| I Need Advice On Ottos | |
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Rich Frequent User
Number of posts : 1374 Age : 49 Location : Devonshire (Nr Hobbiton) Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:20 am | |
| As per title, basically I need to know people experiences of them, I know they are good little cleaners, but ive also heard they are delicate and die easily.
Whats eveyone's exoerience, oh and are they fast enough to avoid a grumpy male siamese fighter?
I was thinking of 6 for my main tank and 4 for my fighter tank (it needs something to eat the algae)
Cheers all.. | |
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Mary Administrator
Number of posts : 4284 Age : 55 Location : Ireland Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:31 am | |
| Funny that you'd ask as I just posted a reply to motsy under my Little'n'Large thread. :lol: I have 12 Otos, Rich and find that they mix with all types of fish as, in general, the other fish leave them alone. The main thing is to add them to mature tanks (no problem in your case) and give them an ample supply of cucumber/courgette/potato to supplement their algae diet (again, no problem for you as I know you have plecs). IME they don't eat algae tabs. but spend most of their time hoovering away at the glass and plants. They're even more industrious than BN plecs who tend to get lazier as they get older. One thing to note (again I'm repeating myself) is that Otos tend to be wild caught and, being shipped long distances, are often half-starved when they arrive. Therefore, it's important to wait a little while before you buy some and then, try to select those with fat bellies. Four of mine died while I was away on holiday but, I think that's because the tank was too clean and there was no supplementary veg. added for the plecs - only algae tabs. and, as mentioned, they don't touch those. But I managed to get four replacement ones last week and, as they'd been in a display tank for several weeks, they were fine and fat! | |
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GeordieDave Frequent User
Number of posts : 1263 Age : 41 Location : County Durham Registration date : 2008-03-08
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:40 am | |
| Great fish! I got 4 atm and tank is spotless but im also a clean freak. However I find they do check out the algae tabs too. Mind have a habit of trying to attach themselves onto the male cockatoo...he must be dirty lol | |
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Mary Administrator
Number of posts : 4284 Age : 55 Location : Ireland Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:45 am | |
| I've seen my Otos hitching a ride on the Fan Shrimp! :lol: | |
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munchycarrot Top Poster
Number of posts : 2391 Age : 52 Location : Cheshire Registration date : 2007-12-15
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:47 am | |
| All the oto's i've ever had have vanished without trace | |
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Mary Administrator
Number of posts : 4284 Age : 55 Location : Ireland Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:51 am | |
| Your tanks must've been too clean so they had nothing to eat...:lol: | |
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indigoj Moderator
Number of posts : 740 Age : 50 Location : Bury, Lancs Registration date : 2008-02-17
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:53 am | |
| I had 6 once and they dissappeared one by one. Only ever found 2 bodies though. I think they are funny little fish that either do really well or else never survive. I do remember reading somewhere that it is often recommended that you buy twice as many as you want to allow for losses! | |
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Rich Frequent User
Number of posts : 1374 Age : 49 Location : Devonshire (Nr Hobbiton) Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:34 pm | |
| OK, thanks for all that guys, im hoping they will deal with the algae Im at war with (still) havind to fully strip the pipes on two externals, twice a week to get rid of the algae is not funny. The tank looks clean(ish) so im hping otto's will scoff as much algae as possible and thus prevent it being able to grow and live in my pipes. No one has said if my grumpy (well, vicious little barsteward) Siamese fighter will be a problem for them, id like 4 in with him and 6-8 in my main tank (buying 24 ottos will be expensive if your buy double the numbers theory is correct) Anyway, cheers for help | |
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kbekl Frequent User
Number of posts : 770 Age : 42 Location : stockport Registration date : 2007-12-14
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:33 am | |
| i had 4 otto's and lost 2 even though mine was newly established tank and was told they would all die i think my kribs killed 2 of them as they were found near their spawning site | |
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Rich Frequent User
Number of posts : 1374 Age : 49 Location : Devonshire (Nr Hobbiton) Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:04 am | |
| As a long overdue update - I bought two batches of ottos (^in one shop 4 in another) and Im sure I have two slightly different species. Anyway - out the 10 I bought (early august) i am rather ashamed to admit I now only have 8 having lost 2 too Birchirs (yum yum) Anyway more on this in my tank thread Great little fish - always in the front left corner of the tank - they seem to adore the combination of internal filer outflow (with venturi on full) along with an airline chucking up bubbkes 24/7 Whether this is just coincidence I dont know - but they are all very plump and lovely looking so they like something in my tank I have noticed that they seem to actually like the meat pellets i put in for my plecs/catfish - again - maybe this is a fluke or something they need in a diet | |
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Mary Administrator
Number of posts : 4284 Age : 55 Location : Ireland Registration date : 2007-12-12
| Subject: Re: I Need Advice On Ottos Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:38 am | |
| Hi Rich. Nice to see you. Glad to hear the Otos are still doing well. Mine are all still present and correct; fat and happy. | |
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