# Help! I did something stupid



## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I blanched lettuce to try & feed my otocinclus in QT tank but forgot to dechlorinate the water lettuce was rinsed, blanched and cooled in. Otos have clamped dorsal fins and tales, turning pale. I pulled out the lettuce but now what can I do? should I do a drastic water change? will just removing the offending food make it ok or has the chlorine residue got on everything else now?

Water parameters: temp 74, pH 7.6, Ammonia between 0-0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrates 10


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

I don't think you did anything wrong. It can't hurt to do a water change. I think the temp is a tad bit low though. I prefer keeping my tanks around the 78 degree mark. Instead of blanching the lettuce just pop a leaf in the freezer for a few minutes to wilt the leaf.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Ok. I thought otos liked lower temps, but I will turn it up - the main tank I want them to go into is usually at 76. 

Will too frequent of water changes stress the fish out more? this is only their second day here. I already did a 10% change this morning when siphoned out the mess left from an algae wafer they didn't eat. So was trying lettuce. Maybe they are pinched fins because hungry?

I took the lettuce leaf out (preparing a new one w/dechlorinated water) and the one fish I can see clearly, tail is held normal, dorsal fin still folded shut. Is that normal for them? The other two are hiding under decor.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

When I had ottos (for the month they lived) I cured them of ich, and then bamm they died. No reason at all, they ate they had expanded fins they looked as healthy as can be. SOme times they had clamped fins, then the next day the fins where fine. So I think its not necessarily a sign of bad health when their fins are clamped. 

The absolutely TINY amount of chlorine you introduced into the water is not a problem for the otos. What could be a problem though is if you didn't rinse the lettuce properly and chemicals got into the water. I'd do the water change, but only 10% again. Turn the temps up slowly over the next couple of days and see how the otos react. If you see them getting worse turn the temperature back down.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Thanks. I did rinse the lettuce before blanching it, but maybe not good enough. Temp is now 76 and they look ok, but not as perky as yesterday. Two are holding the tail fins open now, the third one still is very clamped. The clamped one also looks redder on its underside in the head area than before; I worry about that but the water doesn't have high ammonia...


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Oops, I probably turned the temp up too quickly, huh? Two degrees in a few hours- my dial doesn't adjust very smoothly I turned it just a small bit and now its from 74 to 76

but if they continue to look uncomfortable I will turn it back down, try to do it more incrementally


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

keep it at this temp and wait a day. Sleep and see how they are tomorrow. Constantly changing the temp isn't good for them.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Yep. Got that. I'm hoping they munch on the lettuce overnight- I never saw them actually eating algae off the bridge, but it was mostly clean the next morning. I didn't realize they were nocturnal?


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

They just like beeing active at night like all plecos.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Great to know. I'll try to remember now to put their food or veggies in just before lights out.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

This is not a good week for me with the fishes. This morning it looks like two of my ottos- with the clamped fins- might have a some white fuzz on their bodies. Fungus? It is hard to see so I'm not really sure. I might have left the lettuce leaf in too long and fouled the water- I pulled that out first thing this morning and did a 25% wc. Hope that will be enough to help but if not I have on hand aquarium salt, is that bad for catfish (or live plants)? and a general fungus cure that contains furazolidone. But would malachite green be better? I could go get some of that today in case they do not improve I want to be ready to treat it.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

first of all , you eat the lettuce , don't give it to your fish....it has no real nutritional value...
now..............

keep your ottos at a temps between 78-82 F............they like clean water..so filter it well.they even like some current.maybe add an airstone to push up the oxygen levels for them...
folks really need to pay more attention to the fish they buy..not just colors or jobs they do.....
look at the shape of the otocinclus..slim and very streamlined with a sucker type mouth.that mouth is not just for eating...they will attach themselves to rocks and plants and branches to keep currents from carrying them away..
otocinclus are not strictly algae eaters or vegetarians..just like all other fish , they need a well rounded diet of high quality foods.many fish will turn their nose up at a new food..a lot of people take this as the fish will never eat it..not true..

so a nice clean tank with 30-40% water changes each week.....a good healthy well balanced diet of quality foods.....you should have very few problems with your fish..


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I have a sponge filter and it's a 5 gallon, do you think that sufficient filtration? I did a partial wc this morning and they look much better already. 

I was giving them veggies because there is hardly any algae in the QT for them and so far they have not eaten the algae wafers but I also have sinking pellets (spirulina w/protein) to give them. I read somewhere they will eat bloodworms, is that only live ones? I have freeze-dried.

I should keep trying the foods on them until they accept it?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

try different food and take out anything uneaten the next day. I'm told swiss chard is nutritious.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Ok. I'm going to try zucchini & the sinking pellets tonight. Hopefully soon the rocks will have algae for them. I've also got carrots, broccoli & fresh brussel sprouts in my fridge. Would they eat blanched carrot, or broccoli, bsprout stems? just wondering if it's worth the try.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

If you were still wondering, don't use salt with otos. Being scaleless fish I think they don't handle it as well


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Yes, thank you for reminding me that. I put some furazolidone (tetra fungus cure) in the water- they have got fungus now. I started a new thread in Diseases...


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Considering they're more active at night, try feeding a piece of algae wafer big enough to feed the amount of octos in your tank at night with lights out. 

I got a clown pleco and I feed him every other night a small piece at night. By morning, it's gone.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I think they finally ate something! I put a spirulina tablet in there last night (and a zucchini slice) and it looked like they ate half the tablet. Either that or cleaned off more algae from the decor, that I can't quite detect. But definitely their tummies are round, so I'm glad.


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