Frustrated

[Stefernini]

I am just having terrible luck with ottos! A week ago I added my first fish, eight celestial pearl danios and a pleco and a dozen shrimp, and I realize that it might be too soon to add ottos, but I started getting healthy green algae all over and so decided it was okay. I bought four ottos this past Friday and very, very slowly acclimated them, however did not do a drip. I floated them for about 20 min then I took water out and very slooowly added tank water in and let them sit for another 20 minutes and then repeated several times. Despite this, I lost two over night. I had also added 6 lemon tetras at the same time and late Saturday, I lost two of those. I went to a different store and bought two more ottos that I drip acclimated and they are doing fine and are far more active than the first remaining two. Today however, I lost another of the first set for no apparent reason! They all have fat little bellies and have been eating like crazy. I've even been putting algae wafers in at night and have seen them eating those. All the remaining fish are all healthy and active, but the one remaining otto from the first set who has just been hanging in a corner all day and I'm now afraid I'll lose it too. Is it okay to keep only two ottos?

My water is fine - 78 degrees, 0 ammo, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates

Losing 5 fish in one weekend despite all my best efforts is very disheartening Any ideas? Too soon?

I'm also now very leery of getting any more ottos and am hoping my lfs will just give me credit or plants when they open back up tomorrow. (I've got the poor little guys in the freezer)

 

[Coryluv]

What's your pH? What is the pH at the lfs? The closer they are the better chance you have with otos. I also wouldn't try to add them to a tank as new as yours even if it is fully cycled. Over the next few months your tank is still breaking in. I'd stick with hardier fish for now.

 

[boadams87]

I am just having terrible luck with ottos! A week ago I added my first fish, eight celestial pearl danios and a pleco and a dozen shrimp, and I realize that it might be too soon to add ottos, but I started getting healthy green algae all over and so decided it was okay. I bought four ottos this past Friday and very, very slowly acclimated them, however did not do a drip. I floated them for about 20 min then I took water out and very slooowly added tank water in and let them sit for another 20 minutes and then repeated several times. Despite this, I lost two over night. I had also added 6 lemon tetras at the same time and late Saturday, I lost two of those. I went to a different store and bought two more ottos that I drip acclimated and they are doing fine and are far more active than the first remaining two. Today however, I lost another of the first set for no apparent reason! They all have fat little bellies and have been eating like crazy. I've even been putting algae wafers in at night and have seen them eating those. All the remaining fish are all healthy and active, but the one remaining otto from the first set who has just been hanging in a corner all day and I'm now afraid I'll lose it too. Is it okay to keep only two ottos?

My water is fine - 78 degrees, 0 ammo, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates

Losing 5 fish in one weekend despite all my best efforts is very disheartening Any ideas? Too soon?

I'm also now very leery of getting any more ottos and am hoping my lfs will just give me credit or plants when they open back up tomorrow. (I've got the poor little guys in the freezer)

Sounds like it was a problem with the first lfs.

 

[Stefernini]

What's your pH? What is the pH at the lfs? The closer they are the better chance you have with otos. I also wouldn't try to add them to a tank as new as yours even if it is fully cycled. Over the next few months your tank is still breaking in. I'd stick with hardier fish for now.

My pH is 7.8, I failed to ask what it is at the lfs.