# Ottos



## Getthejist (20 Mar 2012)

Hey guys just wondering if ottos would be good in my tank viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20624 as I want an algae eater but its low tech and I'm going to have shrimp in there so I don't know if enough algae would be produced. I am growing algae on my windowsill in so bottles so I could put those in if I need to or algae tabs. Also I read in a lot of places that ottos don't generally do well in tanks most of the time but on here I read that you guys have success with ottos and think they're good fish for eating algae. Please help


----------



## spyder (20 Mar 2012)

Otto's love diatoms. They won't touch GDA, GSA they will munch on dead BBA though.

I think most have success with oto's. Fresh stock should be avoided for a week or so. They will munch on tabs as well as other veggy based foods. Great little fish too.


----------



## darren636 (21 Mar 2012)

Otto's need food. Some people tend to forget that. Supplement their diets with various wafers and fresh green Veg.


----------



## Antipofish (21 Mar 2012)

darren636 said:
			
		

> Otto's need food. Some people tend to forget that. Supplement their diets with various wafers and fresh green Veg.



Mine are stupid.  They ignored the cucumber, and courgette and even the algae wafers.  Any tips on encouraging them to eat ?  I dont have a lot of algae in my tank and have sadly lost two ottos that seemingly starved themselves to death.


----------



## roadmaster (21 Mar 2012)

As mentioned above,I have, (other's too ),, placed a few small ,smooth stones in jar, or fish bowl with water and set the jar,bowl, in sunny location until algae forms on the stones .
Then you can place these stones a few at a time in the tank, and Oto's will soon find em.
Can alway's have a few stones in the jar,bowl,and rotate them out as they become cleaned of algae.


----------



## spyder (21 Mar 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> darren636 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Have you tried softening up the veggies in a cup of boiling water for a minute or so?


----------



## darren636 (21 Mar 2012)

they might not regard the Veg as food for a day or so. A quick boil in water can help soften it.


----------



## Getthejist (23 Mar 2012)

Would they eat hair algae? Also I have had an otto before and he/she ate green spot algae, and there were regular algae tabs thrown in because there were shrimp in the tank, also is diatoms the brown algae you get when you first set up a tank? Do you think they'd eat shrimp wafers as they have a large amount of spirulina in, and would they eat spirulina flakes?


----------

