# growing algae for otos



## jamesandrewgreen (26 Jun 2012)

Contrary to most of the posts here, I actually want to encourage some algae growth for food for my team of otocinclus.

I have read that people do this by putting stones in a separate tank in a sunny windowsill, which I have tried for a week but nothing has happened! 
I used water from the main tank and added a little extra fertiliser. Does the algae tank need filtration/ water movement/ aeration?

Any advice appreciated.


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## Antipofish (26 Jun 2012)

Give it another week.  I had some plants in an ice cream tub on the windowsill and the inside of the tub was coated in green after 2 weeks.   (You arent changing the water though right  ?)


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## sr20det (26 Jun 2012)

I added or was growing on some java fern and within a week, plenty of algae.

Did you use water from tank, always goood to use old watter frm a water change.  Good chance Algae and bacteria exist to trigger a bloom.


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## Gill (27 Jun 2012)

I always do this for both my ottos and shrimp. 
Leave a basin of water in the garden and chuck some cobbles and stones in it, leave a few weeks and they are nice and green. chuck them in the tank and let them eat, meanwhile there are more going green for them.


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## jamesandrewgreen (27 Jun 2012)

Thanks for the replies    So it really is that simple! Guess I just need to be patient then..


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## BigTom (27 Jun 2012)

My otos also seem to browse extensively on the biofilm on the dead oak, beech and indian almond leaves that I add to the tank, so you could try those as an additional food source. I have no visible algae and don't feed the otos anything else, but they always look good and plump so it seems to do the trick.


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## dw1305 (27 Jun 2012)

Hi all,
Same as Tom, I've found both they and _Corydoras pygmaeus_ love dead leaves. I feed mine some vegetables as well, but I don't seem to have any algae at the moment in their tank.

cheers Darrel


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## jamesandrewgreen (28 Jun 2012)

Interesting! Do the leaves make the water go yellow?


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## BigTom (29 Jun 2012)

They might release a few tannins, yes. Easy enough to remove with purigen or charcoal if it really bothers you, but the fish will probably appreciate it.


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## mark4785 (1 Aug 2012)

Do otos only eat algae?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (1 Aug 2012)

mark4785 said:
			
		

> Do otos only eat algae?



Some say they can't get Ottos to eat anything but algae, which is why some die in newly established aquaria.
On the other hand, some seem to be able to chuck in anything and the ottos will have a go, blanched vegetables being a particular favourite.

So its just dependant on the ottos themselves I guess, fussy little blighters.


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## mark4785 (3 Aug 2012)

Whitey89 said:
			
		

> Some say they can't get Ottos to eat anything but algae, which is why some die in newly established aquaria.
> On the other hand, some seem to be able to chuck in anything and the ottos will have a go, blanched vegetables being a particular favourite.
> 
> So its just dependant on the ottos themselves I guess, fussy little blighters.



I was advised to buy some Ottos to clear up an multi-strain algae issue in one of my tanks. On a positive note, I rectified the algae issue, but on the negative side, both of the Ottos died due to lack of algae growth. They wouldn't eat anything I offered including several types of veg, Tetra Tabimin food and other manufactured foods. Perhaps LFS should ID the one's that eat algae only and the ones that don't mind a varied diet so consumers don't waste their time like I did thinking they eat anything.


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## Alastair (3 Aug 2012)

I do the slate in a tub of water, place several stones in tank water on the kitchen window and they soon get a nice covering of algae.
My otto does like veggies aswell though. I hardly see any algae if at all in my tank but he/she always has a nice round tummy 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bigmel (25 Sep 2012)

I,ve got 5 ottos in a fluval edge which don,t touch the algae on the glass or the Bog wood but eat away on cucumber all the time .
No idea why the, batch in the main tank won,t touch cucumber but just scrounge around "looking for algae" 

I,m going to swap them over at the weekend to see what happens .


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