Otos have gotten lazy.

[kaz]

I have nine otos and they are all lazy bunch, when first transfered to the 75g they clean up diatom and green spot very nicely. now they hang with the loaches, cories and pleco just sucking the bottom substrate for foods. no glass lol.

 

[gu2high]

Are there still diatom and green spot on glass or substrate have more algae?

Normally 1 otto per 10 gal. Since you have pleco too, maybe not enough algae for the 9 ottos.

 

[kaz]

my pleco is more of a meaty guy since he is a golden nugget. he never gets on the glass he sucks the substrate, and yes there are a few that I eventually clean every weekend since no one eats them. I do feed every other day algae waffers.

 

[SparKy697]

I have never gotten my otos to eat algae wafers. Blanched spinach or lettuce is another story though.

 

[gu2high]

Are they fat? I have a very fat one which hide on a stone inside a plastic plant during daytime and come out only in evening. Another 2 like to hang around the AC intake tube.
I am going to buy 2 more to control the algae, maybe a BN pleco too.

Once I had a common pleco living with an oscar and 2 other cichlids in a 55 gal tank and I didn't have any algae problem. I didn't feed it any algae walfers but it grew very well. It might eat cichlid food, shrimp, shrimp pellets, etc.

 

[kaz]

about four of them that live in the cave with my golden nugget are fat to the point they look deform lol. the others hang around plants, filter intake etc and are more otos looking. at night if I come down and turn the lights on I see all of them out and scattering.

 

[gu2high]

That is my ottos too. The fat one is very lazy, stays on stone all the day-time without moving. Maybe it is too heavy for it to hang around or too full and don't want to search food. I bought 3 and they are very hardy.

Today, I added 2 more, but they are smaller. I guess they are healthy but hungry with thin belly.

 

[piranha]

If you don't have live plants, get some. Ottos love sucking algae off them. My three ottos spend all day sucking the leaves of my huge amazon swords and occasionally the glass. I agree 1 otto per ten gallon is well enough. I keep mine in a 30 extra high that they keep algae free.

 

[gu2high]

Agree. I had my first live plant Amazon Sword 3 days ago. No algae on it yet but my tank glass is cover with tons of algae - produced from the warm water in the previous two weeks to treat ich. I am relying on 5 ottos, 1 golden snail and 2 ghost shrimp to clean the 58 gal tank now. Platy and guppy also help it somewhat.

Going to order 10+ more live plants next week.