# The case of the disappearing otocinclus



## mrhoyo (23 Feb 2021)

My beloved wife bought 5 otocinclus for her tank last year but I can now only see 2.
I know one died a few weeks after bringing them home because I fished it out. That should leave 4 but I absolutely can't see them anywhere.
Stocking is:
2 (4) otocinclus 
10 green neon tetra
1 bristlenose pleco
1 betta
Numerous neocaridina shrimp
1 military helmet snail
Loads of tiny pink snails that came on a plant

The tank is covered
The filter is built in to the back and they're not in there

Where do we think they are?


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## Geoffrey Rea (23 Feb 2021)

Equally they can be well hidden for a while then reappear, but if they pass it’s doubtful you’ll see any remains after a day or two.

Hope they show up @mrhoyo


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## Wookii (24 Feb 2021)

Have you/your wife been target feeding them - e.g. algae wafers, cucumber/courgette slices as least a couple of times a week?


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## Wolf6 (24 Feb 2021)

Possibly: Starved and died long ago, you often dont find their remains. Unless they were observed eating well, in which case I dont know.


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## dw1305 (24 Feb 2021)

Hi all, 


mrhoyo said:


> That should leave 4 but I absolutely can't see them anywhere.


May well have starved unfortunately, particularly with the Bristlenose, snails and shrimp in there.  Try looking just after lights out, they are largely crepuscular or nocturnal when they are happy, when you see them careering around the tank all day it is because they are starving and desperately looking for some food.

cheers Darrel


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## mrhoyo (24 Feb 2021)

Wookii said:


> Have you/your wife been target feeding them - e.g. algae wafers, cucumber/courgette slices as least a couple of times a week?


We feed algae wafers daily, whether we see them eat them depends where they are. We make an effort to divide them up so the bristlenose doesn't eat everything.



Wolf6 said:


> Possibly: Starved and died long ago, you often dont find their remains. Unless they were observed eating well, in which case I dont know.





dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> May well have starved unfortunately, particularly with the Bristlenose, snails and shrimp in there.  Try looking just after lights out, they are largely crepuscular or nocturnal when they are happy, when you see them careering around the tank all day it is because they are starving and desperately looking for some food.
> 
> cheers Darrel


if they starved wouldn't there would be corpses? I've never had dead fish disappear before so I don't know.


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## alto (24 Feb 2021)

mrhoyo said:


> bristlenose pleco


would’ve taken care of the main parts rather quickly



mrhoyo said:


> Numerous neocaridina shrimp


picked the bones clean 

Of course I was also convinced I had only 2 remaining otocinclus from a group of 6 as I never saw more than 2 - removed them to another tank
Except I still had 2 Oto’s in the first tank 
Only managed to catch 1 to move to that second tank
Except I still had 2 Oto’s in the first tank 
As you’ve likely guessed, I did still have 6 otocinclus


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## Wookii (24 Feb 2021)

I lost an oto a couple of months back in my low tech tank. No idea why it died as they’re all well fed, and the other weee all in good condition and still are.

All I saw of it was a perfect clean white skeleton laying on the soil. Absolutely picked clean - like something it of a cartoon -  presumably by all the shrimp. The only way I could tell it was an oto was from the shape of the skeleton. The next day that was gone too.

It’s the only fish corpse I’ve ever found inside a tank, beyond those that have been killed by the butcher that is the Eheim 350 skimmer.


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## mrhoyo (24 Feb 2021)

Balls, sounds like they've gone to meet their maker then. I quite like them but certainly don't want a repeat so won't be replacing. Good job we didn't get the £16 a pop zebra otocinclus


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