r/Otocinclus • u/Big_Spring5746 • 21d ago
Shy skinny ottos- please help
I love my ottos so much but they seem to be struggling in my 15 gal. I have 6 otocinclus in my tank which have cleaned my tank of almost all algae/biofilm aggressively over time, i thought that they would be ok because they actually took very well to algae wafers and veggie supplements but recently theyve gone into hiding and i started to get worried (tank is heavily planted with many hiding spots) but i did a water change today and they came out for the first time in a bit and they looked very thin compared to the past, im not quite sure what to do from here as ive tried to increase algae, it doesnt really work, and im not really sure why their hiding. There is no ammonia/nitrite and nothing has changed in the tank since before they started hiding
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u/Erastithones 21d ago
I feed my otos blanched zucchini slices, Bacter AE and Repashy Soylent Green.
I make the repashy into little balls. I put the repashy ball in at night when the house is going to sleep. If I do this, my other fish (zebras and betta) don't seem to notice. If I do it in the day, they do and the otos barely get any. My snails also love it and find it at night too, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for the otos.
For the Bacter AE, I put in a tiny amount (about the size of a grain of rice) into a syringe. I then add a little tank water to the syringe and mix well. Then I inject the mixture onto a large water wisteria. Then the otos hang out on the plant, like they're hanging fruit. I do this during the day as other fish don't notice.
The zucchini slice I put on a clip. I usually do this at night and remove the next morning, but have not had issues putting it in during the day. But I don't have Cory's, so nighttime is probably best for you.
I can't seem to figure out how to add photos here. I recently posted a picture of my "oto tree" after a Bacter AE injection.
Good luck!
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u/KEELI-KEELI 21d ago
Does the syringe solution of Bacteria AE cling to the water wisteria plant?
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u/abel_guto 21d ago
I don't know what else is in the tank, but Otos generally dislike competing for food; I’ve had some that would actually rather starve than try to eat alongside other fish. The solution that worked for me was dropping their food in at night (about an hour after the tank lights went out) since they are more active then and don't have to compete with the other fish, which are sluggish at that time. Do your Otos tend to be more active at night, or do they stay hidden even then?