I feel stupid 20 Gallon Tank

[ReiNHerMollies]

I have a 10 gallon fry tank with loads of green and brown algae on one wall and on the heater. I have been researching otos, and I decided to buy 3 at my LFS. There were 25 fry in the tank and I read that otos aren't interested in eating fry. So I put them in. There were plenty of places to hide, but when I woke up this morning I saw only a few fry left in the tank. The otos didn't even touch the algae. I put them into my 20 gallon community tank, and now they are sucking what little algae is on the plants. I see 4 fry currently and I am hoping more are in the gravel. I guess otos aren't all herbivores... but the confusing part is that their mouths are so tiny, I got the smallest ones at the store. GRRRRRRR........

 

[bubblefish]

I have otos in my fry tank and have never lost fry to them. Maybe your fry were scared of them and are all hiding.

 

[ReiNHerMollies]

I really hope that's the case. They haven't come out of hiding if they are still in there....

 

[Furallicah]

Otos eatting fry....I havent even heard of it. Hopefully they are all hidding. But if your otos did eat the fry that is very strange...I would of went with a snail or something though.

 

[Betta Whisperer]

Yea I agree with the others. I really don't think it's the oto's. I have a 20 gallon. grow out tank with about one hundred babies in it and an oto and the oto has never bothered the fry.

 

[ReiNHerMollies]

cleaned the tank today only one baby survived the rest were all dead in the gravel. I have no idea what happened. I decided to move the remaining fish to isolation... it doesn't look to good. I changed about 80% on the water and the filter. I'm going to let it cycle and try again. They must have gotten themselves stuck under the gravel and died because the water parameters were fine. next time.... no gravel

 

[bubblefish]

How big were the fry/how old? When they are really tiny, I put them in a breeder net that hangs from the top edge of the tank. When they get about 1 1/2cm or so, I let them out of the breeder net into the fry tank. Sometimes, there are some that will be smaller than the rest, I only let them out when they are around 1 1/2cm.

 

[Elodea]

Hmm, maybe adding all those otos caused an ammonia spike? That's my best guess.