New to Otocinclus

[Reindas]

Hi there,

I went today to my favorite fish store (actually the closest 3 minutes from home) and I asked for plecos that didn’t grow much (I never had plecos, but I know the can grow big), instead he directed me to Otocinclus tank. I just fell in love with them and they look like mini plecos. I got 6 to add to one of my cory tanks. I know the will be great tank pals. What I don’t know is the species. I took one quick photo is not the best but can any one tell what species they are?

Tanks!!

[Lycosid]

What I don’t know is the species. I took one quick photo is not the best but can any one tell what species they are?

Looks like

Otocinclus vittatus

. That's also the most commonly sold species in the USA.

I've had good luck with mine using a suction-cup clip that holds kale leaves to the side of the tank. I microwave them briefly to make them softer.

[Reindas]

Thanks for identifying them for me. I found the my bunch are either hanging from the walls moving to the sides or hidden somewhere and then dart out.

I have plants, rocks and decorations, so tough there were a lot of places for algae to grow for them. Wrong, they have eaten a lot and you can see some large patches free of algae and is not going to last long. I feed the corys algae wafers that sink at least once a week to complement the shrimp pellets and they love those wafers.

Question. Should I give them the same pellets, adding more since the corys are voracious or should I feed them something else?

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Question. Should I give them the same pellets, adding more since the corys are voracious or should I feed them something else?

As @Lycosid said vegetables are the best option. I also like some structural leaf litter (http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 1&p=236022). Cucumber or courgette (zucchini) is usually a good starting option. If you can get them eating that you have more chance of long term success with them.

There isn't a huge amount of nutrients in cucurbit fruit, so I add some pellet food. I do this by putting some pellets on a plate, and then pressing the cucumber/courgette slice onto them.

Once the fish are used to the vegetables (I fasten them with an elastic band to a bamboo cane wedged under the strengthening bar, & always in the same place in the tank) I add blanched green beans, boiled carrot, raw red bell (capsicum) pepper and very occasionally a small amount of prawn to the cucumber/courgette. I don't blanch any of the softer vegetables, and I put a few boiled peas (skin off) most weeks as well.

Have a look at breeding Otocinclus.

cheers Darrel

[Reindas]

Darrel, thanks for this information. Once I read it I made a note to get a zucchini on the milk run and got it. But disaster stroked one I got home today, 4 of 6 Otos were dead. I got them yesterday and died today. I feel sad and angry, didn’t last 36 hours. Tomorrow I get 4 or 6 more. Thinking some may die too.

[Lycosid]

Darrel, thanks for this information. Once I read it I made a note to get a zucchini on the milk run and got it. But disaster stroked one I got home today, 4 of 6 Otos were dead. I got them yesterday and died today. I feel sad and angry, didn’t last 36 hours. Tomorrow I get 4 or 6 more. Thinking some may die too.

Often they aren't properly fed at the store, and so you may get them basically starved. It's good to have some food they'll eat ready to go. I also look at their bellies and make sure they aren't really thin.

[Reindas]

Often they aren't properly fed at the store, and so you may get them basically starved. It's good to have some food they'll eat ready to go. I also look at their bellies and make sure they aren't really thin.

Hi, you are 100% right, I asked what they feed them and the answer was “Flakes, the same I feed all fishes”. So saying we get them starving is an understatement, It figures.

Well I got 4 more but this time I insisted in not only picking them but to net them too and checked the ones I like. Now there are 6 otos again. One is playing hide and seek I can only see 5 so it must be hiding in a plant or the rocks. Also added zucchini and I know something have been picking at it, but I think it may be the corys. I Don’t know how long it will take for the otos to identify the zucchini as food.

I hope this batch stay alive.

[dw1305]

Hi all,

....... Also added zucchini and I know something have been picking at it, but I think it may be the corys. I Don’t know how long it will take for the otos to identify the zucchini as food.......

I'd leave it in for a while, so that it begins to soften.

Often people take the vegetables out while they are still crunchy, which definitely limits their appeal to Otocinclus.

I've had good luck with mine using a suction-cup clip that holds kale leaves to the side of the tank. I microwave them briefly to make them softer.

That would work.

The other thing that I found that really helped was fastening the vegetables to a bamboo cane.

The

Otocinclus

like to rest on a vertical cane, which is about the width of their body, and they are then more likely to find the food. It also makes the zucchini less accessible to snails.

cheers Darrel

[bekateen]

Reindas,

I'm sorry to hear of the loss. Like your initial experience, I've had limited success with common otos. I've bought them twice. One group lasted a week or two; on the second try, they lasted a little longer. I haven't tried since, but would like to.

I've had good luck with mine using a suction-cup clip that holds kale leaves to the side of the tank. I microwave them briefly to make them softer.

Next time I get any, I'll try this. Of most significance, finally, someone had discovered a good use for kale. Thanks!

Cheers, Eric

[Lycosid]

Next time I get any, I'll try this. Of most significance, finally, someone had discovered a good use for kale. Thanks!

I raised a lot of grasshoppers on kale during my dissertation. I killed some with iceberg lettuce. I just sort of transferred that experience over to otos.

My theory with the leaf and clip is that the otos sometimes just try to hide on the leaf and then realize they've suctioned on to food.

[Reindas]

Hi guys,

Tomorrow I’ll pay a visit to dollar store where I know I’ll ether find some bamboo sticks or suction clips. If not at least I’ll find the materials to make something like you are telling. But whatever comes out will win be a vertical landing/parking station with a dinner for the otos. Crazy gel can do wonders.

About the kale. Isn’t it a marine plant and Doesn’t it contains salt? Any salt that get to the tank will stay there forever if you don’t take down the tank, clean it and then start ti again. Also that salt will not affect the fishes and other companions in the tank?

i also wonder if could some cherry shrimps or amano be added?

Thanks a lot

[Bas Pels]

About the kale. Isn’t it a marine plant and Doesn’t it contains salt? Any salt that get to the tank will stay there forever if you don’t take down the tank, clean it and then start ti again. Also that salt will not affect the fishes and other companions in the tank?

Kale is something we eat, and not marine.

Salt, that is rocksalt (NaCl), will issolve in water, and if you change 10 % of the water, 10 % of the salt will disappear.

However, it will take a long time before it is fully gone, after all, after 5 such waterchanges the concentration salt wil be 0,9 to the fifth power. Tha't 0,59. It takes 22 such waterchanges to get it reduced to 10 %. Doing a waterchange each week, this is half a year.

Changing 20 % will reduce the salt to 50 % in 3 changes, and less than 10 % in 11.

[Lycosid]

About the kale. Isn’t it a marine plant and Doesn’t it contains salt?

I'll add a small amount of detail to what Bas Pels said. Kale is just a variety of cabbage. You could probably use cabbage as well, but I tend to go with the darker green plants when I feed leaves.

[dw1305]

Hi all,

........ but I tend to go with the darker green plants when I feed leaves.

I think that is probably a good rule of thumb. Dark green would be a pretty good indicator of higher chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll contains a lot of protein etc.

Most wild plants with deep green leaves grow in shaded conditions (like Bolbitis and Anubias) and protect their valuable chlorophyll with all sorts of hairs (often stinging like Urtica dioica), or toxic compounds (Hedera helix, Mercurialis perennis etc), to deter grazers.

Crop plants are different, we've bred them to reduce the amount of unpalatable flavours and structures, and to raise their nutritional value.

cheers Darrel

[Reindas]

Hi,

I would guess I mistakenly took kelp for kale. That will clear about salt but the explanation about it is good and appreciated.

Should the kale be blanched too?

I fund my bamboo. Is not a kabob but is flat a long. I fund a tiki lantern and it has bamboo for many tanks. I’ll boil it and sand it so it is smooth on both sides and also is about 1/2 in. (1.3) cm. For the otos to rest. The can will not be used.

Thanks again!

[Lycosid]

Should the kale be blanched too?

Yes. Or briefly microwaved. Something to make it softer. I generally use the microwave because it's fast.

[Reindas]

Yes. Or briefly microwaved. Something to make it softer. I generally use the microwave because it's fast.

How long? How many seconds?

Also They have already discovered it.

[Lycosid]

Yes. Or briefly microwaved. Something to make it softer. I generally use the microwave because it's fast.

How long? How many seconds?

Also They have already discovered it.

Generally no more than 15 for a single leaf. It will get quite hot and spit as the cells rupture and fluid explodes out of them. This is what you want, but you don't need to microwave it past this point.

[Reindas]

They had taken it to heart. So long I have only seen 3 eating at the same time I think is won’t long for the other 2 to follow. But I know those 3 won’t starve to death. I thought it would take longer, I guess they were really starving.

Something no one have mention is how it affects the water. Since it is food staying in the water for days at the time, it must be leaking ammonia to the water all the time. So more frequent water changes are in order.

[dw1305]

Hi all,

They had taken it to heart. So long I have only seen 3 eating at the same time I think is won’t long for the other 2 to follow. But I know those 3 won’t starve to death. I thought it would take longer, I guess they were really starving.

Well done.

Something no one have mention is how it affects the water. Since it is food staying in the water for days at the time, it must be leaking ammonia to the water all the time. So more frequent water changes are in order.

It will have much less effect on the water quality than you might imagine, the fruit is mainly water. This is one reason for trying to add some protein to the vegetables with "pressed in" pellet food etc. The same idea as Eric's (@bekateen) post in <viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43148&p=320122#p320122>.

You can work out how polluting something has the potential to be by looking at its sugar and protein content. It is an approach that is quantified by "Biochemical Oxygen Demand" (BOD).

Have a look at "Wood for trees", where my quote is from <http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =4&t=35930>, there is a more complete explanation in that thread.

.......I use the reduction of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) concept for tank water management, rather than saying something is "good" or "bad", you look at each item in terms of what nutrients it contains, how readily available they are, and how much effect it will have on BOD. A slice of sweet potato, or a prawn, will have much more potential to pollute than a much, much larger piece of wood, this is because they have readily available, soluble sugars and protein, that the wood doesn't, and therefore a higher BOD.

If you understand the processes that effect aeration and dissolved oxygen levels in the aquarium, it allows you to make educated guesses about what is likely to cause problems and why..........

cheers Darrel

[Reindas]

Hi guys!

The water is great, but I’m changing it every 3 days to make sure. Also I’’ happy to inform that my otos are alive eating and FAT. They go thru a piece of zucchini a day and I am very, very happy.

Thanks for all your help and advice.

[bekateen]

Excellent. Congratulations. Continued success with them!

Cheers, Eric

[Lycosid]

Hi guys!

The water is great, but I’m changing it every 3 days to make sure. Also I’’ happy to inform that my otos are alive eating and FAT. They go thru a piece of zucchini a day and I am very, very happy.

Thanks for all your help and advice.

Excellent! They can live a while if you take good care of them. I have several who are a few years old from when I set the tank up. (I did recently lose two, but I lost three other fish of other species at the same time, so it wasn't age that got them.)

I do suggest changing up their vegetables every once and a while. Variety is good for most animals. I start mine on kale, as I've said, but I've offered them bits of pretty much every vegetable I eat. The only category I avoid is hot peppers.

[Reindas]

I already have yellow/orange pimento blanched and frozen, also I always have carrots. I was waiting for them to be well fed before trying something else.

I hope they last a long time. They cost only $2.5, so are not expensive. But that’s not the issue. They can cost .05 cents or $250.00. Once they get home and added to a tank, they simply turn special and that’s something we all know to be true.

[Reindas]

Just a little update. They are also eating red pimentos.

Also I have found them resting on the sand. My guess is that they are well feed and just enjoying them selves.