otto's

18 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

otto's

by a1k8t31524

i was starting to get a brown algae problem in my tank so on monday i went and purchased 3 little otto's i love these guys 2 days later and there isn't a speck of the stuff anywhere and they seem to be very gentle on my plants. on a side note my betta is now eating out of my hand...pretty cool


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

yeah, Otos are great. They're not aggressive, they work constantly (at least when young) and they keep a low profile so I can even house them with my DP woo!
On a side note, since as you say they seem to have outworked their lunch, be sure to supplement them some algae wafers every 3-5 days or so, depending on what you see for food availabilty. They're not very good at locating food specifically for them so you may even have to go with blanched zuccini and a veggie clip. Speaking from experience they wont harm any of your plants.

They can also be pretty fragile at least when purchased from Petstupid...I've had more otos die than any other fish and sometimes a week or two after purchase in near-perf water params. So don't be surprised if you lose one within the next week or so.


spongebob4460
 
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am

by spongebob4460

anybody kept a single otto before? do they still clean up?


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

well 3 did my 55 wonders so i am thinking one would work for yours


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

yeah I have a single in my 5gal. Although I added him thinking he was going to remove the GSA (greenspot) from my acrylic...their little suckers aren't quite that strong to eliminate algae I could barely scrub off with my finger pressed hard against it. lol After removing that at least, he keepts it real clean as I can't keep a snail in Blimpie's tank for more than 30 seconds without it being consumed.
Generally they like to have their own company though. They don't really school or anything I guess its just more comfy for them and they probably stand less of a chance of stress-death.


spongebob4460
 
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am

by spongebob4460

cool deal, i think ill get one


Zambize4899
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am

by Zambize4899

I asked about brown algae in another thread but didn't see this one. Brown algae just sprang up out of nowhere in several of my tanks at once. How many oto's for a 37 gallon community tank? I'm thinking two? I have smaller tanks that would only work with one but it doesn't sound like one oto would be good so how's API's algae treatment, anyone used it?

Zambize


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

i think one would be fine, mind you 3 or more would make them happier. I have never used any alage treatments because everyone that i have seen is not safe for shrimp


Zambize4899
 
Posts: 499
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:35 am

by Zambize4899

I just read an article on brown algae and it said that introducing an algae eater isn't necessary in my case. It looks like I may have provided too much light. In preparation for a vacation I put my tanks on a timer and set them for 12 hours on and 12 hours off. The article said that any light more than 8-10 hours per day may allow algae to grow. I'm thinking that this may be the case since most of my tanks have brown algae at the same time immediately following the introduction of the light timers.

Any thoughts? I've set my lights back to 8 hours per day, but how do I get rid of the brown algae that's in the tanks now? I'd rather not add any algae eaters if I can manage the algae through the availability of light.

Zambize


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

Yeah 8-10 is fine for no live plants. I only keep mine on 12 hours, rarely longer, because all my tanks have live plants. 3 otos is still a pretty sure way to keep your tank clear of most forms of algae. They don't handle BSA and GSA well though since it adheres to things like cement in some cases. I also found out they don't deal with hair algae because they have no conventional way to eat it (flat mouth and all). But it seems a rare occurance in most aquaria anyway.

The minimum recommended is 3, but I've had the same one in my 16 gal for nearly a year now and he does well. I'm keeping 3 in my 30 gal.

otto's

18 posts • Page 1 of 2

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