Your Experience With Otto Catfish:

HI everyone,

I have a 29 gallon tank. I am going through some issues with fungus right now. Just lost 3/4 honey gouramis, 1/5 julI corydoras, and my guppy over the past 3 days from a sudden wave of bacteria or fungus introduced by some new fish who also died. There is 1 gourami, 5 neon tetras, and 4 julI corydoras remaining. I am treating the tank with medication right now so I am past the worst and my tank is on the road to recovery. YAY!!!!

I would like to replenish my fish stocking once the tank is back to 120% normal. I want to replenish my gouramis (total 4) and julI corys (total 5-6). I don't want anymore guppies. The one I had was left over of an old 10 gallon stocking I had. I also want some kind of rasbora school (5-6). Would there be room for an algae eater? I was thinking of an Otto catfish. I'm not sure if this would be overstocking my tank. I think not, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong! I've heard ottos need to be in groups of 3+ and they are really touchy to bad water conditions. My tank water is always clean. It's funny, I don't mind if my human-living space gets cluttered with my stuff, but if my fish tank gets dirty by gosh and by golly I can't stand it!!!!

So my final stocking would be:
4 honey gouramis
6 julI corydoras
5 neon tetras
5 harlequin rasboras
3 Otto catfish

I don't need ottos, because they eat algae and I don't have a ton of that in my tank. Actually hardly any because as soon as I see some growing I clean it ASAP! So maybe ottos wouldn't be a good addition to my tank.

 

I would avoid ottos. Especially since you don't get much algae. It's tough to get these little buggers to eat anything else. Some of mine eat zucchini, but most will only eat algae.

 

HI adh/smile

I've kept otos for a while and I've had great success with them. They are a semi-schooling fish and mine def. do like to clump together, and honestly think that 4-6 min. is a good amount to keep together. I've also had good luck with getting them to eat zucchini, broccolI stems and other veggies. I don't think that I did anything exceptional aside from being persistent in placing it in their tank.

I recommend blanching (boiling) so sinks to the bottom AND is a little softer (esp. if you're going to try to feed them broccolI stems). I found that once one got up the courage to check it out, the others followed and now they all happily feed on it whenever I offer it.

I've also gotten them to try algae wafers, but they def. do not like those as much/ the wafers are more for my shrimp. Once again I feel like it was more me being persistent in offering it to them than anything else and they just eventually realized it was food.

One final note is that I've also read (and found) they they tend to do better in slightly cooler temps, on the lower end of the ~72-78 degrees F range that most folks keep their tropical tanks at.

Hope this helps! They're really adorable, engaging fish who have fun little "sparrow-like" personalities once they become a little bolder.

Cheers,

Jamie

 

Ottos? They are liable to turn turtle as soon as you look at them funny.

 

I have one, but about to add 5 more as I upgrade to a bigger tank. They eat a lot of biofilm and I feed a slice of raw cucumber every day on a seaweed clip on the glass. Took a few tries. Didn't like zucchini, but loves the cucumber. Spends quite a bit of his day on it. Just make sure to place it in the same place every day and they will figure out its food. From what I've read, it's best to keep them in groups of 6 or more. The first month is the shakiest part for them, but apparently, if you get them through that initial period they are actually pretty hardy fish. One other note I've learned from others on this forum is that they are one of the few species that they DON'T quarantine because they are so sensitive. They also like a much more established tank as well.

As I am setting up my new tank, they will be the last species I add so my tank has some time to become more established.

 

HI adh/smile

I've kept otos for a while and I've had great success with them. They are a semi-schooling fish and mine def. do like to clump together, and honestly think that 4-6 min. is a good amount to keep together. I've also had good luck with getting them to eat zucchini, broccolI stems and other veggies. I don't think that I did anything exceptional aside from being persistent in placing it in their tank.

I recommend blanching (boiling) so sinks to the bottom AND is a little softer (esp. if you're going to try to feed them broccolI stems). I found that once one got up the courage to check it out, the others followed and now they all happily feed on it whenever I offer it.

I've also gotten them to try algae wafers, but they def. do not like those as much/ the wafers are more for my shrimp. Once again I feel like it was more me being persistent in offering it to them than anything else and they just eventually realized it was food.

One final note is that I've also read (and found) they they tend to do better in slightly cooler temps, on the lower end of the ~72-78 degrees F range that most folks keep their tropical tanks at.

Hope this helps! They're really adorable, engaging fish who have fun little "sparrow-like" personalities once they become a little bolder.

Cheers,

Jamie

I have one, but about to add 5 more as I upgrade to a bigger tank. They eat a lot of biofilm and I feed a slice of raw cucumber every day on a seaweed clip on the glass. Took a few tries. Didn't like zucchini, but loves the cucumber. Spends quite a bit of his day on it. Just make sure to place it in the same place every day and they will figure out its food. From what I've read, it's best to keep them in groups of 6 or more. The first month is the shakiest part for them, but apparently, if you get them through that initial period they are actually pretty hardy fish. One other note I've learned from others on this forum is that they are one of the few species that they DON'T quarantine because they are so sensitive. They also like a much more established tank as well.

As I am setting up my new tank, they will be the last species I add so my tank has some time to become more established.

Thanks for sharing your experience puffer_queen and The Rover! I will get at least 4 then. How heavy are their bio load? Will the stocking be ok for my 29 gallon tank? 4 honey gouramis, 5 neon tetras, 6 julI corydoras, 5 harlequin rasboras and at least 4 ottos?

 

Thanks for sharing your experience puffer_queen and The Rover! I will get at least 4 then. How heavy are their bio load? Will the stocking be ok for my 29 gallon tank? 4 honey gouramis, 5 neon tetras, 6 julI corydoras, 5 harlequin rasboras and at least 4 ottos?

I'm not much of a stocking expert. I'll leave that to TexasDomer and tyguy7760. I think the stock works. As far as ottos ,the above advise I agree with, with the exception of not quarantining them. Yes there sensitive but as long as your using the same water source in your main tank as your QT they'll be fine.

 

I would add 2-3 more of each of the species (except honeys), but otherwise I think your stocking is okay. So something like this:

4x Honey gourami
7-8x Neon tetras
8-12x False juliI cories (true juliI are very rare)
7-8x Harlequin rasbora
5-6x Otos

It is odd you lost so many fish. I'm sorry you've been having trouble. Can you list water parameters? pH, temp, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates? Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

 

I would add 2-3 more of each of the species (except honeys), but otherwise I think your stocking is okay. So something like this:

4x Honey gourami
7-8x Neon tetras
8-12x False juliI cories (true juliI are very rare)
7-8x Harlequin rasbora
5-6x Otos

It is odd you lost so many fish. I'm sorry you've been having trouble. Can you list water parameters? pH, temp, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates? Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

Really??!! That's awesome! I love the idea of more of each species (excluding the gourmis). I just always thought more fish would be overstocking. But I'll do what you said with exceptions:

I have had such trouble with keeping neon tetras. For about two months now I've tried to get a school of 10 going. I used every precaution during acclimation, but always they'd die! It was exactly December 12, earlier this month, that I decided I'm going to give up trying to get a large school of neons. I currently have 5 healthy ones, but I'm not adding more.

My water parameters couldn't be more perfect: Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-ish, pH 7.5-ish, and yes, I know about the nitrogen cycle!!! I did post several threads regarding the sudden fish deaths and received some very helpful responses. I am now treating my tank with API Melafix and Pimafix and no other fish deaths have occurred. I'm very pleased with the results. Even some fish that were showing bad signs have improved and look back to normal now!

 

In most cases you can up the number of an existing school. Yes the bioload goes up ,but they will all stick together so space is not an issue. The benefit to the school tho, a schooling fish is much more comfortable in larger numbers. Less stress=longer life.

 

I think you can quit Pimafix and Melafix. They're largely useless herbal remedies.

 

I think you can quit Pimafix and Melafix. They're largely useless herbal remedies.

That's what I've heard from another person on this forum! Why is it then that my all-fish store uses the combo in their tanks with good results?

 

Depends on what they claim they're using it for. And of course they're going to tell you it works - they want you to buy it.

 

If you give a healthy fish a placebo you'll get a healthy fish. Lol