# Otto Help



## pat1cp (2 Feb 2022)

Would appreciate any advice on this. Seems okay, but developed a white mark on head.


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## pat1cp (2 Feb 2022)

Looks like a fungus.


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## Hufsa (2 Feb 2022)

Could have gotten stuck somewhere and injured itself wriggling loose? Theres definite fungus in the wound.
Dip/Bath in appropriate medication and lots of waterchanges is what I'd do


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## pat1cp (2 Feb 2022)

Pretty much zero chance of catching it without stripping down the tank. I'll do more water changes. Thanks @Hufsa .


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## Hufsa (2 Feb 2022)

Try Wookies fish trap. Should be one of his recent posts. I give it better odds if it gets a bit of help with the fungus


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## pat1cp (2 Feb 2022)

@Wookii  what's your fish trap? Save me trawling


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## Wookii (2 Feb 2022)

pat1cp said:


> @Wookii  what's your fish trap? Save me trawling



Here you go mate:

Post in thread 'planting in a stock tank?'
planting in a stock tank?


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## Hufsa (2 Feb 2022)

Sorry @pat1cp I was too lazy to link, was answering from my phone hovering over a 200 liter water barrel waiting to unplug the pump at the right moment


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## pat1cp (2 Feb 2022)

Thanks @Wookii 

No worries @Hufsa


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

I've got some Interpet - Anti Fungus & Finrot Plus - 100ml

Thought I'd do a bit of research on it before using, the reviews are, well, mixed to say the least. Does anyone have any experience of using this product. The product information/reviews supplied here is better than the likes of amazon.


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## Hufsa (3 Feb 2022)

What are the active ingredients?


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

Phenoxyethanol


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## Hufsa (3 Feb 2022)

Unfortunately dont have experience with medications using that ingredient..
I assume youve already conducted a basic google search on it, but doesnt say much about it other than aquariumwiki which states;
"Phenoxyethanol is often used as a fish sedative or anaesthetic but also has antibacterial and fungicide properties."
It seems like it should help, at least its not one of those medications that contains mostly hopes and prayers and a bit of essential oil or something.
Really sorry that I cant be of more help


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

thanks @Hufsa I'll do a big water change tonight and dose as recommended. Then probably do another water change Saturday morning.


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## Hufsa (3 Feb 2022)

Youre not dosing your entire tank with the stuff right? Cause I dont think that will be very good for the system.


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

that was my thought  I'll try and get the otto out tonight and put him in a bucket and do it there. The instructions suggest that it's aquarium safe.


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## Hufsa (3 Feb 2022)

Yeeaahh I think this is better as a dip. I dont really care what the bottle has to say about it. You dont want to off all the other stuff living in your tank unless you really really have to.


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## jamiepearson (3 Feb 2022)

Are you on the 'Tropical Fish Keeping UK' facebook group? There's experienced people on there running it and moderators who will be able to help. I recall that they advise against using that as the active ingredient is too harsh. Instead, Meth Blue baths in a tub and water changes


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

many thanks both @Hufsa @jamiepearson wish me luck.........he's like a torpedo. Failing that, I'll try @Wookii  fish trap, though as I'm trying to catch an Otto and intice it in there with a piece of pepper or something, I suspect I'll end up with 200 shrimp, 100 snails and zero otto. I'll report back.


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## jamiepearson (3 Feb 2022)

Ive just done a search on that FB page to see if I can help more. if it turns blue after a Meth Blue bath (in a tub, not the tank, it would destroy your filter) then it is fungus so use Esha 2000. If it's bacteria (unlikely, it doesnt appear to be, it does look like fungus) then Myxazin. But plenty of water changes either way


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## pat1cp (3 Feb 2022)

I've got him, treated the water in the bucket. How long do I leave him there for ?


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## jamiepearson (3 Feb 2022)

Meth Blue? 30 minutes


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## Ajm200 (3 Feb 2022)

Pretty sure the instructions on that one expect you to dose your whole aquarium once a week until the fish is better. 
Something I wouldn’t want to do.  I don’t like the thought crashing the tank if it kills the filter bacteria.

Do you have a little isolation tank and air stone you could use to quarantine the fish?  Then you can just dose the little tank.  Even an airstone/sponge filter in the bucket would be an option.

I haven’t had to treat a fish in ages but I’ve used old ¡school methylene blue as a 10 second dip in another container for most ailments then kept the fish in a separate mini tank between treatments


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## jamiepearson (3 Feb 2022)

The instructions on the package for Meth Blue are outdated, prior to canister filters, and are wrong. Dose in a tub/ bucket outside the tank else it will wipe out your cannister bacteria


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## PARAGUAY (3 Feb 2022)

I had exactly the same thing a month or so back. I quarantined the little fellow did a 50 p/cent WC on the aquarium. In the quarantine tank he was active so I assumed he was feeding on a added spinach leaf or the plants. On day 3 he lost all his colour went creamy white. I added melafix to the quarantine tank. A couple of days later he was still creamy white but the white blob had gone. As he was active and appeared to be feeding.  I returned the fellow to  the aquarium and he just disappeared amongst the greenery. Thought l lost him couple of days later he was back with the group and back to normal colouration still not sure what caused this but fine ever since


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## pat1cp (4 Feb 2022)

Unfortunately I don't really have a quarentine tank. I treated him in the bucket for about 30 minutes whilst I did a large water change, definately seemed a bit tipsy when I put him back in. Lets see what today brings.

Thanks everyone, and sorry I didn't reply sooner, was a bit busy.


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## pat1cp (4 Feb 2022)

It's either a miracle cure or a different otto, not sure. Can't find the infected one


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## Hufsa (4 Feb 2022)

Likely a different one that 😅
Maybe the sick one has clued onto that you're trying to get him


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## spleenharvester (4 Feb 2022)

I've never had a poorly Oto ever recover before unfortunately. These days I just euthanise them to reduce the risk of the infection spreading to others.


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## Hufsa (4 Feb 2022)

I have the opposite experience. An otto started an outbreak of disease and survived throughout the whole thing that killed a lot of the other fish. So otos can be fairly hardy once they get over that newly introduced stage


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## pat1cp (15 Feb 2022)

Edit, sorry.


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