# Oto Fry



## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Hey Now,

My otos have have been busy and I have fry swimming around the tank. Has anyone here sucessfully bred these? If you have would you mind sharing anything you may have learned.

This is the third time I have had them spawn. The first two times were in another tank. I lost that tank last summer when the AC went out though. I didn't do anything special with them and quite a good number of them survived until the heat got them.


Cheers,
Steven


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

That is so cool I did not know you can breed them at home. What kind of the "busy" thing do they do when breeding? Mine always busy on food. What is the temp. and PH?? Do you have other fish in it with them?


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## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

Yes, more info please! I haven't seen much on them. I'm interested on what is working for you.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

pics would be cool, too


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

They are difficult to photograph right now. Size is maybe an 1/8" and they come out of hiding when the tank lights go off.

I have no idea what the tank parameters are. I don't test them. This seems to be the source of the frustration for people asking me questions about how to do it. It's not something I tried to accomplish, all I can say is that both tanks were almost identical in setup and they spawned both times.

10 gallon tank
30 watts of stock lighting 12 hours a day. Indirect sun exposure for a few hours.
HOB filter rated for 30 gallon tank. Sponge prefilter.
Pool sand substrate.
Hardscape is local lava rock. It's laid out and stacked to form and island leaving just a few inches around the glass. The filter creates a current around the island. They seem to like this. They go from being in it to hiding pretty regularly.
The hardscape is capped with ferns. This creates a lot of hiding places. Other plants, some moss, pennywort and watersprite.

That's a pretty simple layout. I did have a betta in there for a little while but for the past few months and the previous time the only other tankmates were/are shrimp and snails. The 3 otos otherwise have the run of the tank. After watching their behavior in a tank with no other fish I question whether they really thrive in tanks with a lot of other fish in them.

I change about 50% of the water once a month. I live in Las Vegas and it's really dry. So I normally replace about a gallon or more of water in the summer just from evaporation per week. Some have speculated that the helps them spawn. Small rain showers with a huge storm once a month.

I would love to see someone else try a similar setup.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Here's the journal for the 10 gallon:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/journals/58611-10-gallon-low-tech.html

I need to update the pictures.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

This is the best I could find, and breeding these are so rare. I have another tank which is 125g have not thing but shrimps and Oto, but I never seen them breeding for years.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/shanesworld.php?article_id=256


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## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

You may want to try messaging this guy and see if he had luck with his fry. I did a quick search of the forums and found his thread.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

I tried to snap some pictures of the fry this morning when the lights came on. I'm finding it impossible to catch them on camera. Especially now that they have begun to display some color. They blend right in with the rocks. I'll try again tonight.

I also noticed the female and the two males are really active. They have been chasing her around all morning and have not left her side at all. Judging by her size I can't imagine it will be much longer before she drops the eggs.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

I know these are not the best quality. They're the only ones I could get.



















The one with her belly showing is the female. She's dropped the eggs somewhere today. Her belly is half the size it was this morning.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Pictures of the tank:

August 02, 2009










































Thanks for looking.


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## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

Thats a nice looking tank. Have you thought about adding a background to hide the tank hardware? Either way, this is nice looking set up and sounds like the otos like it.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Travis.808 said:


> Thats a nice looking tank. Have you thought about adding a background to hide the tank hardware? Either way, this is nice looking set up and sounds like the otos like it.


I did have a black background on it at one time. I took it off after I noticed the otos would no longer hang out back there. Behind the hardscape and the plants is about a 3" wide open channel bacl to the sponge prefilter. It's were the otos and the shrimp hang out the most while the lights are on. I don't what it was about it but they didn't like it.

I moved the heater up out of where they hang out for the same reason. I was worried that it would create a hot spot back there. Not really being an aquascaper the equipment doesn't bother me.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I think it's wonderful that you've been able to create a situation where your otos are breeding and some of the fry are surviving. I like the way your tank looks too, simple and healthy.


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## catfishbi (Sep 4, 2008)

wow nice wish my Oto have some fry


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

The fry has all but doubled in size and are beginning to act like otos going from leaf to leaf to leaf on the ferns.

I'm expecting to see more fry any day now if the eggs from the last batch are viable. I'm hoping they are.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

*More Oto Fry*

Came home today and found 10 new fry that I can count. The eggs hatched right on time. I tried to snap some pictures. They're so small. I'll see if any of the pictures are good and post them.


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

Same three otos spawned again. Hoping the fry survive this round.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Your fish are so amazing! Pretty soon you can supply us all with tank raised ottos!


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## justafish (Oct 12, 2009)

I decided to scan the APC forums for this topic when I noticed my otos getting frisky. I'm really glad you've posted all that you have so far. I recently bought some blue rams for my 40 gallon tank, and with them came a bunch of frozen bloodworms. I noticed right away that the otos would slurp the bloodworms up like candy. I didn't know they ate anything besides algae.

Then about 2 or 3 days into the bloodworm feedings, the smallest oto I had started following the other two around and quivering next to them. I just figured it was more playful behavior. I noticed two of my otos got pretty chubby around the midsection. I was worried that they had acquired some sort of bacterial infection that would cause them to bloat, but after inspection I saw that they each had a ton of little yellow eggs in their bellies.

This has gotten me wondering what you feed your otos. Maybe the increased protein in their diet triggered something? That could be another thing altogether, since I haven't heard of otos eating worms. But I also replace a lot of water just like you do, though I'm not in Nevada. My tank has an open top with a dual t5 over it, which causes a lot of evaporation.

I've attached a picture of one of my female otos, with eggs in her belly. They are kind of hard to see, I don't have very good lighting on the fish. My otos are about a year and a half old.










How long would you say it is between the time when you see them spawning to when you notice fry? Or from when you see the eggs (if you do) to when you see them spawn? I'd like to be as successful with these babies as you have, that would be pretty cool. I'd also like to figure out what triggers them to spawn. Maybe its the christmas spirit


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## StevenLeeds (Jul 21, 2007)

It's about a week once the eggs are laid. I usually notice them attached to the glass still with their yokes attached. They'll be a milkish white color for about 2 weeks and then you'll notice them start to develop the brownish colors.

I haven't been able to explain why they have spawned. Nothing has changed in the tank really. It's just them with a colony of minami shrimp. There are couple of other people that have had them spawn during an extended low pressure weather system. That's been the case with mine.

The fry will be easy food for other fish. If you're going to try and raise them I would remove the other fish not the otos.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

hwo big is this tank?


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