# Poor Otos!



## fishielover123 (Apr 21, 2010)

The only extra tanks I have are a 1 gallon, an approx. 2 gallon and a 4 gallon. If I use the 4 gallon as a quarantine tank my Brucey will have almost no water. So I've gotta use the 2 gallon for 3 OTOS!! 
Im only going to keep them in there for about a day or two, do you think they will be okay? Also Im going out to get them now (unless my LFS doesnt have any) Should I get any algae or shrimp wafers for them? And can they eat granules and pellets if I sink them??
edit: I know they like live plants. Will they eat them???


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## fishielover123 (Apr 21, 2010)

I guess what Im asking is; will they live?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

they should be fine....buy some algae wafers for them..
otos will not eat plants...they will keep your plants clean of any kind of algae or debris that gets on them...


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

Otos only eat the algae off the plants, not the actual plants. Like I said the best thing you can do is blanch those cucumbers and zucchini for them, I have a video on how to do this in my sig just look for it. Also do something quickly because they are usually starved at stores and eat a lot for their size. They can also be picky thats why I said the foods you will find in the stores they probably wont touch. The only algae wafers I have seen them eat are the ones from this guy^ that posted above. He sells good foods, and the algae wafers he sells are awesome, like I said they are the only ones I have seen my entire fleet of Otos take to. 

Lohachata has his own section for his foods on this forum. In the mean time though you should probably whip up those blanched veggies.


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## GloFish1999 (May 14, 2011)

When I had otos I fed them algae wafers that they seemed to like.


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## fishielover123 (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks guys, I've gotten 2 corys, im gonna blanch some veggies for them tomorrow


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

The corys will love shripm pellets, and bloodworms


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

The cories probably wont like the veggies, though they might eat some. The blanched veggies are for the Otos. I hope your not getting confused between the 2. They are both catfish but thats about where the similarities end. Their diets and behaviors are completely different.


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## fishielover123 (Apr 21, 2010)

Well they finally figured out that the algae discs are food. Could they eat tetramin flakes and tetra color granules?
also I just assumed that cories would like veggies too. My old pleco loved cucumbers and I just thought they would too.


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

The flakes will float so they may not get them so much, but the granules should go well.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

cories will eat almost any food offered...feeding staple flakes is fine as long as you provide your fish with a better diet than you are currently..i would say at least 4 different kinds of foods...


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## fishielover123 (Apr 21, 2010)

If I push the flakes down they will sink. I just dont want Bruce eating it. 
lohachata-Bruce eats granules, flakes, betta pellets, and fruit flies. The cories will be eating veggies, granules, flakes and algae discs. Is that okay???


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

yep..although i would leave out the blanched veggies.


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

Yea like I said the blanched veggies are for otos. Cories like a carnivore type diet although they will eat some plant type stuff here and there. So go easy on the algae tablets. Blood worms, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp are probably some off cories favorites, they will love you if you feed them that with, good pellets and good granules. Make sure you mix up their diet with multiple foods (really this is a good thing to do for all fish).


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## Fishnut2 (Jan 18, 2005)

One of the biggest problems with Otos, starts at the collection site. A lot of collectors will use a poison downstream, to temporarilly drug the fish, so that they float to the top. It makes collection a lot easier, as Otos like to hide among branches and plants. They only cost about .09 each from Brazil (before shipping/Apama/Fish and Wildlife/Customs/box charges/and brokerage fees) so the collectors need to get a lot of them, in a short period of time. Usually the sunken bellies on Otos is a sure sign of mistreatment. I wouldn't buy any that aren't active and obviously eating. I would also wait a week or two, after the store gets them in. Let the store take any initial losses. If you get healthy Otos in the 1st place, they are fairly hardy fish. I've been seeing more and more articles about people spawning them. If you can get tank-raised Otos...they would be your safest bet!


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

Fishnut2 said:


> One of the biggest problems with Otos, starts at the collection site. A lot of collectors will use a poison downstream, to temporarilly drug the fish, so that they float to the top. It makes collection a lot easier, as Otos like to hide among branches and plants. They only cost about .09 each from Brazil (before shipping/Apama/Fish and Wildlife/Customs/box charges/and brokerage fees) so the collectors need to get a lot of them, in a short period of time. Usually the sunken bellies on Otos is a sure sign of mistreatment. I wouldn't buy any that aren't active and obviously eating. I would also wait a week or two, after the store gets them in. Let the store take any initial losses. If you get healthy Otos in the 1st place, they are fairly hardy fish. I've been seeing more and more articles about people spawning them. If you can get tank-raised Otos...they would be your safest bet!


This.

Except they really dont have as much as a tolerance to nitrates like other fish. Thats why I said get the fat ones like 10 times.


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