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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Does anyone know how to feed Otocinclus properly

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12 Jan 2009 16:32 #1 by neki (neki)
Hi everyone!

I bought 2 Otocinclus last weekend ans as I'm new to the I started doing so extra researches for them and in most of the websites they were saying that one of the main reasons that they die is not being feed properly.

It was writen that they can't get all the algae they need from the tank and if this is true would be enought to feed them with Tetra Vegetable food?

I've got a 60L tank.

thanks!

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12 Jan 2009 17:40 #2 by Puggy (Fergus Cooke)
Neki,

I'm no expert. Have two Juwel Rekords going about 10 months. I had some ottos at first but they died. I gather that the tank was to new for them in that there was not enough algae for them. The pair I have in one tank, about six months now, are doing well and have gained some weight.

If you think they are getting smaller, you could try an algea wafer, broken in two, after the lights go out. They also seem to like good quality water, and in the beginning, I may not have been a diligent as I should have been.

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12 Jan 2009 18:53 #3 by joemc (joe mc)
I've kept ottos for about a year now
here's what I have learned or read about them
all the books say they generally starve because they only eat algae and therefore should be introduced to mature tanks with plenty of algae and given supplements of algae based foods
they are naturally short lived ....... two years old would be considered old.
they will clear diatom blooms from leaves
will eat green algae from rocks and glass
they will eat just about anything, love frozen mysis shrimp love any pelleted food that sinks to the bottom nls /sera / tetra any
not bothered with spirula sticks.
they are delicate
they are all wild caught
there are two or three subspecies that are commonly sold in shops all generaly sold as O. affinus (spelling)
pick specimens in the shop with full bellies, these are more likely to be eating, hollow belly in shop means fish is not eating and will definitly kick the bucket.
males are slimmer and slightly smaller
females are bigger and quite plump esp when full with eggs, once i watched mine laid two eggs on the glass and one on a plant leaf that was as far as it got re breeding.
they are a shoaling species and do better in groups
they prefer cooler temps 18-24 c
regards
joe mc

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12 Jan 2009 18:58 - 12 Jan 2009 19:04 #4 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
Otocinclus should be offered food like algae wafers. Don't rely on there been enough algae in the tank for them.
I think the reason they die on a lot of people when first put into a tank is the tank is not mature enough.
Wait untill the tank is about 6 weeks up and running with no problems before introducing them. Also acclimatise them slowly. They also seem to enjoy been in a group when they are younger.

EDIT; Joey you just beet me to it with the reply.
Plenty of good info there. The only think i would disagree with is the age. I have some for about 3-4 years now and they are till going strong.
Last edit: 12 Jan 2009 19:04 by platty252 (Darren Dalton).

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12 Jan 2009 20:07 #5 by joemc (joe mc)
well thats good to hear Platty, you are definitly giving them what they want so!
and there I was designing the headstones for mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember looking at a clip on u-tube ages ago of two guys catching them in the wild I will try to find it and post the info the clip is amazing but if you find it read the comments there was good info there too
regards
joe mc

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12 Jan 2009 20:31 #6 by neki (neki)
Thanks everyone for the information.

I got 2 of them last friday and introduced them in the tank and so far they seem to be more than fine, they eat all the day algae and after 11pm they start swiming around with each-other for at least 1 hour.

My tank should be mature as it is 20 months old and it full of algae everywhere but they don't seem to be very attracted by the algae that's in the glass, is it normal?

i bought them with the idea that the'll clean (especially) the glass from the algae.

Do you think the mature tank will have enought algae to keep the feed normally?

thanks

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12 Jan 2009 20:54 #7 by LimerickBandit (Donal Doran)
Here is a vid of them being caught



LB

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12 Jan 2009 21:19 #8 by joemc (joe mc)
yeah, thats the video I was talking about.
if you go on to u tube to watch it have a look at all the other videos on 'fishfromvenezuela'
there are some brilliant ones.
Hi Neki, I don't think that you should depend on the ottos finding enough food in the tank to avoid having to supplement their diet. they are great for helping to keep delicate plants clean from algae and debris but the one really responsible for keeping the tank clean is you!!!!!!!!!!!
I would suggest though if the two you have bought look happy after a week or two you might consider adding another half dozen.
I think that we have to get away from the ''cleaner fish / hoover fish '' type recomendations that you here in the average pet store.
sorry if I sound like I am on a soap box
regards
joe mc

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12 Jan 2009 23:32 #9 by fourmations (NIall SMyth)
hi

+1 on the info given

i was told at the lfs not to feed them
and they will happily eat algae
but i believe this to be bad info

they are selective on algae IME
they wont touch BGA or BBA and cant eat green spot,
so for the less experienced (me!) it may look
like theres tons of grub there but often isnt

when i have bought otos at the lfs
they have been seriously thin
and most people will tell you a fat oto
is happy oto, they need supplementing

i use nori (the green seaweed sushi wrap)
and have used courgettes

planted tanks are a good environment for them

heres a great site on those little suckers
www.otocinclus.com/

rgds

4

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20 Jan 2009 23:48 #10 by joemc (joe mc)
hi,
pic of male and female otto on front glass.
<a href="s429.photobucket.com/albums/qq13/joemcjo...ndfullfemaleotto.jpg" target="_blank">i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq13/joemcjo...ndfullfemaleotto.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

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20 Jan 2009 23:51 #11 by joemc (joe mc)
sorry about my poor attempt to load a photo
the top link brings you to the pic of the ottos
seriously lacking in computer skills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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21 Jan 2009 19:22 - 21 Jan 2009 19:35 #12 by Puggy (Fergus Cooke)
Never think of posting photos at the time but heres one of one of my otties... Hard to get them together as they only get together at the back of the tank to do a small dance each night.

Forgive the blurring, but I have not figured out how to use the compact digital camera. Will have to buy an slr.




Notice the redness around the gills, use to worry about this but it comes and goes during the day. Noticed the two fish books I have also show otties with similar coloration. Also notice the plant. It goes through a regular cycle of putting out new leaves on the inside of the plant, and the outer ones start to die off. These seem to interest the otties most, so I try not to prune them to quickly.
Last edit: 21 Jan 2009 19:35 by Puggy (Fergus Cooke).

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