# In need of an Oto expert please ^^;



## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

I was wondering... 1) what do you feed your otos? 2) how do the otos go about it? (I mean, do they all launch themselves towards it? do you seem them constantly eating them?) 3) how/when do you clean up the leftovers?

The reason I ask is that I have been feeding mine algae wafers and boiled zucchini. BUT, when I put it in the algae wafer, very rarely do I find them on it. In fact even if I let it fall very close to them, they ignore it. Whenever I do see them "eating" them, the algae wafer has already disintegrated and they just happen to be laying over it (not sure if it's coincidence or what). The zucchini is sort of the same... when I drop it a few hours later I'll occasionally see them on top of it. At the moment there are only 2 because the others died (I know they are supposed to be in grounds of around 5, so I plan on getting more soon =/). They are in a 20 gallon long. Is it possible that a) they don't find the food because it's such a large area? or b) they just don't like that kind of food? Their bellies look normal I guess... not particularly big though and I don't see them poop often. 

Thank You!


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## itsuki (Jan 10, 2013)

i had the same problem too. they wouldnt eat the wafers and veggies. i seen them find it, hover over it, nipple for a second and then swim away. i ended up refunding the wafers and let the otos just eat the algae in the tank and that was about a month ago and theyre doing fine. algae will naturally occur in the tank and they will find it and eat it and keep doing it. if u have fake plants dont clean them or dont clean them as good or as often so they have something to eat and dont wipe down the insides of the tank walls, they will get to it.

but for those wafer leftovers, once they break up and start falling apart fish it out your tank but honestly just refund it and say your otos wont eat it.

otos i think are more low maintainance then bettas that or maybe its the fact i dont pay attention to them. i barely checked their belly size maybe a week ago, and they got full round bellies so without me really doing anything and theyre doing fine. plus i consider my betta my pet, the otos are my betta's pets.


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Oh ok! Glad to know I'm not the only one ^^; I have a bunch of live plants and they do collect algae but the weird thing is that I never see them on the leaves that have the most algae... Maybe I just have confused little otos. I've been considering making algae outside since it's so sunny here in Florida and shouldn't be a problem, but I'm worried of having huge algae problems if I do that -.- Maybe I just shouldn't worry so much about them, I suppose if they were truly starving then they would resort to eating the zucchini!


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## Bounce (May 26, 2012)

I'm no oto expert but I've found with mine that they seem to prefer eating their veggies if I clip it to the side of the tank for them. I've tried weighing it down but they don't seem to go after it as well. I've never had any luck at all getting them to touch an algae wafer either. I've even tried wedging a wafer into the fleshy area of a slice of zucchini and they just eat all around it. 

I don't know how mine know when I've put a new veggie in for them but within 5 minutes, they're making their way over to where it is and they're in a 75 gallon tank so I doubt it's the large area that's causing them not to find it. It's like they "smell" it. I don't know, can fish even "smell"? lol

Are you blanching it long enough for it to be soft enough for them? I do mine for about 2 minutes. Have you tried offering them veggies other than zucchini? I have a garden in the summer and grow yellow squash, cucumbers and zucchini for them and slice them up and freeze them in order to be able to offer something different each time just for variety. Although mine seem to prefer the zucchini, maybe you could offer yours something different and see how they do. I even give them broccoli occasionally and they like that too.

Good luck with them. Otos are one of my favorites!


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Aw they look so cute! I've never tried to clip them to the wall but it seems like a good idea since they are often on the wall or on a plant. I was doing 1 minute but I will try 2 minutes =] I also noticed that you shave the side of the zucchini, maybe that'll help too. Thank you for the tips! Oh an for the broccoli, do you put in all of it (the top and the trunk)? do you blanch that as well?


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## Bounce (May 26, 2012)

Like yours, mine are always stuck to a wall or a leaf and I hardly ever see them on the bottom so that's probably right that they prefer to feed "vertically". haha

That's actually a slice of yellow squash - don't know why it looks so washed out in the photo (probably my crappy camera), but I don't peel the veggies. In fact, mine love eating the outside just as much as the inside.

When I give them broccoli, I usually blanch it a little longer - maybe 2 1/2 minutes - because it seems to have more bulk to it and is tougher. I usually chop off all or at least most of the top part (the little green balls) because they make a mess when they start breaking off and drifting everywhere so I mainly just give them the stem (trunk) part.


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

1) Blanched zucchini (blanched for 6m). I never feed them algae wafers anymore, as they've shown zero interest in them.
2) They generally ignore it when I drop it in, then sit on it for days and days til it's gone
3) I don't. I have a heavily planted tank, so I just let the snails and copepods recycle it.

One other thing... My otos poop like rabbits. If they're not pooping, that could be a sign that they're not eating enough. Mine always zip around with fat, round bellies.


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Sagat said:


> 1) Blanched zucchini (blanched for 6m). I never feed them algae wafers anymore, as they've shown zero interest in them.
> 2) They generally ignore it when I drop it in, then sit on it for days and days til it's gone
> 3) I don't. I have a heavily planted tank, so I just let the snails and copepods recycle it.
> 
> One other thing... My otos poop like rabbits. If they're not pooping, that could be a sign that they're not eating enough. Mine always zip around with fat, round bellies.


I was just now blanching my zucchini. Maybe I am doing it wrong because afterwards, when I touch it, it's not necessarily soft. In other words, if I wanted to pull out a chunk of zucchini from the middle I'd probably have to use my nails or a knife. Pieces of the zucchini don't just "rub off" like a pea would. Is it supposed to? I heated water in a little cup for 2 minutes, then I left the zucchini in it for 5-6 minutes :?


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

I stuck mine in the microwave for a full 6m

When it comes out, it's the consistency of firm mush. Meaning, if I compress it, it'll squish but not come apart and if I poke the middle with my plant tongs, they go right through it with minimal resistance


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## Bounce (May 26, 2012)

valen1014 said:


> ...I heated water in a little cup for 2 minutes, then I left the zucchini in it for 5-6 minutes :?


If I'm understanding what you said correctly, this sounds as if you're just soaking the veggie in hot water. Blanching is the actual boiling of the vegetable in water. 

Bring your water to a boil (either in a pan on the stovetop or sometimes I use a glass measuring cup in the microwave) and then drop your slice of zucchini, cucumber, etc. into the boiling water and then continue to boil one to two or three minutes until it becomes soft. The amount of time you boil will probably depend on how thick your slices are and how many you are boiling at one time. Be sure to cool it off before offering it to your otos! I run a little cool water over mine until it no longer feels warm. 

As Sagat said, it will definitely be of a firm mush consistency - not just completely "melted" but not still hard at all either.

Here's a really long demonstration of someone preparing zucchini for freezing for their fish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q4S1L4c6qQ


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## inareverie85 (Apr 18, 2008)

I use zucchini. Raw and rinsed well; not blanched. I weigh it down with plant weights. It takes the otos about 24 hours to start going to it, as it needs to soften a bit before they show interest.


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

OMG. That plant weight idea is *BRILLIANT*

You have no idea how frustrated I"ve been trying to keep those darn slices down to the point I went out and bought an algae clip to try and keep them in place.

I have a ton of plant weights around.... looks like I'll be heading back to my LFS to return it


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

inareverie85 said:


> I use zucchini. Raw and rinsed well; not blanched. I weigh it down with plant weights. It takes the otos about 24 hours to start going to it, as it needs to soften a bit before they show interest.


That's such a cool picture! I've been trying to capture my otos doing that, it's so cute, I call it.. oto love <3 Thank you for the tip! I did end up using plant weights


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Just a little update... It seems like thanks to everybody's suggestions I've managed to get them to approach the zucchini. Or maybe they just happen to like laying on it XD


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

Hooray! They look pretty happy


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Sagat said:


> Hooray! They look pretty happy


Thank! =] Did you end up trading the veggie clips for the plant weights?


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

I did. It works out pretty well, though I think the clip might work better of I could train my otos to look for food on the walls of the tank. Every day or two, I'm having to go diving for that weight.


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## sarahspins (Sep 5, 2012)

Sagat said:


> Every day or two, I'm having to go diving for that weight.


Not if you tie a string to it!


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

Ah geez. I have a ton of fishing line lying around the house....


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

sarahspins said:


> Not if you tie a string to it!


Genius...:shock:


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## Kitty Whiskers (Sep 28, 2009)

My Otos eat Cucumber, Zucchini, Wardley's Algae Wafers and Hikari Bottom Feeder wafers. They didn't like algae wafers till I fasted them for a day then they tried it and now they love them. 

After that they started eating the Hikari Bottom Feeder wafers that I put in the tank for my Cory Catfish. Sometimes fish wont eat what doesn't look or smell like their usual foods. When they get used to it they may try a bite and either like it or not. 

Here are 3 my Otos searching for the Algae wafer I just put in the tank.


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

Wow they look really healthy and cute! I see... maybe I can get them to eat algae wafers that way. I have managed to make some progress with the zucchini... I found out that for some reason they can't eat it well until it has been in the tank for over a day and a half. I worry because people say not to leave it in that long, but it doesn't look like it's rotting, it just looks like it softened a lot... Once it is like that they'll actually pick at it all day. They love the outside even more than the inside XD Today I'm trying carrots for the first time!


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

I did a taste test challenge with my new otos yesterday. I hung a zucchini slice and a piece of carrot with thread against the glass. Nobody touched the zucchini, but the carrot was a hit.

I have heard of some saying leave the veggies in for two days max, so that's what I did. Mine, too, seem to prefer it after it's been in the tank for awhile.


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

I'm bad. I never take it out, but depending on how hungry my snails and scuds are, the slices only ever survive for 2 or 3 days.


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## Kitty Whiskers (Sep 28, 2009)

My Otos wont eat their veggies the 1st day either, but after another day in there they chow down! I just bought some Rosy Barbs last month and discovered they LOVE the veggies too and eat right along side of the Otos. The Veggies are gone in a day or two after the 1st day of " Soaking" in the tank. They seem to all like the middle more than the outside, but they eat the whole thing after the middle is gone LOL!

Hmmm I have some thin carrot sticks I could try to feed them tomorrow to see if they like them. I bought the carrot sticks for my salads and for my Hermit Crabs, I never thought of trying them with my Otos. I even bought some fresh Broccoli too, maybe they will find that yummy as well. I'll soon find out


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