Keeping Bumble bee Otocinclus

[Ujaynme]

I have 1 bumblebee otto in my tropical tank with honey guaramis, Cory’s, and ADFs for the last 2 years. I would like to be able to keep more but I don’t really know why the first one is still alive. Has anyone else been successful at keeping theses guys and can share care tips?

i started with 2, and tried adding 3 more a year later, but the numbers returns to 1 after a couple of months. I don’t think it’s a food availability thing since they were the only ones in a 55 gallon at the time. I added 3 regular otts a couple of months ago and it hasn’t affected the remaining guy, he’s still fat and producing long solid poop strings. I don’t target feed him or see him eat any of the algae wagers I put in, he just eats the brown sludge around the tank and fuzz film off the wood when I’m watching.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/16/2023 at 10:21 PM, Ujaynme said:

i started with 2, and tried adding 3 more a year later, but the numbers returns to 1 after a couple of months. I don’t think it’s a food availability thing since they were the only ones in a 55 gallon at the time. I added 3 regular otts a couple of months ago and it hasn’t affected the remaining guy, he’s still fat and producing long solid poop strings. I don’t target feed him or see him eat any of the algae wagers I put in, he just eats the brown sludge around the tank and fuzz film off the wood when I’m watching.

Maybe sourcing is an issue. Check this out if you haven't seen it before.

I would make sure you have wood in the tank, seems like you do, as well as try a food like repashy super green or soilent green after lights go out in the evening.

Can you share full water parameters with us?

How is your filter setup? Tank temperature?

[Colu]

From what I have read about them they are all wild caught haven't been bred are sensitive and more likely to come in with internal parasites 

[Ujaynme]

On 11/17/2023 at 1:38 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Maybe sourcing is an issue. Check this out if you haven't seen it before.

I would make sure you have wood in the tank, seems like you do, as well as try a food like repashy super green or soilent green after lights go out in the evening.

Can you share full water parameters with us?

How is your filter setup? Tank temperature?

Using test strips

Water is nitrate 0-10ppm

nitrite 0ppm

hardness 300ppm

buffer 80 - 120 ppm

ph 7.6 ppm

ammonia ? I don’t test for it 

temperature currently heated at 75F, I only heat in the winter, in the summer I leave it unheated and it ranges 68 - 76F

filter is a hybrid under gravel/sponge setup. I attached sponge filters at various points on lift tubes. 
 

Tank is also lightly planted gravel and sand set up. With slightly tinted water from the wood. 

[Ujaynme]

He likes eating this brown stuff the most so I let it grow along the gravel and sand lines and just expose new sections every week.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/17/2023 at 6:08 PM, Ujaynme said:

Such a beautiful fish.  They remind me of a bamboo shark!  They look like they have a good setup, everything seems ok, PH might be high, but beyond that the tank setup and everything is really good for the fish in question.

I would suggest feeding repashy soilent green 1x a week and see if that makes any difference at all.  Try to add some more plants, maybe S.Repens or pearlweed and just keep on doing what you're doing.  propagate out the plants, increase the load, go from there.  I think you're 90% of the way there and it might just come down to pre-existing conditions or feeding.