# Otocinclus about to EXPLODE!



## jourdy (Jul 2, 2009)

What is wrong with my Oto?









There are 3 Otos in my tank and the other 2 seem to be doing good.


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## BottomFeeder (Jul 26, 2008)

I've had this trouble a few times in one of my tanks. The first time I thought it might be a female carrying eggs, but that wasn't the case. 

In some cases it can be caused by over feeding, but I've never seen that with otos. The other option is a bacterial infection, and since you can see red I believe that is the case here.


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

yes, i agree. its some time of infection. Otos are usually known for that, how long have you had the fishes?
you can rule out a pregnant female because the belly would have a yellowish tint. and the eyes should NOT be popping out like that. 
i would definitely try to QT the fish and medicate it.


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## aschaal03 (Feb 2, 2009)

Looking at those eyes makes my stomach hurt 

I'd agree, it is most likely a bacterial infection. Parasites are also a possibility. Definitely quarantine the fish unless you want your other ottos to catch it. With the look of this one's eyes and belly, I'd say his days are numbered. Grab some meds for treating bacteria from the LFS and administer them in the QT tank. Hope he pulls through!


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## jourdy (Jul 2, 2009)

Okay, will do.
Just have to catch it.

Im surprised it's still alive. I saw it on a leaf near the water surface, thinking it was dead. As I was about to scoop it up, she darted. Tried poking it a bit and it still moves fast.


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

I wouldn't bother treating. Just put her out of her misery. There must be tremendous pressure on her internals to cause both eyes to bulge that much and vessels on her abdomen to pop.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

Why would you not treat her? The bulging is most likely due to water, which can be easily alleviated with aquarium salt. Salt in combination with raised temperatures will also take care of internal parasites. If it is a bacterial infection, an antibiotic such as Maracyn and Maracyn Two has good chances to cure the fish.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

Yeah, i'd treat it too with the salt (follow directions). Salt can help with osmotic pressure that it might be dealing with.


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## jourdy (Jul 2, 2009)

Due to water?
Does this mean my whole tank is contaminated?

The other inhabitants are doing fine (2 other otos, 6 forktail rainbows and shrimps)

The oto I quarantined has already died. Just 1 day after QT.


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

jourdy said:


> Due to water?
> Does this mean my whole tank is contaminated?
> 
> The other inhabitants are doing fine (2 other otos, 6 forktail rainbows and shrimps)
> ...


That's why I wouldn't treat her. As much as I hate to say this, but it's an oto, not a larger expensive fish that has the strength to respond to meds. In my experience, if an oto has already exhibited physical signs of an infection, it's a goner no matter how quickly I started treatment. They can be tough little buggers, but once you can see something, it's probably really serious already.

Antibiotics can be very stressful on a fish and a tank as a whole if you aren't treating with a specific one for a specific infection since it's so hard to diagnose. Most of the over counter stuff are shot gun treatments. Salt baths can be stressful too. I have a QT tank to put sick fish in, but don't always automatically start treating. If it looks really bad, I'll just euthanize. You have to think about things in terms of scale.

Since the ailing fish is now gone, You should just keep close observation on the existing inhabitants and treat if you see signs of illness. It's good that you got her out of there before she died and was eaten by others which is more likely to spread the infection.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

I grudgingly agree that salt and antibiotics baths are very stressful for the fish. One should always carefully consider if treatment is a realistic option. I have treated sick otos successfully and they are still around. 

If the fish is suffering a great deal, clove oil is a gentle, cheap, and effective way to kill it.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

i don't have so much experience with otos, but i have had a number of livebearers bounce back and return to perfect health and breeding after really horrible infections. i was really amazed to see such tiny little animals with so much strength. i am now less inclined to euthanize sick fish and instead try to QT and treat if possible.


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## BottomFeeder (Jul 26, 2008)

otos are delicate. Like many scaleless fish, they also are a bit extra sensitive to salt. That isn't to say that salt will kill them, but that you have to tread carefully. I think an oto is MUCH less likely to recover from this sort of thing than a livebearer.

If it is bacterial, just because one fish gets it doesn't mean the rest will. The odds might be greater, but it isn't a given. Increasing water quality though will help increase the immune system of each fish and also reduce the toxins.


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## Strick (Apr 6, 2009)

The swelling is called dropsy. It's a symptom, not a disease. Dropsy is caused by the failure of internal organs, which causes the affected fish to retain fluids and swell. Epsom salt baths can draw out fluids and reduce swelling (and, I guess, discomfort) somewhat, but does nothing to fix the underlying cause. By the time that a fish has swelled that much, there's little to no chance that anything can be done - with any fish.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Very interesting conversation. In this case, i would have tried to treat the fish (like you did), but if the fish was clearly dying, then i would have used the clove oil method to euthanize the fish. But i think you did the right thing - you tried your best to treat it, it was just too late.


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