Otos not eating?

[emerald76]

I got three new otos yesterday. As soon as I got home, they were drip acclimated and introduced to a dark tank. They keep sitting on plants but not really moving at all and the blanched carrot and softened algae wafers provided have not been touched. Here is one of them. Are they very skinny or just a little worried from the ride?

A quarter for reference
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The above is not actually attached to the wood, simply perching
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This is the third
1 and 3 are about the same size


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[Nils]

Emerald, I would love to help, but unfortunately I don't have any experience with Oto's. Anyway, they might just need to get used to their surroundings. I got a puffer about a week and a half ago, he wasn't eating for a while, but eventually he just started eating. Give them some time. If someone dumped you in a new house, I bet you wouldn't really feel like eating that much either. By the way that they are hanging on the glass, they might just be eating microorganisms from the glass. If you have algae in there, they might eat that too after lights out. Hope I helped!

Nils

 

[Coursair]

Give them a chance to settle in. Don't give them a whole wafer, just a tiny piece is fine for now. Remove veggies after 24 hours.

These are wild caught fish, so they will be extra stressed.


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[nshepler]

Mine didn't start eating until a few days of settling in but after that they went to town.


May the force be with you.

 

[Mebbid]

Keep an eye on them, most end up dying.

Where did you buy them from and how long did they have them?

 

[emerald76]

I got them after a week at petsmart. One injured one passed about five days ago but the other two seem ok. Now I'm more worried about my male ram- something is taking chunks out of him, he's got a big wound on the right side behind the black spot, injuries from lip locking, whole nine yards. The big cut won't get better either. I'm going to have to send someone out to get some salt. Of anything, he is worse. At first I was worried the otos weren't otos and were attacking him but I think he cut himself on wood and someone is nipping and it won't heal. I hope I don't lose him, it's outside the guarantee limit. I got a refund on the otos and now the ram is so shy he shares food with them, algae wafers.


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[Coursair]

Keep an eye on them, most end up dying.

Where did you buy them from and how long did they have them?

I think they have better odds in planted tanks. You just need to check for rounded bellies b4 buying. Any that are sucked up, don't usually make it IME.
Starved too long and gut bacteria died.
Even if they eat, they can't digest properly.


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[Mebbid]

Generaly, when buying otos, its best to buy them after they've spent a month in the store surviving. Earlier than that and you cant be sure they will survive. The sad thing is, thats impossible at pet smart so you're never really going to know.

 

[emerald76]

My store always sells out of them, so I got lucky. A week at petsmart for anything especially otos I'd say pretty good. No one around here keeps them in stock more than maybe 4 days


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[Mebbid]

Its usually not because they are selling out of them sadly.

 

[Coursair]

We had a decent survival rate. We fed Zucchini and Omega One algae wafers daily.

I liked to buy mine the day they come in, so less competition for food and less stress.

I worked at my local Petsmart for 2 yrs. took excellent care of our fish.

I wouldn't sell if I thought it was a bad batch. Our Otos did pretty well. We'd lose a few. But since we fed them well, most pulled through.


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[lectraplayer]

I've had good luck with otos from Petsmart. I've had a few that would end up dying (though I would soon notice most fish in store that week are not doing so hot). Even still, most of the sick fish I have gotten has bounced back.

Sometimes you won't see them eating, but you'll notice that they start getting fat. They're fine then.

Sent from my Android with one arm in the tank.