Oto Diet

I got two small oto's yesterday and wanted to be sure they would eat flakes
if there weren't enough algae. I had what I now believe was an oto (larger
one) a month ago (the store had it labeled as an SAE, which it surely
wasn't). He was doing nicely for a couple of weeks and then he turned up
dead. I assumed it was from not eating as the day after I got him the tank
was clear of all algae. Maybe it wasn't starvation, I don't know for sure.
Anyway the guy at Petco says the flakes will contain spirulina and so the
oto should be fine with flakes (TetraMin). Is this true or should I get
algae tablets or other for them to be sure?

On a side note I was looking at a tank of oto's the other day. Some of them
had a black stripe down the body that was very straight and clear. Others
had kind of a black stripe but it was like there were black dots just above
the line and touching it, and the line wasn't as distinct. Is this a
male/female thing?

Thanks,
dwhite

Dan White wrote:

Anyway the guy at Petco says the
flakes will contain spirulina and so the oto should be fine with
flakes (TetraMin). Is this true or should I get algae tablets or
other for them to be sure?

Go with sinking algae tablets to be safe. You can break them up and
just drop a quarter or half tablet in each day. Drop it in about the
same spot and they should learn where to look for dinner.


Otos are somewhat notorious for a high fatality rate. I was seeing
about 50% loss in the first week when I used to buy them. Oddly, right
now I have one in my planted tank that I see every few weeks, and he's
been in there since December 2002. I guess once they get over that
initial hump, they do alright.



--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

In article , "Eric Schreiber" eric
at ericschreiber dot com says...
Go with sinking algae tablets to be safe. You can break them up and
just drop a quarter or half tablet in each day. Drop it in about the
same spot and they should learn where to look for dinner.

I've got two in a 10 gallon tank. The algae tablets are great. I buy
the kind where algae is the top ingredient, a lot have soy meal or the
like with a little algae.

I break a tablet in half and put the halves in different parts of the
tank, otherwise the 2 fight over the food. One tablet twice a week and
I remove the leftovers after 12-24 hours.

Ever see an oto look like an old man snoozing with his pants unbuckled
after a big meal? It's the only time they're not moving :-).

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
...

Ever see an oto look like an old man snoozing with his pants unbuckled
after a big meal? It's the only time they're not moving :-).


lol. Thanks for all the comments.

dwhite

Thusly "Dan White" Spake Unto All:

I got two small oto's yesterday and wanted to be sure they would eat flakes
if there weren't enough algae. I had what I now believe was an oto (larger
one) a month ago (the store had it labeled as an SAE, which it surely
wasn't). He was doing nicely for a couple of weeks and then he turned up
dead. I assumed it was from not eating as the day after I got him the tank
was clear of all algae. Maybe it wasn't starvation

Oh, it probably was.

Anyway, yes, otos will eat flake - if the flake is allowed to settle
on the bottom, and stay there for a significant amount of time, often
hours, when the oto may finally decide it is harmless and worth
checking out.

They're about the least competitive fish there are when it comes to
feeding, so if you're keeping them with reasonably competitive fish,
then you may need to device some cunning plan to make sure there's
something left for them. Pellets sometimes work, unless the other fish
like them. Or vegetables. Other fish generally don't eat vegetables,
and Otos will eat e.g. brussel sprouts, salad or zucchini once it's
been in the water so it's they've become soft & soggy.

On a side note I was looking at a tank of oto's the other day. Some of them
had a black stripe down the body that was very straight and clear. Others
had kind of a black stripe but it was like there were black dots just above
the line and touching it, and the line wasn't as distinct. Is this a
male/female thing?

No, different species. Females can be separated from males primarily
by being bigger and plumper; when they're full of eggs *much* plumper.

As for WHAT species... www.planetcatfish.com has pictures of all the
commonly available species of Otocinclus in their database; also check
Hisonotus and Parotocinclus - they're commonly sold as otos too.

Larry Blanchard wrote:

Ever see an oto look like an old man snoozing with his pants
unbuckled after a big meal? It's the only time they're not moving

You know, I had never applied quite that image to it, but now that you
mention it, yeah, I've seen otos do that.



--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com