# Ottos



## MsAqua (Sep 29, 2013)

Otocinclus catfish.....great algae eaters. They truly are. But I haven't had any luck with them. I really haven't. I've read that bettas get along with the little guys so I picked up 4 of them for my 10 gallon. 3 of them died within days. One, that I think might be a female, survived. So I waited about a week and seeing how she was still kicking, I bought another 3. Those 3 died as well. My same female is still alive and is now named Sharkbait. 
My female bettas have not really bothered with them. Only once did I see the girls chasing after one and it was one that was swimming funny and died within the hour. Not sure if it was just sick or the girls picked on it to the point that it gave up.
I have Hikari algae wafers and Tetraveggie algae wafers here. Then I have been putting a piece of Zucchini in after microwaving it for 30 secs in a small bowl of water. I don't know if she is eating any of it or if the other ottos had. I put pieces of the Tetraveggie ones in first and once I picked up the Hikari ones, I've been putting pieces of them in instead. 
Has anyone else had better luck with these little guys? If so, what have you been doing for them?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Otocinclus are pretty delicate, and the methods used to catch them in the wild are fairly traumatic. They are grazers, and it is quite easy for them to starve in transport and in store, as they only eat particular types of algae and sometimes can be difficult to transition to other forms of food. 

It is certainly not uncommon for newly purchased otocinclus to die. I purchased a group of four and had one die. However, those remaining were incredibly hardy and proficient algae eaters. 

I would expect to see a rounded stomach on a healthy otocinclus. Also, if they are getting enough food you should be able to see faeces on the substrate as mine used to produce an extraordinary amount of waste for their size. Your oto looks quite thin. Do you actually have any algae in the tank? I find they prefer to graze on soft algae and diatoms.


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## MsAqua (Sep 29, 2013)

Well all of them but this one has passed away. I expected deaths after reading up about them but I didn't expect all of them but one to go. 
Her and her friends ate up a lot of the algae I had in the tank. I don't think I had a lot but I do not know for sure. I had a silk plant in another tank that kept growing algae but I just put it in there yesterday after a water change. Where my filter and heater are attached to the tank had what I presume was a form of algae growing on it as well. I haven't cleaned the sides of the tank since I've had it up and running so I figured there would be some algae in there somewhere. 
So I imagine being unhealthy and starving played a major role in these fish dying off. I figured as much from what I read.
Not sure what to do for her though. Unless I put together a makeshift tank and put her in it and try to grow algae on my own.​


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## frankiefire (Feb 26, 2013)

Supplement with algea tabs.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

You can culture algae on rocks outside the tank and rotate them in the tank to provide a steady supply for them to eat. Like was said, it is common for them to die and it is common for them to starve. 

I would get several glasses and rocks for each. Put them in the window and let the algae grow. Once you've got some good growth you should be able to rotate them in


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

they are wild caught and will be shipped a few times before they get to your store,increasing their stress.after they are caught,their gut flora dies off.they can no longer process algaes and slowly starve.best added to mature tanks. a mature tank will have lots of biofilm and algae for them to graze on.pet stores usually get new ones weekly.do not buy the new stock,instead wait 6 days and buy from the remaining stock the day before their new shipment.these fish will have stronger gut flora.the weaker ones will have already died off.


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## valen1014 (Jan 20, 2013)

MsAqua said:


> Well all of them but this one has passed away. I expected deaths after reading up about them but I didn't expect all of them but one to go.​
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had a similar problem where I didn't have enough algae for the ottos and, for the life of me, I can't seem to grow algae outside :-?

They got by for a while on zucchini though, I know it's supposed to be a "supplement" but it's pretty much all they ate and they were fine from what I could see...

But don't be discouraged by their deaths, it really is common for ottos. I think I bought 10 and maybe three ended up making it. Hope someone figures out how to breed these little guys effectively so we don't have to keep catching them from the wild.


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