New Otos With Very Little Tail Fins

[Ellenquacker72]

The tails don't look nearly as large as in pictures of them I've seen. Will they grow in? One of them is basically a stump. It doesn't look like finrot though.

[LyndaB]

It could be that they were kept either with incompatible fish, which attacked them or it could be they were kept in poor water parameters.

Clean water, and lots of it, will really help. Just be sure it doesn't get to the point where the damage is now beyond the base of the tail.

[Ellenquacker72]

I'm guessing it was poor params, since they were the only species in the tank. Would melafix help you think?

[LyndaB]

I'm not a good one to ask about meds. I don't use them really. With something like you have going on, you're not sure what you're medicating for, so you're better off not medicating at all. Just lovely clean water will help the fins regrow, unless they're too short.

[Ellenquacker72]

They're not moving much. And they're not eating either. There's tons of brown algae in my tank, but they mostly just stay in one spot. I put in some hikari algae wafers, but no interest. The water params are fine, and they aren't being bothered by the other fish. They're just not doing anything. One of them has a really small tummy, but he is just hooked onto the side. Is there anything I should do?

[Ellenquacker72]

One of them just died. And he was the largest and was eating some. I don't understand but he was swimming funny and his tail was gone the most. And he was gasping a bit too, his gills were always moving. So I'm hoping since the other 3 aren't doing that that they have a better chance of survival.

[absolutangel04]

Gasping can be from multiple causes, one of which is ammonia poisoning. The gasping combined with the diminished tail suggest poor husbandry in his past. It could be he had ammonia poisoning or was just in overall poor health from his previous treatment.
In situations like that, clean water goes a long ways. I am sorry about the one that died, but it sounds like you gave him a nice home for his last few days.
How are the remaining otos doing?

[Ellenquacker72]

Few remaining hours haha, he'd only been in there for about 3. The other ones are still alive, so to me thats a good sign. They're gills are all very red, so I am guessing that there was some ammonia poisoning in the store. One of them is pooping, so at least his digestive system is working. Another is pretty sluggish. When he was behind a rock at the very back of the tank, he looked like he was dead, so I took a popsicle stick and nudged him a tiny bit. When he didn't move I was pretty sure he was gone, but then he moved, so he's still around so far. They were acclimatizing for 45 mins drip method, so I don't think that's the problem. My ph is pretty high too, and I'm sure that isn't helping them. I feel so helpless... One of them has a pretty sunken belly and I'm worried for him. I'm just going to call them all Him's.

[absolutangel04]

The other symptoms combined with red gills speak to ammonia poisoning. I know it stinks to watch, but theres not really much you can do besides give them clean water and a chance. Some people say that treating with a good antibiotic helps, but I have never found it to help anything. IME, clean water has helped out a lot, but it depends on how extensive the issues are.

[Ellenquacker72]

Fingers crossed that they'll be alive tomorrow. I think the one that died had some internal damage. His underside looked pretty weird when I flipped him over.

[LyndaB]

They are extremely sensitive to changes in water parameters, it's not unusual to lose one or two within the first 2 weeks.

Sorry for your loss.

[Pton46]

I have had good luck with Oto's....I find Veggies are a great supplement. Zucchini, Carrots, String beans...all good. Don't be afraid to leave it in overnight even a day of two.

most Oto's are Wild Caught so it could be they never were in one place long enough to stabilize and get stronger.