Otto eating habits.

[Wind_Danzer]

Well I see my guy (or most likely gal based on the size) has done a good job moving around the tank on a constant basis doing what they do best but my tank doesn't have a large accumulation of algae.

So I have algae wafers that I break in 1/2 and drop in the tank. Well it seems my Otto ignores them (but 4 of my fish go to town on it) and I'm not sure if the Otto is getting enough to eat.

Is it picking up the flake scraps that float to the bottom? Is it finding microscopic algae as it forms and getting it before I see it growing?

It doesn't seem to like the algae on the fake plant, maybe due to the texture of the plant.

It appears to be getting just a tad skinner then when I got it a few days ago.

 

[catfishbum]

i put 2 in my 5 gal they other day because it had a lot of algae in it and they cleaned it all up. i cannot see any but they are scraping around, i put a quater of a tab of algae wafer in last night and mine ignored it as well. i think they are just finding algea here and there we cannot see.

 

[TabMorte]

Ottos like most bottom feeders, are nocturnal. You need to give them the algae wafer at night after lights off and they'll find it eventually. You can also try sticking it to the side of the tank (my ottos won't touch my glass though so that's never worked for me) . They also do, like catfishbum said, find bits of algae you can't see.

 

[Wind_Danzer]

I do it at night (the blue light on though) and it still doesn't do it and the other guys find it.

I haven't tried the glass yet due to the fact I'd have to get a clip or something to hold it.

 

[TabMorte]

Does he look hungery? My bettas and tetras are forever stealing the algae waffers from my otto and cories but they're all growing and healthy looking so I figure they must be getting SOME of it.

 

[Wind_Danzer]

No just a tad skinner and I haven't seen it poop (but the last few days I've been gone quite a bit with no end in sight now).

It's just going around sucking everything except for the fake plants that have some brown algae on it (I think cause of the texture).

 

[TabMorte]

What you can do is use distraction. Because ALL my fish seem to love algae so much I break the wafer in half and half again and throw 1 quarter to one end of the tank which the betta and tetras go after then when they're distracted I turn off the lights and then drop the other quarter in the corner of the tank my cories have claimed and my otto hangs out in. They seem to have no trouble finding it then.

If he's hungery he'll eat.

 

[ishar]

Yeah, I would agree with tab's last statement, but just watch to make sure it isn't sick or has any parasites or whatever. Tropical fish, in general, can't go much more than 2 weeks without food (so I have read), so if he starts looking really bad after about a week or so then there is likely something wrong, otherwise he is likely just getting enough to eat elsewhere.

 

[Wind_Danzer]

Cool and thanks for the info. He's pretty busy "day" or "night".

Are there poops white? I saw a stringy white come out today and it still seems fine when I left... working around the tank.

 

[Wind_Danzer]

Ok, the 1/2 wafer here with the blue light on and the 1/2 wafer on the other side after turning it off and it seems the otto looks pretty full.

I never thought the blue light would cause an issue..