How long do you guys boil the veggie? Perhaps I need to boil it until it's falling apart so it's easy for the fish to eat? Dec 21, 11, 1 38 64 Spanaway, Wa. Real Name Ed. Otocinclus are voracious eaters. I've seen them really clean up diatoms but after that they stay away from anything hard, stringy, fuzzy, bushy, etc.
Dec 28, 0 0. I have a 10 gal. Thinking I have 3 males and 3 females, because the girls bellies are so plump and round, and the males, while nice and full looking, are more narrow, and more streamlined. They are eating everything I put in for my shrimp, the piggies, and when an algea wafer floats down, they make a beeline for it, but wait next to it until it softens up a bit.
They are doing great in there, no issues at all. I had actually thought they were strict vegitarians, but they nibble on shrimp pellets, and flake food daily. LeahK AC Members. Jul 5, 1 18 43 Iowa. The size tank for the Otocinclus depends upon the number of fish that you desire to keep together. Related article: Aquarium Size and Weights. If you desire to keep six or more Otos together, it requires a tank with at least 10 gallons of water.
But, if you keep Otos together, it will require 20 gallons of water. When you add one more Otocinclus to your tank, remember to add a couple of gallons of water as well.
It is because Otos are fast swimmers. These catfish needs adequate space to swim freely without any disturbance.
Researchers have found that one inch of fish requires one gallon of water. Here, I will try to make it clearer to you. You already know that the Otocinclus catfish grow up to a maximum of 2. It means that you must not let the fish grow up to its maximum size, and shift it to a bigger tank when it starts growing. Let me be clear on one thing. You will not find a 1-gallon tank in the market. It is just an example to help you understand the rough estimation of the quantity of water that 1 Otocinclus needs.
It will make it easier for you to calculate how many Otos do you want to keep together. Otocinclus are small and active fish species.
These fish are shoaling fish. It means that the Otos love to stay in groups and not alone. You must keep a minimum of 10 gallons of water to your Otos to live comfortably. Keep the sufficient plantations Staurogyne repens , Substrates artificial caves, rocks, artificial leaves, etc.
Having these will make the Otos happier and will prove to be the best pet fish. It is not hard to pet Otocinclus fish even if you are a beginner.
Related article: Easiest fish to breed. Another main important factor is that your fish will entertain you with lots of activities and personalities. All you need to do is to make the Otos comfortable in the aquarium. I have seen an Otocinclus hang on the aquarium glass, and the suckermouth full in action. Trust me, it is an amazing sight to watch, and you will surely love it.
Some of the Industrial Otos will continue to suck the rocks, or leaves, or anything with algae with it. These fish are hard to catch even from a fishnet, due to their tendency of fast swimming. So, set up a tank that is deep and wide enough for the fish to be fully comfortable. Remember not to be careless about providing overall care to your fish, as it might be fatal.
Maintaining an appropriate water parameter is an essential factor for every fish. Even though Otos are the best algae eaters, it does not mean that you should not leave the tank full of dirt and contaminated water. Related article: How to clean a dirty aquarium? The water must be clean with balanced levels of Nitrate and Ammonia at 0ppm. It is best if you change the water every one to two weeks.
PH levels should be between 6. Related article: How to maintain the hardness of aquarium water. Like I mentioned earlier, Otocinclus are the best algae eaters. Algae are the natural food of these fish. It will cause your Otos to stress out and get sick. Unlike other fish types, Otos are easy to take care of.
Even though Otos can directly breathe in the oxygen from the air, you can still add a standard oxidation system to balance the oxygen in the aquarium. Sometimes, your fish may rise to the surface for air because of the lack of oxygen in the tank. Temperature swings, oxygen changes, irregular light cycles, dramatic movements, and vibrations can cause a number of diseases to infect the poor fish. If they struggle to give you an answer — nope, this store is not for you.
Easier said than done. If you know anyone — hook me up. I recommend using an acclimation kit and drip method.
You can check out this article here. Both plants would create a carpeting or lawn effect in the foreground of the tank. So be careful not to damage or tear the roots when planting — They have short roots and can come loss and float around. You can just replant them. Other ways to help combat this is to avoid having large clumps of this in your tank. Thank you so much for your tips! Your website has been, without a doubt, the most helpful and informative resource that I have.
Great article. The tail itself has a large blotch. Though they share the same lateral stripe as many of the other species, the browns are closer to silvers, as their nickname suggests. This group is mostly found in small streams or shallow rivers across South America. Here they attach themselves to the substrate or rocks in the search for algae.
The warm waters are slow-moving but well-oxygenated, pH is generally neutral. Below the water is a soft, sandy substrate. Perched on the substrate are pieces of debris like rocks, wood, and anything else being moved with the water.
Some plants are around, but not a lot of them. They have access to plenty of light and it penetrates through the shallow waters. Lots of popular aquarium fish come from the rivers of South America so an Otocinclus setup is very similar to other freshwater species. Pick a fine-grained sandy substrate; coarser grains can scratch their body and lead to health problems.
Pick some decorations and spread them across the substrate. Rocks can be used to create caves these will be used as a shelter when your Otos are stressed. Plants such as Staurogyne repens can be used to provide more shelter. They also provide more surfaces for algae growth too.
The water in the tank needs to be nice and clean, with ammonia and nitrite levels staying at 0ppm. Water changes every weeks will help with this. Soft water is ideal, no higher than 15dH. Standard aquarium lights will be fine too. These are small fish, so they will be comfortable in small homes.
A gallon tank is suitable for a small group of Otocinclus. Their small size makes them an easy target though, so large or aggressive fish need to be avoided. An Oscar could hunt down and kill an Otocinclus with ease. A general rule is to stay away from species with an aggressive reputation or a mouth big enough to eat an Oto whole. This still leaves plenty of species to choose from. You also have the option of keeping invertebrates.
Shrimps and snails are popular tank mates because of their different appearances and behaviors. These are social creatures that should be kept in groups of at least four.
The bigger the group the better — just make sure the tank is big enough. They mostly eat algae which is what they would normally eat in the wild.
Despite them eating algae, you still need to add some other food too. The algae will run out quickly if you keep a large group of Otos. You can buy algae wafers from stores which should disappear over a few hours.
Add one every couple of days. Green vegetables are best, such as lettuce, spinach, and zucchini. Chop off a small piece or two and drop them into the tank a couple of times a week, making sure that they sink to the bottom of the aquarium. After 24 hours, remove any uneaten pieces from the tank. You can use your vegetables to make some homemade fish foods too. Just be careful not to overfeed your Otos.
0コメント