help with Tiger Otocinclus

[logans]

I got a Tiger Otocinclus yesterday. He swims all over the tank sucking on the glass but he never seems to go where the algae is. I can see a dark brown algae growing on the rocks on the bottom and on one of my decorative rocks but all he wants to do is suck on the side of the glass where there are no signs of algae. I tried giving him an algae wafer but I don't know how to even let him know there is one there. The algae wafer just floated to the bottom of the tank and he has no idea it is sitting there on the bottom. I clipped a slice of zuccuni onto the side of the glass but he ignores that also. Any ideas? Is he getting alage that I just can't see on the side of the glass? How do you let an algae eater know that you have an algae wafer for him to eat? He never even looks at the bottom of the tank, just sticks to the sides.


---Mike

[garfieldnfish]

I have 3 otos, one common oto and 2 zebra otos. The common oto (different tank) ate blanched zucchini and cucumbers right away. When I got the first 2 zebra otos, one started to eat the zucchini, the other never did eat anything that I could tell. He died about 1 month later without ever touching the veggies or algae wafers.
I bought another zebra oto, had him in quarantine for 2 weeks, and he never ate anything that I could tell. Once I added him to the tank with the other zebra oto, he hung on the veggy clip with my resident zebra oto within a day. Looked to me like one oto told the other "Look dummy, you can eat this stuff". Both of the zebra otos are doing great. Give him some time, but none of my 3 otos eat algae wafers, they prefer veggies hung on the tank wall using a veggy clip.
Most likely, if he is sucking on the tank wall, he is eating algae too small for you to see. If you just see him hanging on the wall and not eating at all, keep an eye on him. But if you just got him yesterday give him a few days to adjust. (And possibly a friend of his own kind, they like company)

[logans]

What kind of veggies do you use? I was planning on getting 2 Tiger otos but they only had 1 left at the store. When I get a 2nd one should I get another Tiger oto or do you think just a common oto would still make a good companion for my Tiger oto?

---Mike

[garfieldnfish]

Try to get another tiger if you can. But another oto or 2 would be ok as well. The regular otos seem to adjust better and may show your tiger what to eat and he can then pass that on to new tigers if you get them later. That all depends on your tank size, though.
I feed mine zucchini, carrots and cucumbers (microwaved for 10 seconds to soften them up). I use a veggy clip in their tanks. For my other tanks I use plant weights but I found that the otos prefer the food attached to the tank wall, rather then food laying on the tank floor. Which could explain why they do not eat algae wafers. If your are short of cucumber or zucchini some day, they also snack on microwaved lettuce but the nutritional value of lettuce is less.
Once these guys do well in your tank they stick around for a long time. But they are also a good indicator of your tank's health. If there is something wrong with your water, otos are one of the first to suffer. I always check my otos every morning when I turn the tank lights on. If they look well, I know all is ok.

[logans]

I think tomorrow I will just get a regular oto to see if that helps at all. My Tiger Oto has basically sat in the same spot the whole day. I stuck the net down by him to try and get him to move but he just keeps moving around the fiter tube that he is stuck to but he won't swim anywhere. I have a big piece of zuccini attached on a veggie clip right next to him. I was trying to get him to go to the zuccini but he is pretty stubborn about wanting to stay where he is. I am concerned that if he doesn't try to eat anything it is just going to get worse. If I can get him to respond with a regular oto with him then perahps I will get another Tiger oto.

Update, just found my Tiger Oto latched onto the zuccini. Yeah!
--Mike

[garfieldnfish]

Glad to hear that. Then he should be ok.