Austin {Aquarist}

I am interested in getting some oto cats but I don't have nearly enough algae in my 10 gallon tank to keep them busy. Is there any way I could speed up the algae growth besides more lighting? Could I possibly grow algae with seeds or something?



Any Advice Would be Appreciated

- Austin

Sabi

I dont think it will be possible to grow them in that manner. What i think somebody on this forum (Armadillo?) does, is puts a jar with water outside in the sun and lets algae build up, then puts the jar in the tank for the oto's. I'm not 100% but i think i read this somewhere. Confirm/correct me someone...

0morrokh

Leave the tank light on for up to 14 hours a day if algae isn't growing. You can also leave a rock outside in the sun in a dish of water, and have several rocks going at once-one in the tank and then once all its algae is eaten, switch it with a fresh algae-ed rock. Algae doesn't grow from seeds.

susitna-flower

If you have ANY algae it is probably enough. They don't eat very much, and you can suppliment with algae wafers.
I wouldn't leave the lights on 14 hours, you could get way more algae than your otoes can eat, then you would have to deal with that!

0morrokh

I meant up to 14 hours if it's a new tank and you have absolutely no algae, not as the permanent schedule. Oto breeders usually leave their tank lights on a long time. Me, I leave them on for 10-12 hours and get overrun with algae. And I kind of disagree about how much they eat...they may not eat much at a time but they pretty much are always eating. However they won't eat thread algae which is what I find you usually get a lot of with too much light. Just my

susitna-flower

True Omorrokh, it is too easy to read things in the posts that aren't there.....I'm with you my tanks have their lights on 10-12 hrs/day. I find the algae can be somewhat controlled with the water changes too...

I'm one who likes some bottom feeders, algae cleaners, middle tank and top tank fish, in all my tanks. It seems to give more interest, and fills the tank.

Jacko

An alternative way of growing algae is, like the others said, put a jar out in the sun. Feed the jar with an alternate source of phosphates since this is one of the key things to get good algae, in the wild otos have rivers full of green water to feed on and have been seen schooling like tetras while feeding in it, you can use a syring to spot feed the otos.

I think Amradillo put rocks out in a shallow dish and then alternated rocks within the aquarium. Or was this one of the ideas suggested when she too was looking for a way to grow algae for her babies?

COBettaCouple

Do you have fluorescent lighting? If so, getting a tube that encourages plant growth and 10-12 hrs a day of lighting will see algae growing.

chickadee

Otos for the most part eat Brown Algae more than the green and then only when they are not being fed artificially by us loving humans with algae wafers. Why work so hard to harvest the stuff when it is dropped from above right? They are darling little fish who will do their best for you and all but really do have limits and to expect much of the green algae to be eaten is too much.

Otherwise they are fine little fish and very cute to watch and see play when you have a school of them, but one should never have more than 2 of them per 5 gallons of tank size as the tank cannot support them.

Rose