Well...so I Guess I Disturbed A Nest Of Oto Cat Eggs While Vacuuming The Gravel

[Shidohari]

So i was vacuuming the gravel today, and i think i disturbed a nest of eggs because they were all floating around the tank after the new water was added.

I'm pretty sure that it was oto cat eggs as there were too many of them to be assassin snail eggs.

I doubt if any of them survived after that as i turned the intake back on for the filter after the WC...some are still floating and a couple settled on my moss ball. I was thinking it was a dead oto cat when i saw that cloud earlier this week, but then again with the assassin snail and the other cats i'm sure if it was a dead fish nothing is left by now.

I'll let you know if that's the case and something actually survived. Which would be unfortunate as this is a ten gallon tank, the other tank isn't cycled, and my five gallon has moody betta fish in it.

Thoughts?

[Brhino]

otocinclus very rarely lay eggs in aquariums... and they're adhesive eggs that stick to the underside of plants. Not sure how a bunch of them would wind up floating around the tank, even if you were doing a water change and a gravel vacuum. Very strange.

[Shidohari]

because the gravel i was vacuuming was right next to one of my crypto wendii 'bushes'. I think i may have disturbed the plant slightly a bit earlier in the week as well so the eggs probably weren't where they were laid.

[bethyMT]

Are your otos new? Although it is rare for this to happen, there have been several instances of this occurring just on this forum, including myself. If, of course, that's what they are.

I have read someplace that new otos can do this, because of the sudden better water and food quality in a new tank. They really suffer at pet stores, and apparently coming to a fishkeeper's tank is like heaven, and they can breed. Mine have not done it again past that first week.

That's where my knowledge stops though. The eggs my otos laid were eaten by other fish, which was okay with me. IDK if they would hatch for you, I'd guess yes if they aren't bothered. And, so you know, otos bred domestically are hardier than those that were wild caught. So it might be interesting to see what happens. But then again, that's a whole 'nother issue re:tank stocking.

[Shidohari]

Yeah it would...and yes my ottos are new i got them within the last week or so i think.

There are exactly four now, i'm assuming the fifth one did indeed die of stress from getting stuck in the net.

i think most of the eggs that were lay by that crypto didn't survive, there's a few small clouds still on top of the gravel, but i don't think those will hatch.

We'll see though...I'll let you know.

[dbosman]

Keep them healthy and they'll spawn.
Fry is problematic. I had a well algae'd 10g quarantine tank ready for one of the Petsmart $1.00 sales last year. I put 20 otos in and took 23 out a couple of months later.