Ben Ellison Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 I have been reading about ottos starving in clean tanks. I thought I was feeding mine with algae wafers but most have died out now. I'm curious what is recommended to supplement their diet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenP2003 Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 Repashy super green or soilent green. Or zucchini or Cucumber... But I couldn't get my otos to eat the vegetables at all. Seriously, I've never seen a fish so unwilling to live that it refuses fresh food. With the repashy, you can smear the mixture on decor, driftwood, glass, plants or wherever and sort of trick them into eating it in the way they are used to grazing. That worked for me, and I've got some fat and happy otos. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nataku Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 They won't eat algae wafers. Wafer is not the same as actual algae to them and they are such picky eaters. The only prepared foods I've heard people having luck with is repashy, as Stephen said. I've had no luck with it personally though (the angels and corydoras eat it, but the ottos want no part of it). Any other prepared foods are out, I've never heard of anyone getting their ottos on any kind of flake or pellet. If your tank is not making enough algae to feed your ottos, you can always supplement your tank with algae from another source. I put stones in a shallow tub outside with a couple inches of dirty tank water and let them sit in full sun for a week - they grow algae. I put a couple in the tanks for the ottos to graze clean, and swap them back out to the tub the next day for another couple rocks. Keeps the ottos fed but the tank is algae free. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryC Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 You can just leave the lights on a bit more to create more algae! (If you dont mind the look that is). I do that with my 40g tank and my ottos, pleco and amanos literally never have to be fed haha. It looks dirty but it's just algae, and only looks bad when very up close, form a distance the green carpet on the wood looks really cool and natural. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadwort75 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 My ottos go crazy for broccoli. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_RF Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Where your ottos hin when you got them? like narrow or sunken bellies? They should be nice and plump like a pea. If they were straight or narrow, honestly you were in an up hill battle to begin with. It is often difficult to get them to come back at that point. Now for new ottos I like to feed in the tank spirulina flakes (I use xtreme) with the other fish food and twice or three times a week feed something like repashy soylent green. Also, if you place near on the glass where they hangout, you can also try tubifex cubes. My ottos absolutely adore the hikari tubifex cubes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 (edited) For Otos, shrimp, and others, I really like to have an overgrown tank with copious mulm, and plenty of algae. Edited September 20, 2020 by Streetwise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 So I don't vacuum my tanks but never see mulm. Is that normal? My tanks are starting to get filled in but no where near over grown yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_RF Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 It could still be settling into the substrate. Sometimes it may take months to years to see enough mulm to build up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenP2003 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Ben Ellison said: So I don't vacuum my tanks but never see mulm. Is that normal? My tanks are starting to get filled in but no where near over grown yet. Mulm doesn't provide all the nutrients a root feeder might need, FYI. If you're using inert substrate, consider root tabs every few months or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 (edited) Oversized driftwood can help with creating mulm and offering snacking opportunities. All of my planted tanks use organic soil, so any mess I make tends to add to the ecosystem. Edited September 21, 2020 by Streetwise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 I'm using seachem flourite. I don't think thats considered inert? And I do use root tabs and easy green in the water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyBundy Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Tank full of Ottos and i raised otto fry. Used cucumbers (picked most of the seeds out) , Repashy Super Green. Haven't had luck with the Repashy solient green. They won't touch it. Also zucchini is one of there favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefConfit Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 I've had luck getting my ottos on Hikari mini algae wafers and bottom feeder wafers. I started feeding them during quarantine with some cories so I think seeing other fish eating them helped. They also like blanched peas, frozen baby brine, and also the bug bites for shrimp. They pretty much go after anything that finds its way onto one of their grazing surfaces now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Otto’s are mixed bag for me. I think it has something to do with source of the fish. They either die shortly after I get them or they survive and graze to their hearts content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Knox Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 I’ve heard the Repashy recommended a few times none of my local stores carry it so I’m hoping to order it soon and try but after reading these comments I don’t know how good it will be but still searching I’ve tried the Algae wafers, peas, cucumber and zucchini and they haven’t touched any of them so I just dosed extra fertilizers to get algae growth now my tank looks dirty to everyone who looks at it and I know that they only eat certain types of algae so I’m always worrying that there’s the wrong algae or there gonna eat all the type they like and the other types will out compete it, haven’t lost one yet (out of 5) but hoping to dose less and let the algae go away and not loose any was hoping the Repashy was my answer maybe I’ll have to stop dosing slowly and throw in a few different things in and maybe I’ll get lucky the second time around and they’ll take to something else, best bet is to try a few different things and hopefully they’ll take to one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 On 9/18/2020 at 1:35 PM, Nataku said: If your tank is not making enough algae to feed your ottos, you can always supplement your tank with algae from another source. I put stones in a shallow tub outside with a couple inches of dirty tank water and let them sit in full sun for a week - they grow algae. I put a couple in the tanks for the ottos to graze clean, and swap them back out to the tub the next day for another couple rocks. Keeps the ottos fed but the tank is algae free. The simplicity of this is brilliant. Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 (edited) My otos eat Repashy Soilent Green, canned green beans, and zucchini. It took them a little while to get used to Repashy at first, but once they got a taste of it, they definitely prefer Repashy the most. You can tell if they're eating well because their bellies will look like a round pearl when they're clinging on the glass. Because they're grazers, I don't always see them eating, but one time I put my phone on a tripod and caught them in action. Edited September 22, 2020 by Irene 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 On 9/20/2020 at 7:54 PM, Streetwise said: Oversized driftwood can help with creating mulm and offering snacking opportunities. oh boy, this is true...I have a giant piece of driftwood and my tank has been up for only a few months. I can see mulm in the moss, in the substrate, in the water column if I disturb the moss...I am actually sometimes annoyed by it. But my otos and snails seem really happy so... My otos looove cucumber, and will occasionally take a hikari algae wafer. The khuli loaches and snails clean up the rest. I also leave the lights on a bit long, but now I have a bit of a staghorn algae issue, not sure that is working as well as I hoped. I have cleaned the front glass ONCE in the months since getting the otos. You can't see algae anywhere except for the dang staghorn... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Do the ottos not eat the staghorn? I know my cherry reds seem to be eating it very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 @Ben EllisonMy otos seem to mostly eat softer, flat algae that cover surfaces. Their favorite is brown diatom algae on plant leaves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 whats the best staghorn eaters? RCS seem to do it ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Jones Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Yea mine won't touch wafers or veg. They seem to just love sucking on the glass lol. They're pooping away so all good I suppose 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishKeepingInVA Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 (edited) Soilent Green Repashy and Brown Diatom Algae are their weaknesses I find. Some will eat veggies some wont. I have 3 and only 1 will eat from a cucumber or zucchini. Edited September 23, 2020 by FishKeepingInVA Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Does anyone have a vendor that sells great ottos? I'd really like to not suck at them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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