# Why do my ottos never survive?



## Doberz (Jun 10, 2011)

I love ottos! But I have a problem with them. I have an established tank that gets an algae problem here and there. So I'll pop a couple ottos in the tank to help clean it out. They last for a month or two, then starve themselves and refuse to eat. I've dropped algae wafers right in front of their face and they just ignore them. Cucumbers are just ignored as well. They always seem healthy besides starving themselves, so what can I do to make them eat? I have two right now both on the brink of death. They're just laying upside down in the gravel breathing lightly. I feel so bad for them, but what else can I do if they won't eat anything?


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## Mystery snail (Mar 26, 2010)

Try and get Zucchini from your supermarket.. Mine love it, and it has substance to it rather than cucumber which is basically all water.
Boil some water, and then stick in a slice of zucchini, let it boil for like 2 1/2 minutes. let it cool off for like 6 minutes, then put in tank attached to a rock with a rubberband works for me.
good luck. I have 6 of them, and I have new cardinal tetras which are stealing their food, so the zucchini has been there best friend.


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## giggitygiggity (Sep 14, 2011)

They are probably stupid.

jk lol


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

Oto's are almost always wild caught. They need time to realize what is food. When do you start offering wafers and vegetables? You need to do it right from day 1, every day even if there is lots of algae in the tank.

Another helper is leaving rocks or decorations in a clear container in front of a window so it can grow algae then put them in the tank, rotate them in and out once they get cleaned off.


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## Doberz (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll use them if I get some more ottos. The two I have now are goners. Basically just waiting for their last breathe so I can get them out of the tank and do a water change.


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## ilovemyplaties (May 3, 2012)

Sorry your otto's are dying . Ottos seem to be really sensitive to different water so maybe if you arent doing more frequent water changes, that could be the problem. Good luck~


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Hey y'all
this is just something I read on the internet. All Otos you buy are wild caught right? And I read that in the stress of shipping and being put into a new tank their stomach bacteria that brakes down the food dies. So maybe you just had bad luck and always bought the ones whose stomach bacteria was dieing off?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

have you ever heard the old expression "Man does not live by bread alone" ???
WELL.......contrary to popular belief , otos do not live by algae alone...they are not vegans......they need a well balanced diet..as was stated before...even if there is algae in the tank ; still feed them..algae wafers....veggie sticks...and meaty foods as well..blood worms...earthworm sticks or flakes..brine shrimp and others...


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## Doberz (Jun 10, 2011)

lohachata said:


> have you ever heard the old expression "Man does not live by bread alone" ???
> WELL.......contrary to popular belief , otos do not live by algae alone...they are not vegans......they need a well balanced diet..as was stated before...even if there is algae in the tank ; still feed them..algae wafers....veggie sticks...and meaty foods as well..blood worms...earthworm sticks or flakes..brine shrimp and others...


The problem I always run in to is my mollies are food hogs. It's very hard to get food to the bottom, specially when the tetras tend to eat at the bottom as well. My ottos always seem to not even notice the algae wafers, even when dropped right in front of their face. Blood worms would never make it to them, my only hope next time is for zucchini and cucumbers.


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## Mystery snail (Mar 26, 2010)

I am running into the same problem wiht my Cardinal Tetras eating my shrimp and Otos sinking food.... Try feeding at night when the tank lights go out. Otos don't have Barbells to feel for the food, but it's what I just started doing last night.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

ok...quit looking for reasons why you are having problems...
pay attention.....lol

1. quit blaming the other fish.poor little guys are hungry.

2.ever think of adding a little extra.

3. add a little extra..ya cheapskate...

4.feel free to throw some food in the tank after lights out...trust me ; the otos will find it...they ain't like us crummy humans..they can see real good in the dark..

5. don't just feed them algae wafers...give em some meat...

if your fish are hungry ; feed them.all of them.just because some yahoo tells you to only feed them once every other day or once a day doesn't mean anything...if they are hungry ; feed them...

ok...i am done givin you hell over feedin your fish...now go give em something to eat for god's sake..they are starving......lol


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## mdoran11 (May 7, 2012)

Maybe they just need a stern talking to about how there's other fish in the world without food and algae-covered plants. You can't baby them like fries forever haha.


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## ilovemyplaties (May 3, 2012)

this isnt a critiquing website. its for advice. lets stay nice on here, shall we? i have the same problems with my loaches. my platies and mollys eat so much. if i add more they eat it and they get huge and can die.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if you noticed ;(or maybe you didn't) i was joking around...
but realistically ; take a good look at what is going on in your tank.....if some fish are not getting food and others getting too much food ; the solution is to separate them so you can feed them properly..if you don't have any access to another tank ; then somebody has to go..it would be the humane thing to do..
some folks only hear what they want to hear..
i wasn't critiquing.....i was giving advice...
and i will tell you as i have told many folks on here...i am probably one of the nicest people you will ever encounter in your lifetime...


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## ueritaGro (May 16, 2012)

I have new cardinal tetras which are stealing their food


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## austinroberts23 (Jan 25, 2012)

Try what I do. I will feed on one side of the tank and that side only. That way all the fast/furious eaters always know I will be there. Then I will sneak some sinking pellets in on the opposite side to the bottom dwellers. After a few weeks of doing this they are smart enough to know where to wait


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

lol....and people think fish can't be trained to do tricks and stuff...they are very good at training their owners...lol

have you tried dropping food in the back of the tank after lights out...we all love to watch our fish eat ; but many species are nocturnal feeders..catfish species especially.


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## giggitygiggity (Sep 14, 2011)

dam those thieving fish! lol


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## Doberz (Jun 10, 2011)

lohachata said:


> ok...quit looking for reasons why you are having problems...
> pay attention.....lol
> 
> 1. quit blaming the other fish.poor little guys are hungry.
> ...


I suck up tons of waste flake food weekly with the gravel filter, so I know I'm not underfeeding anyone in my tank. I was just asking for suggestions. I'm a noob, but not THAT much of a noob to were I can't figure out how much food to stick in to my tank. My problem was that my ottos wouldn't eat the food I gave them. I'm guessing by meat you mean bloodworms. Those never get past the surface no matter how much I put in my tank. Two full sized mollies and 2 extremely active, and always hungry, guppies eat it all within seconds. I know you're just joking around, but still, don't call me a cheapskate. Because when it comes to my tanks, I'm anything but.


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