Lost an Oto, is the tank too immature?

[trennamw]

10 gallon tank, cycled a month ago, it's had a female betta and some baby pond snails and Malaysian trumpet snails. When the diatoms started going crazy I got 3 Otos.

One died about 24 hours after coming home. No obvious signs of anything. The other two seem fine. But if the tank is too immature maybe I should move them to my 29 gallon, where 3 Otos are doing well for a few months.

Tank is 77 degrees, ammonia and nitrite at 0, nitrate below 5, some crypts and water lettuce in residence. GH 6, KH 4, pH totally stable at 7.5. Water gets stress coat and some cichlid salt and buffer since it's basically distilled.

I get that Otos are delicate ... I put 4 in my 29 gallon tank a few months ago, right at about the same time (a few weeks after cycle was done and fish went in, about a week after diatoms arrived). Those have done well.

I drip acclimate, too.

Those were from a good LFS, this batch in the 10 gallon were from Pet Smart. I was a tad concerned about one, it stuck to the side of the container they use and she pushed it out with the handle of the net.

 

[jglover]

About two months ago I got four otos from Petsmart. Two were dead in 24 hours. I exchanged them the next day and all four are now going strong. Oto stock is just hit or miss, if you make it past a couple of weeks, you should be good to go. Also, try to feed zucchini every week, mine love it.

 

[schoeplein]

Shouldn't ottos be in groups of four or more? I know they're also crazy sensitive and best not to add to a tank til it's been established for several months to ensure they survive acclimation.

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[OhNeil1969]

Otos are notoriously fragile when changing tanks. Drip acclimation is helpful, but sometimes that isn't enough. It really sounds like you are just experiencing the common lost associated with otocinchlis (especially given your water parameters and how quickly they are dying).

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[trennamw]

Thanks all. Sounds like moving them to the more established tank could be even worse, since it'd be yet another change.

I thought groups of 3 were ok ... My 29 gallon has 3 who are super happy and active. We shall see how many survive and how many I have to replace to keep it to 3-4! I'm thinking delicate fish ought to come from our phenomenal LFS next time ...

But WOW are they efficient at the diatom clean up! This patch about 3x5" that the snails were chipping away at was gone overnight, along with most of it on the gravel.