Oto Question

[spudbuds]

I noticed yesterday that my oto cats are starting to chase some of my other fish (especially the gourami) and they are trying to attach to the side of them. I assume this means they aren't getting enough to eat. Am I right? My tank has been pretty algae-free since I got them. Every couple of days, I'm putting some Hikari algae wafers in the tank, but they aren't going near them. The rest of my fish love them though. Should I be feeding them something else? :help:

Thanks,
- Bill

[Fishalicious]

mmmh I have kept oto's forever and I have never ever seen them try to do this.. seeing they are veggie eaters I am also not sure why they would want to 'suck' on a fish ;) I see them swim around often and kind of swim around fish but never actually try to attach themselves..

I actually don't feed my oto's they usually graze all day long on the glass, wood and plants. I throw in bottom feeder tablets for the cory's but never see the oto's eating any of it....

Maybe you could buy some Spirinula flakes and lay some of it on the leaves of the plants ..

[Spyder]

You can try some fresh zucchini. Just a slice either attached to a rock or use a veggi clip to hang on the glass.

[Fishalicious]

Great Idea Spyder x

Here is also a link all about oto's
http://www.otocinclus.com/feeding.html

[SkarloeysMom]

I've heard that sometimes CAE will be sold as Otos and CAE can get aggressive when they get older. Are you absolutely postive you have Otos and not Chinese Algae Eaters. They look very similar.

Edit: I found this site with info about it. Check out the Caution at the bottom of the page. http://members.tripod.com/~Boeing_Dude/cae.html

[spudbuds]

Thanks for all the info. I'll try some veggies tonight and see if they are interested. From Jess' link it appears that it's not out of the question for otos to try to attach to other fish if they are starving. They mostly swim around a lot and stick to the glass or decor, but lately they seem more active and are harassing the other fish.

I'm pretty sure they are otos. They look exactly like the fish in Jess' link. I'll see if I can get a good picture of them to post.

- Bill

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Fishalicious - that Oto link is completely fantastic - thank you for sharing it!

[msjinkzd]

I have heard of otos sucking on slime coats especially with discus and angels. If you are having a hard time supplementing your otos diet, you could try blanching the cuke or zucchini with a garlic clove to stimulate appetite.