# How Active Are Your Ottos?



## Schala (Mar 15, 2003)

When I first brought my three otos home, they would school with my harlequin rasboras and swim up and down in the current coming from the filter. 

They are very playful when they are young, but when they get older they will hide in the plants all day. I don't see mine very much anymore. :?

I had some terrible algea before they came. As soon as I released them, they sucked onto the glass and I could actually see a clean streak behind them as they ate the algea away.  Very cool.


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## Angel12 (Apr 16, 2003)

Very similar here My Ottos must be a bit older as they bullet about from Leaf to leaf I Think they are doing a good job but they tend to Dissapear quite a lot and then Play dead on a rock at the front of the Tank .. Only to speed off after a rest ... very funny to watch ... sometimes they fool the Discus into thinking there something to be nosed around ... (they dont make an attempt to eat them but are inqisative enough to want to know what they are doing on top a of a rock not moving)


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Same story here... first they were playing around with each other all the time, and suddenly they get boring, hiding all day... Not sure if it is an age thing (I only have them for 2 months, not sure how old they were when I bought them), or if the algaes are just running low... but it has been quite a drastic change.


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## Guttboy (Jul 19, 2003)

Wasserpest,

How many ottos do you have in your 100 gallon? Could you give me a rundown of the critters you have in yours? Ours are the same size and would like to know what other 100 gallon users have in their tanks for fish and such.

Mike


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

My tank is a little understocked :wink: 

There is one African Butterfly lady, definitely my favorite fish so far, still awaiting her playmate. It's been a daily routine to catch a few big flies, one or two earwigs, one or two butterflies, one or two mosquito fishies from the pond, and whatever else crosses my way and feed it to "Mula". Amazing what she can eat without becoming fat  

Then there is a pair of Pearl Gouramies, which were struggling with an infection a couple of weeks (anchor worms) but they are doing great now. Not yet into bubble nest business. I feed them live daphnias/cyclops and frozen mosquito larvae. They also eat a little vegetarian food, like dying Riccia and loose algae.

There is one false SAE, very peaceful and not shy at all. Looks funny when he's eating stuff from the surface (he's supposed to eat algae, for gods sake).

I have two otos which cleaned up all the brown algae, had their playful time, and are now hiding all day  

Uhm, that's it...

As for my plans: I want to get a pair or a couple of dwarf cichlids. Probably Rams. Since my dwarf puffer trial didn't go well (Mula had him for breakfast) I am looking for some snail eating fish. Considering clown loaches, but I think they get a little too large for my liking.

I had some shrimps before, which died during medicating the tank for anchor worms, and I will add a few back in.

One problem I have is that in Summer the tank gets quite warm, since I don't have air condition. So I need to look into fishies that can tolerate that. Not sure about the Rams regarding that. 

I never kept Rainbow fish, but I would like to try something exotic, like Iriatherina or Pseudomugil.

The selection offered in my area is pretty sad. Haven't seen ANY dwarf cichlids yet.


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## Guttboy (Jul 19, 2003)

Wasserpest,

where are you living at? sorry to hear about selection. My PETCO is really good about ordering...in fact I am on the way there to talk with the head fish guy about ordering some fish for the tank....maybe..but doubtful he can get some sae's....we shall see.

I have 7 Ottos, 8 White Cloud Mt minnows, tons of glass shrimp. Looking to get a school of 20 neons, and a school of 20 black tetras or something. Eventually i want to get a couple of german blue rams or something similar. 

What are your tank temps?

Mike


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Living in central California, Salinas area. I would probably have to drive up to San Jose to get something other than the most common stuff.

The temp in my tank has been around 80-82. To hot for WCMM's and Neons, I believe.


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

My otos look like tadpoles. I think it's safe to say they're getting plenty of algae to eat :roll: 

James


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## evan (Jul 4, 2003)

do ottos only eat the brown algae? i have some green colored algae growing on my driftwood and on some of my gravel? its not very thick and it actually looks kinda of good. i don't know what kind of algae that is. but they don't seem to be eating green algae? i don't know. i thought ottos did eat algae other than brown. i don't want them to starve.


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