Otos - Fish for the Planted Aquarium

boink · 02-23-2007, 09:46 AM

A local fish store just got a big stock of otos in, which are currently under quarantine. How long should I wait to minimize die off and excessively changing water conditions in a short time period?

bristles · 02-23-2007, 10:07 AM

A week or two should be good to make sure they are in good health. Otto's can be sensitive to water conditions so they may take a while to acclimate if there is a big shift in water parameters. As you know, they like to be in numbers, I never have less than 3 in a tank - more if the tank is large.

Muirner · 02-23-2007, 10:41 AM

Ok, this will probably be the easiest question ever BUT. What is an otto? I search aquabid to see what I can find and nada, I also looked around my local LFS's and found.... Nothing... Any help would be great.

milla · 02-23-2007, 10:59 AM

Ottos are a small suckermouth catfish. approx 1.5"

scientific nane : Otocinclus

checkout www.otocinclus.com - Home of the Dwarf Suckermouth Catfishes for more info.

bristles · 02-23-2007, 11:08 AM

The otocinclus is the favorite choice of algae eaters for planted tanks IMO as they do not damage the leaf surface & work on all surfaces in the tank with their small but efficient mouth, they are small so it takes a crew of them to get the job done.

ringram · 02-23-2007, 11:38 AM

I love the ottos I have. Currently, I have 15 in my 90g and its real neat to watch them swim around together. Granted, they're usually not *all* together except during a water change or other times when I have my hands in the tank

but I can almost always look and find 4 or 5 of them swimming around together and the rest off in other random areas.
I acclimated mine slowly and have lost none, although I lost 3 rummynose tetras and 3 cardinal tetras, so maybe they're not as delicate as people think?

I remember a few years back when SAEs were the be-all-end-all algae eater for planted tanks. After having them for a long time, I find that the SAEs can get a little aggressive and lazy when they get older. In certain cases, I've even seen them root around quite roughly in plants, damaging or even nibbling at them. Ottos have never done anything like this. They stay small yet eat A LOT of algae for their size and they are not aggressive in the slightest. Many people ask me why I don't just get a pleco or something and I have to re-explain my reasoning and convince them that otto's are great (not always easy).

Squawkbert · 02-23-2007, 11:51 AM

I have 5 Otos in my 46 (if the new Angel has behaved nicely today). I don't see more than one or two for days on end, then 4-5 all hit the glass front and center for a while. It cracks me up when one decides to "school" with the black neons for a while.

247Plants · 02-23-2007, 12:46 PM

I have 14 in my 60 and they are ALWAYS moving around the tank.....

I notice as soon as the lights go out they all seem to come to the front of the tank where the TV light bleeds in...

eklikewhoa · 02-23-2007, 02:35 PM

Like the others have stated I would wait till the weak died off and the strong got stronger......about a week or two and try and go for the most active ones.

cydric · 02-24-2007, 07:50 PM

Otocinclus' are the only shrimp-friendly fish out there some people would say. They may be shrimp-friendly but once you drop any shrimp food in the tank, the otos' will be all over it in seconds and not leaving until it's all gone.
Unless you make a little shrimp hut that otos' can't penetrate they'll eat your shrimp food for sure.

Oh, and yes, always wait a week or two when buying just-arrived fish.

just my little 2 cents.