voiceless_kat

I was getting an algae outbreak on my substrate and decorations in the tank my cories are in, I think started from the bits of algae wafer they would get out of the little bowl. anyway, I bought an oto -( have now read somewhere they should have at least 2 mates) - anyway, I overnight and the spots on the glass and on the substrate were clean! What a little eating machine. Is anyone else keeping just one oto??

Now, when you put fresh veggies in, do you microwave them a bit first? I added some zuchinni, just raw on a veggie clip, and he didn't touch it ( that I saw ) I just left it overnight.

Instead, he sits in the little dish the cories pellets go in and eats with them, and also on the bit of algae wafer I put in there now. I have read so much about otos starving because there isn't enough algae, so want to be sure and give him what he wants.

This tank is actually Tiny Kings tank, but he is next door right now in a very spartan tank being treated for a bit of fin rot. So the next question is, will betta play nice with oto & cories?

sirdarksol

I have two otos that seem to be doing just fine on their own. I actually don't feed them very often, and they're still happy and fat (otos should always look a bit round in the stomach).

When I put veggies in, I parboil them (bring water to boiling, shut the heat off, then drop the veggies in for a little bit), freeze them, or just stick them in the tank and leave them for awhile. I think that what most fish like is when the cell walls on the plant start breaking down, and freezing or parboiling will begin this process, or it will just happen over time as the veggies sit in the tank (usually 1-2 days). Of course, the last option releases extra waste into the tank, but it's the easiest of the three .
Microwaving for a few seconds probably works just as well.
I've seen pictures of cories in a betta tank, and they seem to do fine. The cories are peaceful, and are unlikely to bother the betta while he sleeps, and their too big for the betta to think of as food, and the wrong shape to be an enemy. The betta may try to chase the otos down (Keiji did), but the otos are likely going to be far too fast for him to get them. As long as they have some place that they can wedge themselves into, between, or under, that the betta can't go, they should be fine.

voiceless_kat

I put a raw piece of cuke in, he found it and was sucking all over it. But this morning, there were no bites off it. I removed it. Should I leave them longer, do they actually chew/bite/eat them. Maybe it needed to be softened up a bit??

sirdarksol

That I don't know. It could just be that, because it's such a small fish, it takes awhile for there to be a visible dent in the thing.

jsalemi

I currently only have one oto, and he's been doing fine. I started with two, but one died about two weeks ago. I plan on getting another one of these days.

voiceless_kat

My guy is doing well ( touch wood) so far also. He is with cories and they all seem to be having fun - well except the cories are pigs and eat their pellets, and the algae wafers I am supplementing since OtoC did his job so well and ate all the algae.

I am thinking of buying one to put with another betta I have, if it doesn't work out, I will put him into the 55g. I will try blanching the zuchinni a little I think. I have ordered some algae/seaweed sheets from F&S that you can break off and put on a veggie clip, so then I will know for sure the little fart is getting enough to eat.

I made sure to have hiding places, since everything I read says it is important for them, but he never hides...LOL..that will probably change when Tiny King moves in there with him.

Continued good luck with your guy!! Val