How to grow more algae in the tank?

[gu2high]

Yesterday I bought 3 ottos and let them clean the old 10 gallons tank. Today, all the algae on glass and decos are gone. They maybe very hungry yesterday. Tomorrow I have to give them algae wafers to eat. I hope they will eat it.

But, I wish the tank can grow more algae for them to eat. How to do it?
More light? Less water change?

 

[blazeyreef]

well you got lucky because my otto's ae LAZEY creatures!

 

[Peyton]

Even if you can find a way to grow more algae I doubt if a ten gallon would be able to sustain 3 ottos on algae alone for long. Increasing lighting would problably work in stimulating algae growth along with some good old fashion neglect of water changes.

 

[flyjawn]

come on over and get some from my tank! my three oto's are doing their best but i think the algae is winning!

 

[gu2high]

I have a new 58 gallons tank set up and is cycling. In a month, I will move them to the tank. But, I think there will be little amount of algae as one month with light load is too short.

I put a piece of Hikari Algae Wafers in the 10 gallons tank and they ignore it so far. Two panda cory are feeding on it. The ottos are busy hanging on the wall or plant to clean. But I can't see any algae. They are so good at algae cleaning. My old tank is look like a new one.

Yesterday, they poop a lot. Not today, this worry me. I put in a small piece of seaweed sheet (used for sushi roll) weighted on a clip. Hope they can feed on it. This is natural dried seaweed - sea algae.

 

[plecoperson]

I hesitated to buy otos, as I was afraid of the feeding issue. I did finally get some and they feed very well on stuff other than algae--they cleaned out the tank overnight, too!

I take romaine lettuce, kale, other dark green leafy things, and boil 'em a little. Use a feeding clip to attach them to the side of the tank. They have to be really soft-just short of falling apart. The otos feast. Mine will also eat algae tabs-they seem to much prefer the Wardley brand.

Sometimes they will ignore the vegetables until they start to break down a little. It's a fine line between soft enough for the otos and total disintegration, so I have to watch.

As time goes on they have started to eat about everything I feed the tank with, and are fat and happy.

 

[Zezmo]

Once the algae is gone you can buy algae wafers to feed algae eating critters.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Mine feed on algae wafers and vegi wafers, no problem. I wish mine would clean my tank, but they seem to hide more than eat. Now the ones in my 75G, they are always out eating, but not the ones in my 29G.

 

[Burks]

To increase algae: increase the lighting.

I feed mine a few different things. Algae wafers, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. We'll see on Monday how they like the dry food I'm preparing.

 

[gu2high]

Thanks god, two of them are finally munching on a algae wafer. For the past two days, they ignored the algae wafers . The seaweed was also a failure and it messed up the tank.

If they didn't eat on algae wafers, they would be starved to death. I will try a vege tonight.

 

[TwoHobbies]

You can drop in dead leaves. I soak them in old tank water until they sink (about a week). Just let them disintegrate in the tank.

You can also feed peas. I put frozen peas in boiling hot water until they sink, and for small fish skin them.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Peas work good, and so does frozen french cut green beans. I just take them when they are frozen and place in the tank. Within seconds it's thawed and begins to sink. The fish love them.