feeding otos

[shockshockshad]

I know you need a LOT of algae for otos, but I just CAN'T grow any! Could I put a cup of water by bright light, and let it get full of algae, and feed it to otos? I am asking this so I can get the otos sooner, rather than waiting months for algae. By the way, i dont have tht tank yet- but i will in a month of so. So if this doesnt work its not the end of the world

[Dave66]

I know you need a LOT of algae for otos, but I just CAN'T grow any! Could I put a cup of water by bright light, and let it get full of algae, and feed it to otos? I am asking this so I can get the otos sooner, rather than waiting months for algae. By the way, i dont have tht tank yet- but i will in a month of so. So if this doesnt work its not the end of the world

Shad,
They'll eat softened vegetables and frozen foods (defrosted first, of course) designed for Herbivors. There are also good prepared foods for things like Otocinclus.
Without a starter, its tough to start getting good algae growth on stones, but once it starts, it goes goes goes. I'm considering doing a full how-to-culture everything for AC. Have to run that past the mods . . .

Dave

[Rue]

I've been supplementing with algae wafers and spirulina tablets...the other fish seem to enjoy eating at them too...

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Put a bucket of "aged" water in full sunshine and leave it there for weeks.
You can speed it up by adding aquatic plant fertiliser to the aged water.
Add some pebbles you can swap in and out as the Otos clean them - but this last one is Dave66's excellent tip!