otocinclus feeding.

[fatfei]

Hi,

I want to get some otocinclus to help clean my tank glass and because they don't knock everything around like plecos.

Does anyone know if they feed night or day and if one feeding a day is enough for them?

cheers

 

[librarygirl]

What size tank? Otos can be hard to keep alive if there isn't enough of the right kind of algae for them to eat and some won't take to supplements like wafers. A snail might be better; I have some in my tank and they're always cleaning the glass.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I agree with librarygirl. Otos can be very delicate at first. Its best to have an aged aquarium that has a good growth of algae in it along with pristine water conditions. Even then success is limited due to the stress that wildcaught otos go thru with shipping.

 

[fatfei]

What size tank? Otos can be hard to keep alive if there isn't enough of the right kind of algae for them to eat and some won't take to supplements like wafers. A snail might be better; I have some in my tank and they're always cleaning the glass.

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me,

Its a 150 ltr tank. I have snails, many now since i planted out the aquarium. They dont really help much. I have clean water and certainly not any high nitrates and no ammonia and nitrite. Its a hair algae i have growing, i keep pulling it out but it comes back however thats not why i wanted them, i just wanted something different from plecos plus as i already said plecos tend to knock things over. but a fish for glass cleaning is my main objective.

 

[fatfei]

I agree with librarygirl. Otos can be very delicate at first. Its best to have an aged aquarium that has a good growth of algae in it along with pristine water conditions. Even then success is limited due to the stress that wildcaught otos go thru with shipping.

Hi,

The tank is aged and been running for nearly 2 years. Are they only wild caught?

 

[Ld123]

I have two Otos and I have kept them fine.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

Do you have Nerite Snails? They're terrific algae eaters!

 

[fatfei]

Do you have Nerite Snails? They're terrific algae eaters!

To be honest i don't know, they are just small snails that constantly breed.

 

[fatfei]

I have two Otos and I have kept them fine.

How often do you feed them?

 

[HeatherW]

I too am looking at Otos. I was going to get three for my 90 gallon. I have loaches in there do snails are not an option for me. I do have the nerite snails in my other tanks and love them. Will the Otos do as good of a job as the snails?

Do you just drop like one wafer in there a day? I was thinking of just feeding in the morning. Does it make a difference?

Since they are hard to maintain should I qt these first or just put them in the established tank right away?

 

[Ld123]

I have two. I feed them quarter of an algae tab every other day but they also tidy up any flake or frozen food of it gets to the bottom!

I just put them in my tank I didn't qt at all.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

To be honest i don't know, they are just small snails that constantly breed.

They will either be Ramshorn or Pond Snails.
Nerite Snails are larger and reproduce sexually so need two (1 of each gender) to breed. Also, even if they do lay eggs in freshwater, they will not hatch as they need saltwater to hatch, therefore no tank-taking-over.
I seriously recommend buying some.

Also, if the Ramshorn/Pond Snails are bothering you, you could get one or two Assassin Snails, to eat them. They will not bother the Nerite Snails either, if they are bigger than them.

 

[fatfei]

They will either be Ramshorn or Pond Snails.
Nerite Snails are larger and reproduce sexually so need two (1 of each gender) to breed. Also, even if they do lay eggs in freshwater, they will not hatch as they need saltwater to hatch, therefore no tank-taking-over.
I seriously recommend buying some.

Also, if the Ramshorn/Pond Snails are bothering you, you could get one or two Assassin Snails, to eat them. They will not bother the Nerite Snails either, if they are bigger than them.

Thanks ill look into that. They won't hurt shrimp will they?

 

[FreshObsessed]

Hi,

I want to get some otocinclus to help clean my tank glass and because they don't knock everything around like plecos.

Does anyone know if they feed night or day and if one feeding a day is enough for them?

cheers

Since most Otos are wild caught fish they will not eat Algae wafers. Any Oto I have ever owned will only eat Algae, that is why it is recommended to establish the tank for around 6 Months before the addition of Otocinculus Catfish.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

Thanks ill look into that. They won't hurt shrimp will they?

Nope. Perfectly shrimp safe. In fact, the shrimp will probably clean the snail's shell every now and then.

Since most Otos are wild caught fish they will not eat Algae wafers. Any Oto I have ever owned will only eat Algae, that is why it is recommended to establish the tank for around 6 Months before the addition of Otocinculus Catfish.

Another way of creating algae for your Otocinclus is to add the decorations that you want to have the algae on them in a bowl of de-chlorinated water on a windowsill or somewhere else in the sun until they gather algae. Then just pop them back in your tank.

 

[FreshObsessed]

Nope. Perfectly shrimp safe. In fact, the shrimp will probably clean the snail's shell every now and then.



Another way of creating algae for your Otocinclus is to add the decorations that you want to have the algae on them in a bowl of de-chlorinated water on a windowsill or somewhere else in the sun until they gather algae. Then just pop them back in your tank.

Good idea! But, due to the fish's sensitive nature I let the tank fully establish its Bio load for a few months after the addition of Otos. They are generally hard to care for. Mine never eat Algae wafers.