Oto Death

[SparKy697]

I found one of my Otos dead on the bottom fo the tank this evening. I'm not sure what happened. The other two look healthy in that their color is good and they seem active, or as active as an oto is. I have been afraid about nutrition with these fish. I have no detectable algae in this tank so I'm constantly feeding vegies just to make sure. The otos hardly if ever eat at the vegie bar. I assume this means that they are ok with their current food supply?

I don't like to think that I may be starving them to death. I wonder if I should move the remaining ones to a tank with known algae growth?

 

[Gillie]

Ottos have been known to eat themselves to death, this reason is why I don't keep them any more. Too many deathsto handle.

 

[BrianNY]

Actually it's a nutrient deficiency. All otos are shipped from SA. While in transit they don't eat and this prevents some from ever absorbing food properly again.

You can still keep otos. Avoid purchasing any otos that have recently arrived at the lfs. If they survive being at the lfs for a week or two, then they should also survive your tank.

 

[plecoperson]

Do you feed algae wafers? Mine all seem to go for those, and they're good for 'em. Three of them have been in an algae-free tank for some months and are doing very well on prepared food and veg a couple times a week.

 

[SparKy697]

These have been in my tank for nearly 3 months. They all have their little pot bellies and seem to be doing well. I put algae wafers in the tank almost every day, but the oto's don't seem to be interested at all. I have never seen an oto even touch a wafer, I wish they would. They spend almost all of their time on the plants. They seem to be eating something that I can not see and that's ok. I just don't want them starving.

 

[gu2high]

What brand is your algae wafers. My is Hikari and they do eat on it.
Are their bellies fat or not?

I find they won't touch vegie at the first 12 hours. They eat on vegie after it has been there for 1-2 days.

 

[SparKy697]

I feed a mixture of O.S.I. wafers and the Hikari brand as well. So far no interest in either. Their bellies are nice and plump
I notice the same timeline for their eating vegies. I usually just leave them in the tank until they are gone, usually in 2 to 3 days.

 

[gu2high]

Maybe not died from starving or ill nutrition. Sometimes they go crazy and bump on everything and I wonder they may hurt themselves, just like people get hit in the car accident.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Most people never find their bodies..

I followed what Brian has said and the 6 that I bought, I still have 5 and it's been a year. (touch wood)

In the move from the 75 to the 120 I could only find 4, figured one had died so I drained the tank. came back downstairs to hear it in a puddle.. picked him up with my fingers and tossed him in the 120. He's still doing well.. Sometimes fish just die. without any symptoms, there is really nothing you can do about it. sometimes even with symptoms you can't do anything..

I watched my 3 GBR's sequentially stop eating. 1 thinned right out and died, then the next did the same thing, then the last.. They were in the tank and doing well for 2 months... Nothing I could do, watched the food fall right in front of the thinned ones face and it just chose not to eat. (3 different types of food)

 

[SparKy697]

It is frustrating isn't it? The same basic thing happened to my three angels.

Judging by the apparent health of the other two, I think this was just one of those cases.

 

[gu2high]

I believe every death has some reason, just we stupid human being don't understand it yet. We need fish doctor desperately.