Isabella

I am going to get 4 otos for my 10 gallon tank (I hope they'll be happy in a group of 4 - or should I get more of them?). I am letting algae grow in that tank so that when the otos are introduced to the tank, they'll have plenty to eat, lol. I have some questions regarding food for otos. What should I feed otos with? How often to feed them? How much food to give 4 of them during each feeding?

atmmachine816

make sure your tank is well estaplished and there is algae covering your tank because i got 4 otos for my tank and they got rid of the algae in 2+3 days and one just died because id ont think there is enough algae for them really you need 10 gallons for one oto so you will need to supplement there diet and make sure your tank is by the light so it grows algae quickkly heres some food i know they are supposed to eat
algae wafers
lettuce
zuchini
cucumber
theres a lot more just do a lilttle researc

Gunnie

I think ATM has summed it up pretty well. You might want to up the water changes too. They are very sensitive to water quality.

Isabella

Atmmachine816 , thanks a lot for food suggestions. I need 10 gallons for one oto? The reason I decided to get otos was precisely because they're so small that they won't require a large tank. So basically, what you're saying is that for 4 otos I'd need a 40 gallon tank? I simply need some creature(s) to help keep my 10 gallon tank free of algae, that's all. And otos seem both small and effective enough in my case.

Gunnie, do you think 4 otos are too many for a 10 gallon tank? If so, can I get just 2 of them? And since they're shoaling fish, won't they fade away / be unhappy when kept only in a group of 2? Also, Gunnie, is any Omega food suitable for otos? If so, which one(s)?

Plus, how often to feed these otos? (How much to feed 2, and how much to feed 4 otos?) So that they don't die?

Thanks up front.

Jon

ottos prefer to be in small schools and a more algae infested environment... i wouldnt reccomend them for your tank... you could get amano shrimp or siamese (not chinese) algae eaters if you found them.

atmmachine816

i disagree 4 otos would be fine as long as you supplemented there diet of algae with something else if you got four they will imidiatly go after all your algae after a day or two it is gone thats when i went out and got algae wafers and tubiflex worms the worms i didnt mean to be for them but they suck on to the cube and it floats around in the water and they just stay sucking on to it and float around its so much fun to watch but this is my feeding routine i always have a cube of worms in and every other day or so i throw in a algae wafer just before all the lights in my tank go off as this is the only way they will eat them and mine seem to do fine nice round bellies too

Jon

but her 10 gallon already has 6 tetras in it so that would make for 10 fish and ottos need really clean water... with 10 fish in a 10 gallon it might make the water a lil funky and the ottos might not do as well as they could

atmmachine816

well lets see ask a few questtions and we get a few answeres

what type of filter do you have

how often do you gravel vac

how much do you gravel vac

is your tank planted

now we will find out if it can work or not

Isabella

LOL, thanks so much for tyring to help! I do maintain the tank clean, don't worry I have already inquired before about the requirements for otos and I am already making preparations for them. My only questions were what, how much, and how often to feed the 4 otos so that they do well. But I'll answer all questions anyway, here: I vacuum my gravel with every water change - meaning once a week with a 25% water change. My filter is a Whisper Tetra for a 10G tank. I have some plants in the 10G and will be getting a driftwood piece for otos before I buy them. I will also add more plants. All this in an effort to provide them with hiding spots and surfaces to chew on since they love driftwood.

The reason I keep 6 neons in my 10G is to keep the tank cycled. The neons are originally from my 30G where I have another group of 6 neons. I have a total of 12 neons in both tanks. The reason I want to buy otos is precisely to keep my 10G free of algae and to keep it cycled, as well as to return my 6 neons to their school in the 30G. See now? LOL I simply need something to keep the 10G cycled and free of algae. There is no algae eater in the 10G and that's why algae bloom in there. I am currently growing as much algae as I can for the otos. The tank is totally green now! I have to make sure they don't starve when I introduce them to my 10G, right?

atmmachine816

i feed my otos freeze dried tubiflex worms and algae wafers as a supplement

heres there diet if its any help

always a cube of worms floating around, algae wafers 3-4 a week put in after light goes out though, and algae of course

there belies are nice and round you can probably feed them any other freeze dried food but i havent tried it yet and worms are cheap and they go thourgh 1-2 cubes a week for me thats maybe 5$ a year on worms

Jon

gl with your ottos
Atm gave u all the info you need

Isabella

Thanks all for help.

Gunnie

Yeah. I think you would be pushing the bio load, but you could do extra water changes to take care of that. Since you are so attentive to your tanks, you could probably get away with 4 of them in your 10 gallon. However, I think moving them when you need a hospital tank would stress them out a lot.

Isabella

Thank you

Gunnie, I won't be moving Otos out when my angels breed. Carol said it's OK to leave them in and that they won't harm the eggs. And with fry in the tank (if I ever get my angels to let their eggs hatch), the Otos get more water changes than they need. Remember? You need 50% daily water changes with fry.