=2

jeane...my apologies for taking your thread so far off course..i was just curious about the dimensions of your new tank..


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

I agree as well with emc7. I did advise that the OP get the tank better before moving the otos, so that there are no more deaths.

I agree with you lohachata, otos are cute little fish, seen them in the pet stores around here. I want some otos.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

The dimensions are 36 x 12 x 20, it's actually 19 3/4" tall, I don't know who the manufacturer is, I bought it used:








Here's a pic from last week (it looks somewhat better now, I've been cleaning the glass weekly and this time there was half the amount of diatoms). 








The lonely oto looks ok this morning, the pair in the ten gal look great. There is some green algae too but yeah, it's mostly brown. I'm going to start offering them zucchini and algae wafers to see if they will eat it. I've never seen repashy gels? 

I would like to leave the pair where they are long-term- I like how clean they keep the glass and anubias leaves, and it's nice to have something else to look at in there besides my betta- he's handsome but not very lively. I had been thinking of doing something to lower the light level to inhibit the algae- raising the light, reducing the photoperiod or swapping the glass lid for lexan panels? but now might leave it as-is, so there's always some algae for the otos to eat. On the other hand, a ten-gallon seems a bit small for their activity level and I wonder if they'd be happier in a larger group... Just thinking about it all.

So I will wait and see how the fish continue to do in the forty gallon- I think I will hold off and not move anyone between tanks, but maybe add more otos later.

Thanks everyone for the input.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I didn't know there was toxic algae? isn't cyanobacteria the neon-green stuff? I don't think I have any of that. My cherry barbs nibble on algae frequently- they don't seem harmed by anything.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

To reduce the light from outside sources, maybe block out the light from the back panel and 1/4th the side panels?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

actually it is what is called a 38 gallon tank..they are great for angels..the extra depth helps them to develop good finage...


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

Lohachata: that is what I thought the tank is, so I looked it up on the sites we posted. Then I thought that I better wait for you to post to be sure. Which I was right when thinking it is a 38 gallon. Glad I waited to be sure.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Oops so I've been calling it the wrong thing! But I'm really glad to heard that its suitable for angels- that's exactly what I wanted it for eventually


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

WildforFish- good idea, it does need a background panel on there- light gets in from the windows for sure. You can see it in the pictures- the tank actually spans the space between two windows and overlaps the windowsills about 2.5-3" on each side.


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

Jeane09 said:


> Oops so I've been calling it the wrong thing! But I'm really glad to heard that its suitable for angels- that's exactly what I wanted it for eventually


Hey it does happen when you don't know the dimensions of the tank. Now you know what size it really is, and at least you were close with the gallon size. Usually you can tell by how many 5 gallon buckets you need to fill up the tank. A 55 gallon tank will take about 11 5 gallon buckets to fill.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

You're right. I filled it first time with eight five-gallon bucketloads, but none of them were full _to the top_, or it would have sloshed over en route from the kitchen. So it wasn't really forty gallons... but pretty close.


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

When in doubt, using 5 gallon buckets to fill any size tank will roughly tell you how many gallons a tank is.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you put more light on the tank with brown algae, you might get some green algae to grow instead. cyanobacter is a photosynthesizing bacteria, those nasty bluish green sheets that slough off and clog filter intakes. Most are harmless, but some strains have toxins.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

Jeane...any time you want to know the volume of an aquarium do the following....yours for instance.....
Length 36" x W 12" x H 20" = 8,640....divide 8640 by 231 = 37.402597 gallons..manufacturer rounds up to next higher volume to give the sense of a bigger tank... there are 231 cubic inches in 1 gallon....

buy quality young angels that already have good finage..do not buy angels with short stubby fins..


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

Lohachata: if a person doesn't know the tank dimensions at all, how are they going to know to do that? Like mine for example. I did not know the tank dimensions for my tank, so I filled the tank up with water using a 5 gallon bucket. That is how I knew my big tank is a 55 gallon.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

A measuring tape?


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2015)

LOL @WildForFish. What if they don't have a measuring tape?


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

emc7- ok, I definitely don't have cyanobacteria. I thought the brown stuff was diatoms, from it being a new setup? it has reduced a lot in the past week. 

lohachata- thanks for that info. Every time I'm in a shop with fish I'm drawn to the angels. I keep looking for local breeders too, but none so far have the types I want. Been thinking of checking out an aquarium show too- if I can find one not too far away.

WildforFish- I did use a measuring tape just now! The tank was advertised to me as a 40 gal, and it looked bigger than the 30's I'd seen in the store, but smaller than a 55, so I just took his word for it.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

oh Jeane09, the measuring tape comment was not directed to you.
My apologies


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

No worry- I replied in jest.  I have at times (for other items) used string and held that alongside a ruler and did addition, when I didn't have a measuring tape on hand.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2015)

Yeah it was for me. Kinda funny because my comment before that was for lohachata. Oh well, no worries here either.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

Jeane....try here for some angels...
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwangelfish&&&&&&&page=1&pb=0

and always check the sellers feedback before buying...if you need any assistance , let me know..


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2015)

Agree with lohachata. You can also get fish food from lohachata on aquabid. He is very good about getting it to you within a week. I had ordered from him, and got the package within a week. Very good seller.


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

Hey angel I know a way to measure a tank if you don't have a measuring tape. A dollar bill is exactly 6 inches long. There you go, a way to do it with out a measuring tape .


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2015)

I didn't know that a dollar bill is 6".


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## big b (Aug 17, 2014)

Me either til I googled weird facts a few months ago. You can learn a lot when you google weird facts and stuff like that


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Ok, thanks. But it will be a while yet. As in a year or more- I want the tank to be well-established, and maybe just let the barbs live out their life, before I get angels, my plants (I hope) will be mature then too, and I'll know how to manage it all better...


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