"Ionizer" wrote in message
news
I put three small otto cats into our main tank about a month ago and they
immediately went about the business of cleaning the algae from all
surfaces. Last week I found one dead, way in the back behind a decoration.
It's such a hard-to-see spot and these guys are so small and elusive that
he may have been there for a while before I spotted him. He seemed a bit
long-dead.

This afternoon, just half an hour ago, I came home to find another otto
cat jammed into the intake slots of our filter tube, hanging motionlessly.
Over the months, this is where I've found most of our small handful of
fish losses- I assume that they drift lifelessly and end up being pulled
gradualy towards the tube. So I reached into the tank and pulled the cat
out from the slots- he was really jammed in there. When I brought him
towards the surface though, he wiggled and I let him go.

He's alive, but I've hurt him by pulling him out of that slot and I am
honestly so f*cking sorry right now because of what I've done. He's
trying to cling to the glass, and sliding down. Then he swims vigorously,
but in circles- I've damaged his left eye somewhat noticeably. Should I
just let him be and keep apologizing to him while hoping that he can
recover, or what?

I hate this feeling.

--
Ian.

I know what you mean (the feeling...). I would let
him alone and hope for the best. Otos can be awfully
fragile - except for the few that survive pretty much
anything and seem to live forever.

Gail