# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Otocinclus



## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I actually saw one of my otos up close today! You'd think with 9 of them in the same tank you'd see them sometimes









I had to grab a camera to capture this amazing moment!









Click here to see my tanks!


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I actually saw one of my otos up close today! You'd think with 9 of them in the same tank you'd see them sometimes









I had to grab a camera to capture this amazing moment!









Click here to see my tanks!


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## mm12463 (Mar 5, 2004)

For such a simple fish they are fun to watch. The more in a group the goofier it seems to get but still fun to watch. Very nice photo btw.

Mike
http://fish.silver-fox.us


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Could I use that picture?

Robert
King admin
www.aquabotanic.com


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

Absolutely. Maybe someone will get use from it! LOL

EDIT: BTW - Am i the only one who thinks that it looks like the oto is surfing? That java leaf on top looks like the crest of a falling wave - and he looks like he's on a surfboard!









Click here to see my tanks!


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

Just outta the blue. Do you think/know if Otos eat snails at all? I know some loaches do, as my zebras did. How'bout Otos? Thanks!



Paul


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

No. I can't imagine that they'd eat a snail









Theyre pretty much exclusively herbivorous. Plus, I dont think they could crunch through a shell..

Of all FW fish, I'd say that otos are the most peaceful/docile/vulnerable fish of all!

Click here to see my tanks!

[This message was edited by Leopardess on Wed March 17 2004 at 08:37 PM.]


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

That's a great picture Leopardess. I have a hard time keeping a group alive in my tank. Usually only one survives. What's your secret?

Thanks,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I'm not quite sure. I think it may have been the batch. When I originally purchased them, I got 9 assuming that half of them or so would be lost. That never happened and now I'm stuck with 9 of them, which is absolutely fine - they don't take up much space at all and they're so adorable and to a great job on algae.

In fact, when I got them, I had them quarantined in a 10g tank. This was when my 55g was first being set up and was only a week or two old. It was *covered* in brown algae so I took 3 little otos out of quarantine to put in the 55g - within ONE day, every speck of algae was gone. I can't believe how efficent these guys are!







Such amazing little critters!

Click here to see my tanks!


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

So is Oto really that tough to keep? I've never notice that because they were always so common in my lfs. But thanks for the replies. I was kindda wondering because I wanted to find something that would be small and would eat snails. By small I mean something that would do well in a 10-gal. Other than the snail problems, I am fine with the tank. Just another question looming in my head. What to do with the shrimps when they have done their job as far as algae cleaning goes? I am asking because now that my tank is pretty much cleaned of algae, they seemed to be eating the plants instead....So I am wondering what do you all do with your shrimps afterwards. Do you introduce a predator such as rams, or do you relocate them to another tank? 



Paul


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

Some otos seem to be much more hardy than others. It depends on the batch and your tank conditions, I think.

As for otos/snails - yah, you'll need to find another method of getting rid of them. Try feeding less, removing the egg pouches, squishing snails each time you see them, or using a piece of lettuce to attract them and dispose of it.

As for shrimp - most people leave them in the tank. The amount of plant they would eat should be nearly negligible. Perhaps someone else could help you better.

Click here to see my tanks!


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## IZM (May 24, 2003)

Holy cow leopardess. I'm just seeing this picture. I can't believe it. I will have to look into my of those easy share cameras!! I can't believe these pictures! Even the background on the picture is clear. My camera must be a piece of crap. I can't even get clear pictures of the plants!!


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

LOL well I'm glad you like it







It could be a great deal clearer, but I was happy for just picking up the camera quickly and getting these.

Though, I assume you looked at the *very* brief photography section on my site? (Is that how you know what camera I use?) As you can see, it takes MANY pictures to be able to weed them out and find a decent one!

But yes, a good camera will help. You should see some of the pictures I took using a very low end digital camera - they were awful!!!

Click here to see my tanks!


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## aquatrippe (Apr 6, 2003)

Regarding Otocinculus:

I have heard that some are collected with drugs or slow acting poisins , like reef fish because they can be very difficult to catch.

They are pretty sturdy fish otherwise. never had much trouble with them


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

I was under the impression that the majority are farm-raised?

Click here to see my tanks!


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

Hi, about 3 weeks ago I added 30 otos to my tank, it's heavily planted so it's difficult to count them, I know I've lost some of them maybe ten or so... It's hard for this fish to get adapted

What I've notice is that the bigger and darker they are the better... I didn't have many of those (around 5) and I know they are all alive, besides IMO they work harder, the one from that Photo is like the mayority of the ones I have it seems a weaker type that the darker one I've mentioned.


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

Hello. Maybe I ask what sized tank you put those in?

Unless the tank was newly established using the fishless cycle method - (in which case algae probably wouldn't be sufficient for food) - I am not surprised you lost so many! 30 fish at once puts a VERY large stress on the bioload and otos are not at all well suited to enduring ammonia or nitrite spikes.

As for it being darker or lighter - it might just be that the fish are losing their color as they become stressed.

Click here to see my tanks!


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

Hi Leopardess it was a new stablished tank, with, believe me lot's of Algae







it's a 650 liters, heavily planted tank without any levels of amonia or Nitrite.

I had most of Algae types,beard, fuzz, Green water, hair , thread, and staghorn algae now most of it it's gone. at least in quantity.

I added an UV for the green water, water changes and for the hair and thread algae I added Crossocheilus denisonii over hear it's difficult to find SAE's and to be honest denisonii's are great dealing with hair and thread Algae.

It's known otos are delicate fish, I'm not surprise of their casualties, I didn't spect many of them to survive, but I added them anyway, the ones that have stablished. are enough now.

What i mentioned about darker, doesn't have to do with the mood they are in, the one you've posted have dots if you look at the top part of the fish, the ones i say are completly black, without spots or black dots.


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## Leopardess (Mar 14, 2004)

Hmm. Ok.

For other people reading this that are considering otos, you might want to add the otos more gradually to ensure that most of them live.







A note that is worth, well, noting on these fish is that they are definitely susceptible to ammonia/nitrite.

There are a couple different varieties of otos. http://www.c-u-w.net/fische/otocinclus.htm

I'm not sure that it's the variety that is necessarily hardier - perhaps it was the batch or the strain/ancestry if you will.

Click here to see my tanks!


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## aquatrippe (Apr 6, 2003)

my understanding is that the vast majority of otocinculus cats sold in the USA are wild caught.

This is what I have read and have been told and maybe someone who is in the tropical fish industry could clear up whether that is true or not.

I bought 15 a few months ago and lost a few that were already weak, the others are little powerhouses.

there is a website devoted to otos.. check it out

http://www.otocinclus.com/


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Leopardess:
> Hmm. Ok.
> ...


http://www.freewebs.com/quoth-the-raven-nevermore/
[/QUOTE]

It's true is better to add them in small groups, i won't discuss it, just wanted to tell my experience.

I added them in two groups during 7 days, I'm not sure why they died, i don't think it was ammonia, cause I monitor the water but maybe a peak came up, I've read also that they are wild caught and that they use some kind of poison to easy catch them, that makes them grow internal tumors till they finally die in about a month time.

I'm not saying this as an excuse cause when I bought them I was thinking in my plants, and to be honest i didn't care if they were going to make it or not, I have to say i didn't feed them at all, some of them had thin bellies and others where ok, that may also be a reason, besides both times I took nearly all of them so I didn't chose the ones to take home, which IMO is essential.

What I'll like to say is that the are joy to watch them swimming in groups, don't just buy one or two, a group is much better.


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