# Randy otos getting jiggy?...I've got babies!



## Tim Harrison (24 Dec 2011)

Hi all and a Merry Christmas.

Today I witnessed my otos getting jiggy...at least I think that's what was going on. A male - I presume - was pestering a female constantly shimmying around her midriff, eventually he pinned her to the underside of a leaf and coiled himself around her, totally immobilising her for around 10 secs. I tried to get a picture but by the time I'd sorted out the camera it was too late and they were back to the business of algae munching again. 

Well...has anyone else witnessed this and what is the usual behaviour when it comes to producing little otos?


----------



## sanj (24 Dec 2011)

*Re: Randy otos getting jiggy?*

I have not kept otos in a long while, but your description does sound like classic  fish slap and tickle.


----------



## MrLarner (24 Dec 2011)

*Re: Randy otos getting jiggy?*

you was going to take a pic of fish porn? tut tut tut


----------



## spyder (25 Dec 2011)

*Re: Randy otos getting jiggy?*

They are like Cory's, assuming the T postion so it sounds about right. Eggs are adhesive and usually laid on plants.


----------



## Mark Evans (25 Dec 2011)

*Re: Randy otos getting jiggy?*

Never seen it myself, but i've had/got pregnant ottos.


----------



## worwood (25 Dec 2011)

*Randy otos getting jiggy?*

Yep - mine started this year too  next time I catch them at it I'm going to try and gather a few of the eggs and see if they hatch before the blue-eyes gobble them up.


----------



## Tim Harrison (26 Dec 2011)

*Re: Randy otos getting jiggy?*

Thanks for the info guys. Well it’s official, they were definitely getting jiggy…I’ve got babies..!


----------



## Sentral (26 Dec 2011)

Wow! That's quite an achievement, otos are notoriously difficult to breed. What are your water parameters? I lost my oto today


----------



## Tim Harrison (26 Dec 2011)

> Wow! That's quite an achievement, otos are notoriously difficult to breed. What are your water parameters? I lost my oto today



Sorry to hear about your oto   

Thanks...my water parameters are everything they shouldn't be to breed otos; pH around 7.4 - 7.6 and water very hard, lighting very bright, but tank densely planted, and I change about 15% of the water every 2 weeks or so. However, this time I noticed all my fish were getting jiggy. So must be something "they" put in the water. It's a shame my wife only drinks the bottled stuff


----------



## stan1973 (29 Dec 2011)

Are you filtering the water through peat, maybe that has helped?
It's great when they breed,that's when you know you've got it right.


----------



## daniel19831123 (29 Dec 2011)

i don't think it's hard to get them to spawn. I think the hardest part is to get them to feed after spawning. I had ketapang leaves in my tank and nothing but just otos. The water was brown coloured and they spawn. But despite having lots of areas to graze on for microfilm, my otos babies died.... Couldn't get them to more than 1 week free swimming.


----------



## spyder (29 Dec 2011)

That looks rather large for a 5 day old oto fry from when you posted your jiggy post, but there again how thick is the glass?. It would have to be from an earlier spawning which would explain it's size.

Grats, either way.


----------



## mlgt (29 Dec 2011)

Ive had ottos breed in an old tank but could never find the young after a few weeks. They were kept in a dense moss tank assuming they would feed on the film. 

Good luck in rearing them


----------



## Tim Harrison (30 Dec 2011)

Thanks for the interest. Perhaps peat filtration played a part, the humic substances released as a result are supposed to improve the reproductive health of fish, and that combined with the water change might have been enough to spur the little critters in to action. 

The size of the fry in the video was only around 6 - 7 mm, perhaps he/she just looked bigger due to the wonders of modern technology. Would this still have been too big for a 5 day old? Unfortunately I haven't seen any fry for several days and I'm beginning to fear the worst, but then again I haven't taken the time to look properly and the tank is densely planted, so fingers crossed.


----------



## spyder (30 Dec 2011)

From the zoom I would of guessed around 1 - 1.5cm. I edited my post to enquire about the glass thickness after watching it again.

I only spotted 1 oto fry once in one of my tanks, it was about 2-3mm long and kind of a light golden orangey colour. The only other fish in there were young angels. I never saw it again. I presumed it was only freeswimming a day or 2. I've followed a couple of threads on oto breeding and it seems once they start spawning you should have regular activity.

If they are spawning regular I would remove all other fish to eliminate predatation. That is of course, if you have somewhere to rehome them and want to try and raise the fry. Blanched zuchini was being fed but it took them time to get used to it as a food source. Good luck with them.


----------

