It's Super Oto!

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RobD

Medium Fish
#1
Jun 14, 2004
78
0
0
Mt. Pleasant, MI
www.cst.cmich.edu
#1
Well, after killing off about 75 Otos, I still have one that is still living in my tank. Plenty of algae, good water, tried the quick introduction to the tank, the long slow water change method of introduction, everything. Seems they like to just die off. So a few weeks ago, I stopped by a really nice pet store in Lansing (Michigan) and they said to get the Giant Oto. Here it is:



It is about 3 inches long and cost me just over $7. All I can say is that I'm 1/1 for the Giants, and 1/75 with the standards. I think the species is HYPOPTOPOMA, sometimes called the Flat Head Dwarf Sucker.
 

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mike the zealot

mike the zealot

Large Fish
#2
Oct 22, 2002
608
0
0
46
Bend, OR
www.zealotron.com
#2
Otos are lame that way. I always buy 3 and end up with one. I had 1 for about 6 months in my little 10 gallon, he did fine until I forgot to put the end back on my filter intake.....sigh.

So I bought 3 last week to replace him, 1 bought the farm last night.

Your best bet is a well-established tank, which it looks to be from the photo above.

Good luck with your giant oto =)
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#7
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#7
There are god knows how many species of oto.

The smaller ones just don't ship well. They can't handle more than a few days without feeding, and any hitches in the shipping process down river and out of the country just wreak carnage. That's why whole batches live or die.
 

FroggyFox

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
Moderator
#13
May 16, 2003
8,589
10
38
42
Colorado
#13
Strangely enough I've never had an otto die, I still have the same two that I've had since I got them like two years ago...with all of the ones that people seem to lose around here I've had pretty good luck with them!

Thats a crazy lookin otto...is it really a species of oto? Only reason I ask is because I thought they all stayed pretty small...mine are only an inch or 1.5 long. I guess it makes sense that some types get larger...just hope it stays small and isn't a pleco that gets huge or something! Its kinda cute :)
 

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jmelnek

New Fish
#14
Nov 1, 2004
5
0
0
45
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan USA
www.nascar.com
#14
Originally posted by RobD
jmelnek -

Oooh, this is scary. So you must have gone to Preuss Animal, huh? That's where I got mine, and really wish I would have bought another one. You also know Soldans in town is buy-1-get-1-free Thursday? Another comment: Go Army! 01 Nemechek!
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Yep Preuss Animal House is the best place imo. I think Soldans is crap.... they sell dyed fish there, i did buy my zebras from them but my cories came from Preusses (it is definetly worth the drive).

UPS #88
 

R

RobD

Medium Fish
#16
Jun 14, 2004
78
0
0
Mt. Pleasant, MI
www.cst.cmich.edu
#16
Yeah, I like Preuss better, but I don't get down that way enough. And when I do, the family doesn't like that I spend at least an hour there looking - it is usually a Saturday night on the way home from Detroit. Soldans may sell dyed fish, but I just choose not to buy those fish.

Picked up 6 of the little otos last night, and so far they all made it through the night (usually 1 or 2 are dead out of 6 by now). This is the most active bunch I have ever had. Typically they just go for the back wall and hang there (until they fell to the gravel, dead). These guys are swimming all over the place, eating algae of the plants, etc. Maybe there is hope for them, they are full size already and had full stomachs when I bought them. The giant oto usually cleans the silicone seals, but he has been going around munching the algae off the gravel and being more visible as well.
 

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