# What's wrong with my otto's?



## Guest (Jun 21, 2006)

I have 2 otto's in my 10g but they stay in the same spot 24/7 behind a plant. I know they are alive because they stay fat and I can see them breathing. But now I'm getting green algae in my tank but they aren't eating it. So whats wrong with these guys?


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

There is nothing wrong with them. This is just typical otto behaviour. Ottos usually like the brown diatom algae better than the green, especially if it is green spot or hair algae. You may be feeding them too well and they would just rather wait for food to fall on their heads as to have to actually hunt or work for it. LOL


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

My otos are VERY lazy. They have a spot they stay in all day...four of them lined up like little soldiers. They get active when I turn my lights off. Also, they will not work for their food if they do not have to. Before I got my BN pleco, they would only eat when they were fed. Now, between him and my corys, the otos are forced to eat the algae. Also, they absolutely are not fond of green algae.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2006)

Well what fish will eat green algae as its just regular green algae that's suitable for the 10g?


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## harif87 (Jun 5, 2006)

Here is a great link about certain types of alge and what you can do about them:
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/aquatic-plants/2702-algae-planted-tank.html


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2006)

If its green spot algae, it is too tough for most algae eaters to eat. I think some plecos may eat it, I could be wrong though. Ottos don't eat the green spot kind.
I'd just scrape it off with a credit card. A 10g is too small for a pleco.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2006)

You need to do more research, Durbkat.

Oops, sorry...that isn't my line, is it? I guess I'll just have to try to say something helpful instead. 

The algae scraper is a great idea. It takes me about a minute to do my 40 gallon, so a 10 gallon shouldn't be too much of a task. And as long as the Ottos are stayin' fat and healthy, everything should be good.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2006)

Well you can't really take a algae scraper to gravel now can you?


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

A rubberlip pleco will eat green spot algae. I have two tanks in a sun room and my rubberlips keep them spotless. They can be tough to find, though. The only place I have ever seen them is Petsmart.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2006)

My ottos don't do much gravel cleaning. I would either take out the gravel with algae on it (if it isn't a whole lot) or just put some of the clean gravel (in the tank) over it, so its not so obvious.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2006)

Dwool Like I said here its regular green algae not green spot algae.


Durbkat said:


> Well what fish will eat green algae as *its just regular green algae* that's suitable for the 10g?


Would a bristlenose pleco eat *regular green algae*? If so my lps may order one in if I ask them to.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

BN pecs are great algae eaters but don't do spot algae well IME. But they get to be 4"+ give or take and are too big for a 10G IMO.

If you are having problems with algae on gravel I would suggest more waterchanges to remove excess nutrients, lighting on no more than 12 hours a day, CO2 if you have live plants or phosphate sponges if you don't.

Did you get that master test kit yet?


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## pureplecs (Jan 25, 2006)

The first question I would ask is "Why" are you having this aglae. Perhaps you should focus on the CAUSE as well as a cure. Too much light? Too much phosphates? Too much nitrAtes? Too many ferts? Overfeeding? Not enough water changes? Get a brigsi snail, they do a great job on the algae you are describing and do not get too large for a 10g tank. Good luck.


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## pureplecs (Jan 25, 2006)

Ooops double post...


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2006)

It could be to much light, depending on what I wake up in the morning or sometimes afternoon they stay on for about 12 hours day as I usually go to bed around 1am but turn the lights off at midnight and I usually get up at around 11:30am or noon and thats when I turn the light on. I don't know about prosperates or nitrates as none of my lps test for those. But my water stats are,
ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .50
Ph: 6.6 (used to be 7.6)
I'm doing a vacum cleaning tommorow to raise the ph and to lower the nitrites.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

Durbkat, you need to buy the test kits you need to manage the tanks and fish which you already have instead of continuing to buy new fish. Identifying and correcting problems is as much a part of the hobby as what fish is swimming around in the water.

A nitrite reading of .50 is a PROBLEM. If you had the test kits you SHOULD have you could have seen trace nitrites and worked on correcting it BEFORE it got that high. Not even being able to find out what your nitrate levels are, prevent you from even know the tank is cycled. Which is obviously isn't. No more fish should be added until ammonia is 0, nitrite in ZERO and nitrates are showing. If you can't test for nitrates you shouldn't be buying more fish.



> Get a brigsi snail, they do a great job on the algae you are describing and do not get too large for a 10g tank.


P. Bridgesii snails have a heavy bioload. Not a good choice for a tank which is already not even fully cycled. They aren't even all that great at eating algae unless they are starving.

Get the test kits, figure out WHY you have the algae and correct it if possible.

violet


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2006)

I know I need a test kit but I don't have the money, now if you want to send me $20 to get one. The tank is cycled as its been running for 3 years.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

The tank is not cycled if nitrites are .50

Time does not equal being cycled. Readings of ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate trace or probably higher indicates a cycled tank.

Spend the money you spend on fish on a the right test kits instead. Yesterday you were asking what kind of fish to buy during a trip to Walmart. Skip the fish, buy the test kits.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2006)

Well I were getting the fish for free since the betta died.


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## pureplecs (Jan 25, 2006)

Durbkat, had you cleaned the filter lately? Sometimes that can throw your tank into a mini cycle which could cause the nitrIte reading, or even perhaps overfeeding...

Violet, the bridegssi snail... They don't get that big (effusa sp.) and I put them in ALL of my ten gallons for the sole purpose of eating excess food AND especially the algae growth and believe me they aren't starving (perhaps I've just been lucky on the eating algae part). Though I do agree that until the water quality is under control it is best not to add any new fish/snail to the tank to contribute to the bioload. NitrIte is EXTREMELY toxic to ANY fish. Durb you got some water changes to do...


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2006)

No I haven't clean the filter latly and I don't over feed as they don't eat as much as the fish in my 55g.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

I am glad you have had such success with your Bridgesii snails Pureplecs. It is recommended that they be alotted a minimum of 2.5 gallons each for bioload in a well cycled tank. I raised and bred them wholesale for a while and am pretty familiar with them. If they were subsisting on scraps of food I would expect them to eat algae. For best growth and health they would be specifically fed suitable foods, not relying on scraps. But whatever works for you... I dunno nuthin.

With the current bioload a P.bridgessi would only work if it was chronically underfed, living on scraps & algae which is generally the suggestion of pet store clerks anyways.


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## pureplecs (Jan 25, 2006)

Violet, I was not questioning your experience or what you know what so ever, I was merely stating my experience with the sp. that I have (and have had). I only keep one per 10g. These tanks are fed very well and actually get more than just scraps just so you know, and I've never bought a snail from a petshop nor have I ever listened to a petshop clerk!

Durbkat, these nitrItes are caused from something, and what was stated above are the most frequent/popular causes for such a reading. Perhaps you should take your tap water in to be tested just to be able to rule that out as well.


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

Durb, usually the pet stores will test your water for free. But, have them give you actual numbers and not 'It's fine'. Let us know what the numbers are.


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