The Accidental Oto Keeper

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I KNOW @Odd Duck it's nuts. And when you really think about it, 2 months?! For that amount of damage it seems pretty incredible. 

[eatyourpeas]

Ohh, so good to see that recovery! Well done!!! 😍

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

OTOCINCLUS VITATTUS & COCAMA: The Accidental Oto Tank

So as mentioned before I'm starting to be a believer in this Catappa Leaf so I decided that I will make tea 1x a week and fill up my 7, 1 gallon bottles I use for water changes part way (about 1.5- 2") and fill the rest from the tap for treatment and use that for water changes. After the tea is done I put the used leaves in here and am working on tinting/tanin-ing(ha) the tank to acclimate the rest of the Otos to it. Hopefully too it will be a little bit of a food source for them- another option to graze on. AND when the patient is ready they will have some familiarity with the parameters and presence of the IAL. It's starting to color up nicely. My goal is to NOT be as dark as the QT by any stretch but to definitely have a tint/color change. You can kind of see it in this picture as the ceramic rock hide shouldn't look yelllow/brown as it is black/white and grey, and you can see some of the discarded leaves from my boiling them were put into the tank:

The 6 baby Vittatus are 3 months, 8 days old. I feel like they take quite a while to reach 1" which is the requirement for a LFS before they'd buy them. I'll probably have them at least 6 months. The Accidental Nursery is still not ready water parameter wise- they were decent at first but went all wonky on me. It's ok though this breeder box is big enough for now: 

Prior to adding more leaves I did a deep cleaning this week, squeezing out the sponges on the HOB and cleaning up some hair algae on the plants (the light I have here is pretty high powered and I'd like to change it just haven't gotten around to it -and growing stuff is probably good for the Otos). This gives me the opportunity to watch the Otos while I work. They love their coconut hides, both species hang out on them. 

Water parameters this week:

Temp:77.7 (no heater)

pH: 7.6 

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

KH: 4/71.6 (went up 1 from last test)

GH: 125.3 (same)

Edited February 3, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX
rearranging...

[Hobbit]

Wow, I just caught up on this thread and probably used all my reactions for the day. 😄 I’m so happy for your little oto! The vet school sounds really nice. It’s great knowing you have that resource nearby. Now that you know the process for getting in, it will be easier if you ever need it again.

You are the best oto parent the internet has ever seen!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

OTOCINCLUS VITTATUS: The Parent Tank

I just want to express my undying affection for my little Otos: Every. Stinkin. One. Of. Them. Not the least of which is Momma Oto. She is the one Oto I can identify without a doubt and I can always find her if I want to. She is brave (all the others scatter when I'm hands in she does not) and in the Parent Tank she is the only one I usually see besides one or 2 others- eventhough there are at least 14 in there. She is my little fishy love 🥰

Edited February 5, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos are lame

[Guppysnail]

You make me want these so bad. They are lovely. It’s so nice to have that one or two of a group you really “bond” with 🥰

[Hobbit]

Your love for Momma Oto comes through so clear! 💖 She’s one of those unique, amazing fish that just steal your heart. How lucky that you ended up with her. ❤️ 

[Jawjagrrl]

Went "squirrel" this morning on this journal after talking about the scrap scapes, so glad I did! What a journey with your patient and seeing Oto babies! Glad you kept this, so much good stuff. You have me eyeballing my spider plant now....

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Jawjagrrl thanks for reading friend. I don't see a lot of Oto posts here and though I keep plenty of other fish I thought I'd wave the Oto flag (REALLY HARD). 🙃

My spider plant has babies on babies on babies and I feel bad when a living one falls off so I had put this one in a jar to start roots and decided after that to put in on the back of my tank. Seems to grow a little slower than when in dirt after this time but it's doing well and looking healthy. I keep meaning to post an update about my Nitrate Experiment plants in the Accidental Oto Tank but keep forgetting!

Edited February 6, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

.....I type this from a space of extreme sadness and worry. I had 2 overtime shifts this week- and despite having quickly spot cleaning and Prime dosed, the Quarantine tank with my beautiful patient Oto with Popeye spiked to 4.0 Ammonia. I went into emergency mode and dumped the tankwater while having caught my poor Oto and placed them in clean water. The ammonia is back at 0 but I'm not sure if it's too late. I feel TERRIBLE. They are still breathing (no extreme redness) but they are struggling to move so they are not moving much at all. I'm sadly prepared to lose them as I have now done everything that I can. What's worse is that they look amazing. Please say a prayer and/or send well wishes for my poor Oto. 😭

[Kevin F.]

Sending prayers and well wishes.  

[Danabana]

Prayer 🙏 and well wishes

[Torrey]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:23 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

.....I type this from a space of extreme sadness and worry. I had 2 overtime shifts this week- and despite having quickly spot cleaning and Prime dosed, the Quarantine tank with my beautiful patient Oto with Popeye spiked to 4.0 Ammonia. I went into emergency mode and dumped the tankwater while having caught my poor Oto and placed them in clean water. The ammonia is back at 0 but I'm not sure if it's too late. I feel TERRIBLE. They are still breathing (no extreme redness) but they are struggling to move so they are not moving much at all. I'm sadly prepared to lose them as I have now done everything that I can. What's worse is that they look amazing. Please say a prayer and/or send well wishes for my poor Oto. 😭

He has already proven that he is a fighter.

Keep him with clean water, and we will collectively send you all the healing, soothing, recuperating energy we can.

If you have any frogbit, I would add frogbit, as that has been the fastest plant to drop ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates for me in my emergency tanks.

You have been an amazing fin parent!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Thank you @Torrey. Unfortunately no frogbit or other floaters. I put 2 chunks of Polyfilter in the tank, the ALL new water is IAL infused, put in a little Aquarium salt and have the little one in a floating breeder so they're closer to the surface with an airstone in that and the sponge filter running in the tank. They are still with me, breathing. 😞 I think I've done everything I can. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Torrey]

::offers hugs::

[CT_]

I hope he pulls through.  I have an unreasonable attachment to this internet-fish.  The only thing I can think of to help is to make sure he's got lots of oxygen. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@CT_ if you think you have unreasonable attachment.... I had lunch plans with family- cancelled. I'm not leaving their side. I have 3 days off- and I will likely not be beyond a room's radius of this fish for a while. I do have an airstone running in the breeder box they are in so I think I have that covered but I might add another. I just dumped a bunch of plants that were cuttings- some growing roots into the tank. I've tested ammonia again (despite the 100% water change I did that was tested and 0 ammonia then) and it's still 0. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Lots and lots of positive energy heading your way. That stinks!🤬💩

[Odd Duck]

You’ve done all you can.  Keep up excellent aeration and plenty of plants that are in good condition.  We already know this little one is a fighter.  Hopefully that will carry him through.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

My little Oto didn't make it through the night. 😔

[Odd Duck]

On 2/9/2022 at 9:46 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

My little Oto didn't make it through the night. 😔

So sorry for your loss!  You tried so very hard for this little guy at every single step.  You gave him more chances at life than 99% of hobbyists would have done.  I know you must feel bad now, but please take comfort in knowing that you did everything you possibly could have for him.  My sympathies are with you.

[DaveO]

So sorry😢

[Danabana]

I'm so sorry...big hug. 

[Jennifer V]

Huge hugs to you! I just read through your journal last night. Your dedication and determination are admirable and inspiring. Sending you lots of healing energy! I know this stings but try to focus on all of the other little healthy babies you have and know that your dear oto is gracing all of the others with positive light. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

OTOCINCLUS COCAMA AND VITTATUS: Final Thoughts on the passing of my Cocama and....

A mix of sad and now angry (that it happened) I got even more determined to make sure that: 1.) That never happens again- I take full responsibility for the ammonia in that tank- it shouldn't have happened. and 2.) More than EVER determined to keep Otos and potentially breed them. You know how they say after a break up in order to get over someone you get under......

So what do fishkeepers do when this kind of thing happens? A lot of us go to the LFS to distract from, and honor the loss of fish that pass. Loss of one life will hopefully save others. I could have gotten middle dwellers for my Angry Man Tank, the 10 Black Neons have been at their leisure alone in that tank for too long. BUT no! They had Oto Vittatus. I know in order to breed a better "monster" I need genetic diversity. I left not ONLY with 6 Vittatus in hand (now in my poor little patient's former tank), I am also on the list for them to call me next week when they are expecting more O.Cocama. I will buy them out (as I don't expect them to get that many but I'd buy up to 10 or 15 and split them up between the Accidental Tank and the Parent Tank). Anyhow, the Vittatus I got are a little red/irritated- but I got a good sized adult Female (99% sure female). The tank has IAL tea; I pulled a filter from the Parent tank -since it needed squeezing out anyway (though I didn't squeeze it out to jump start the QT- and it wasn't bad at all actually I was surprised) and I put a little Stress Coat in there. I will monitor and see. You can see the redness in the pic below (most especially in that large female). 

I Godzilla'd (my term for doing drastic things) yesterday and used every swear word I know (and I know a lot)- so it's a good thing I guess I live by myself because if I wasn't quietly talking to my poor patient to hang on for me- all the other words (if I wasn't sitting with them) that came out were bad ones. I released the 2 baby Otos in the Parent Tank that were in a floating breeder- AND- while I was "furiously" cleaning the Accidental Oto Tank I tipped the breeder with 6 inside there and 2 got out- so I shrugged and released them too. Best idea? Meh. I don't care. Bioload there totally negligible and moving can always be done. This means the Accidental Nursery is staying empty for the time being. All is fine with that since it's not ready to support life anyway- the water tests are completely wonky. I feel good about it and I am grasping at straws trying to feel better. It's nice to see the tiny ones hanging out in the tanks. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX
rearranging...