# Oto no longer eating brown algae



## Crystalview (Aug 10, 2007)

*took out info*

New tank syndrome gets most of use within 3to5 months of starting up a tank. I found that when I reduced my feeding. The fish need very little. Cleaned the tank and did 50% water changes once or twice aweek. Things went back to normal. The oto's are still eating but we have to help them out. When you do the water change do you wipe some of the walls down. Do you vac every so often. I don't know what is in your tank besides the oto's (plants, ornaments, fish). That might help us know what to do.


----------



## mrjoshq (Feb 6, 2008)

The tank is well cycled. As for other items, I have 2 swords, 2 crypts, talanthra , hairgrass, and some anachris(gonna get rid of it. .looks like crap and grows like a weed), 4 tiger barbs, 3 sarpae tetras, 2 botia loaches, 3 otos, 2 panchax killifish. All but the otos seem to have a heatly appetite. I wonder about overfeeding though... I suppose excess food would cause the algae to sprout out of control  

I do about 20% water change once a week. vacuuming about half the gravel, and scraping the glass.


----------



## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

New tank syndrome is a term that can also be applied to planted tanks, whether or not the tank is cycled. It is more about the fact that there are still high amounts of silicates in the water, and the plants have not established themselves yet. I would leave the anacharis for right now, it will help you establish the tank.


----------



## Crystalview (Aug 10, 2007)

I would increase the amount of water you change each week to about 50%. You would be getting rid of more of the TDS which can contribute to the algae. Twice a week would be great if you could do this while you have the algae. Reduce the food by half. Your fish won't starve. I have to remember this one myself. They really don't eat much. Sometimes I will skip a meal or a day even. I have used algone when it was really bad and I was still over feeding. It is barley they use in ponds to keep them clear. Turns our water slightly tan while you use it but it does work.


----------



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

increase the light (if possible) its the best way to get rid of diatoms. algae eating fish dont really do much in a bloom, they are better at keeping the bloom from happening. another good thing is to use distiled or RO water, diatoms need a lot of silicates, no silcates=no diatoms.


----------



## gratts (Feb 9, 2008)

Are you adding other foods to the tank which they will eat?
I find that having added algae wafers or vegetables to my tank my bristlenose plecs become lazy and neglect any algae that arises. Same could apply to otos.


----------

