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I recently got 5 ottos for my 29 gallon. What cool little fish! I love to watch them school together. Anyway, I am worried about what they are going to eat once all the algea is gone. I tried to feed them an algea wafer at night but I am very doubtful that they had any chance to eat it. The next morning I had some very chubby danios and platies, lets just leave it at that. So I dont think wafers are going to work. Is there any product that will make algea grow? LOL, that sounds funny...i get fish to take care of algea, now I want it to grow . Would it be safe to put large rocks in my golfish tank to grow algea and then place it with the ottos? I don't want them to starve!!

You can grow algae for them, adding rocks to the other tank should work, you could also probably place the rocks with some tank water in a jar or bowl on the window sill where they'd get alot of sun to grow algae.

Barbs and danios like their veggies too, but you can try foods like peas, zuchinni, and other greens. Blanch them in some hot water and weigh them down with a rock. The other fish are likely to go after them too (which isnt' a bad thing) hopefully you can put enough down that the ottos will get some. Feed them a few hours after lights out when the other fish should be resting.

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They will likely eat the wafers. Try the Hikari Bottom Feeder wafers. For some reason, my otos don't like the Algae Wafers as much as the Bottom Feeder Wafers. If given a choice, they'd by-pass the first.

Put it in at lights out when the tank will be very dark. They will be able to find it with scent alone. Cories will be stirred to find it too. Oddly enough, my cories prefer the algae wafer. Go figure

Ok, I'll try to grow some in the sun (never thought of that). Along with a couple rocks from the other tank. I'll try the vegetables also. And Hikari wafers, I can do that. I dont mind the other fish eating it but the ottos seem too timid to get there share, thats all. I will waiting an hour or so after turning out the lights(before, I tossed in the wafer and then turned out the light ). Thank you!!!

Last edited by pippin at 14-Dec-2004 14:47

Last edited by pippin at 14-Dec-2004 14:52

I tried the rock in a jar on the windowsill.... eeeewwww! Turned stagnant and horrible very quickly. with cucumbers and courgette (zucchini) I find the other fish eat the soft white part and the ottos tend to eat the darker green skin. Give it a try.

I regularly feed algae wafers but everyone else in the tank gobbles them before the ottos get a chance. On the other hand I've never run out of real algae *sigh*

How can I make the natural algea in the tank to grow faster?

So just boil or scald the zuccini before putting it in?

Don't boil it, I'm pretty sure that lowers the quality of the nutrients....scalding should be right, I think most people say blanch. In any case take some just boiling water, remove from heat, add your veggies, let them sit for a few moments till they go a bit soft then remove, let cool a bit and add to the tank.

To grow more algae, well start adding ferts, or increase the lighting, but you might end up with a mess on your hands .

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Oh,ok. I wasnt sure what "blanch" meant. But I know now. Last night I waited after I turned out my lights and fed them. I'm fairly certain it worked! I havent had a chance to get Hikari but I will sometime. Also, I noticed the ottos holding on to leaves and the edges of rocks with thier fins!! Its soo cute and I never expected it. They just sit there propped up...i love it.

Ah Pippin, it's such fun to watch someone else discover the joys of ottos. They really are the cutest little fish. And so bold! I'm always scared I'm going to vacuum them up in my gravel vacs because nothing seems to scare them.

Well, if you want algae to grow, my advice is to over fertilize your tank and leave the lights on for a bit more. You may get brown spots on any real plants if you over fertilize but they should be okay.

Pippin
Ive had the same problem, But they just love cucumber sliced every 2 days or courgette (I think you guys call it Zuccini), and microwave frozen peas(in water) for about 10- 20 second & peel off the skin, these work great too, as mine dont touch the flakes
Hope this helps