# Food for my Algae eaters?



## Regenesis (Apr 12, 2011)

Yes, you will need to start providing food for the algae eaters. Start putting in Algae wafers in and an occasional cucumber (Otos love them). The Algae wafer will also give the cory a little extra something (I know my cories love it).


----------



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Just about all the vegies that we eat can be offered to the fish. 
I cook the harder vegies like pumpkin, yam and squash until it is barely tender. Don't overcook, it will fall apart in the tank. 
Softer vegies can be blanched or microwaved just until their color darkens. 
Fruit (do not offer a lot of it) and vegies like cucumbers (which are really fruit!) can be served raw.


----------



## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

Veggies are good supplements to make sure the fish get their nutrition. 

In that size tank, though, the otos will have plenty of biofilm to munch on. I've got a group of otos that have been healthy and fat for well over a year now and I never feed them anything in particular. I do see them jump on veggie discs every now and again. SAEs will eat leftovers also, both species don't eat *just* algae, so it'll be okay. 

I've had issues keeping otos in newly setup tanks, but in established ones it's never been a problem.


----------



## Bettatail (Feb 12, 2009)

Diana said:


> pumpkin


roud:


----------



## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

My four (now deceased) otos can eat a slice of cucumber in a 24 hour period. I put a little bit of water in a cup, one slice of cucumber and microwave it for 30-40 seconds. Let it cool a little, and put something to weight it down.


----------



## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

My otos, pleco, and cories LOVE fresh veggies. I use leaf lettuce, spinach, and recently sweet potato and they go nuts for it... especially the sweet potato!

Just throw the veggie of choice in a bowl with a little bit of water for about 2 minutes to soften it up and stick one of those lead weight strips you get with plants on one end. Drop it in the tank and leave it for 3 days. 

Sent via Android


----------



## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

I've never been able to get my ottos to eat any vegetables. They've been in my tank for over a year, so there must be enough slime for them to eat (Yummy!). 

I just saw in another post on this site that someone has been feeding sweet potatos to their ottos, so maybe that would be worth a try.

<Just a FYI for those who are curious; Any "vegetable" that is or contains seeds, such as tomatos, pumpkins, beans, nuts, corn, eggplants, and peas are all fruits. Vegetables are technically structural parts of the plant, as in spinach leaves, celery stalks, carrots, onions, and cabbage.>


----------

