Oto Haven II

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#1
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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#1
Another dedicated Otocinclus tank (I like otos, incase you didn't know).

More crypts, ferns and a few dwarf onions moving in on Wednesday. For now, Newman's HC is acclimating nicely.



Someday, I'll need to replace this tank. Got it from lady that kept turtles in it, which is why its so scratched up! But couldn't pass up the deal (free).
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#4
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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#4
It is a 20gallon high. Once I get some plants out of QT and identified, I'll be adding about 10 more, then be done :) The otos in there are already chasing each other a lot :)
 

tropicalcrazy

tropicalcrazy

Large Fish
#5
Nov 19, 2008
702
0
0
Des Moines, Iowa
#5
does that hc require co2? if not after you grow that for newman, would you sell me a patch the same size you have in this pic? if so pm me. tank looks good. scratches arent too bad in the pic. maybe in person they would be. i thought it was like bubbles or the filter draining in lol. i guess i wasnt paying that close of attention at first i was looking at the plants. looks nice though. also pm me if you would sell some of those onion plants like 2 or 3
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#7
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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#7
tropicalcrazy said:
does that hc require co2? if not after you grow that for newman, would you sell me a patch the same size you have in this pic? if so pm me. tank looks good. scratches arent too bad in the pic. maybe in person they would be. i thought it was like bubbles or the filter draining in lol. i guess i wasnt paying that close of attention at first i was looking at the plants. looks nice though. also pm me if you would sell some of those onion plants like 2 or 3
Click to expand...
HC does much better with CO2, yes. It will grow taller and not as compact without it. But I'm not growing it FOR Newman, LOL. He and I traded some plants. He sent me the HC, I sent him some Willowleaf Hygro and a bunch of others (trimmings from my tanks).

The onions, once acclimated, will put off daughter plants when they get larger. Maybe we could trade in the future when I have some to trade.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#8
Feb 27, 2009
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#8
lauraf said:
OC, is this the home for the new otos you just got?
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It will be eventually. I'm converting it to soft-water (just got an RO unit a few weeks ago, yea!) and once they are out of QT, they can live with the others already in there. Since they are seperate species, they can't interbreed. I'm hoping to develop a breeding colony.

Otos breeding in captivity is hardly heard of and not many survive if they do hatch. With no other fish in there to 'snack' on eggs laid, and since otos do not eat their own eggs, I'm hoping for more sucess in this set up. They need softwater to be able to fertilize their eggs or the eggs just laid by the female will 'cure' to quickly and not allow fertilization by the male. It is also thought that the hardwater prevents the eggs from being able to hatch.

I'll have 23 total in there! I wouldn't recommend having that many in a tank, but I'm diligent about growing 'algae logs' and 'algae rocks' for them in a seperate tank (15 gallons with 55watts over it), plus zucchini, cucumber, sweet potato, and other greens, and algae wafers.
 

tropicalcrazy

tropicalcrazy

Large Fish
#9
Nov 19, 2008
702
0
0
Des Moines, Iowa
#9
yes we may just have to do some trading then.

23 in one tank WOW that must be a beautiful site. after you get setup up you should take a pic. ive been half way contemplating on getting 5 more oto's rather than another smaller pleco just because of how active they are
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#10
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#10
Thanks for the info OC - really neat to learn more about otos. And I was wondering how, if it was a new tank without established algae, one can introduce otos right away. But of course you have algae logs and rocks for them!
I miss my otos. But I now have my albino bristlenose and a lone fat SAE and almost no algae . . . .
 

tropicalcrazy

tropicalcrazy

Large Fish
#11
Nov 19, 2008
702
0
0
Des Moines, Iowa
#11
lauraf said:
Thanks for the info OC - really neat to learn more about otos. And I was wondering how, if it was a new tank without established algae, one can introduce otos right away. But of course you have algae logs and rocks for them!
I miss my otos. But I now have my albino bristlenose and a lone fat SAE and almost no algae . . . .
Click to expand...
not to highjack your thread oc but lauraf, how old and big is your bristlenose? how long does it take for them to start to form bristles? what size or age? if your bristlenose is older is it still very efficient and active at cleaning things up? mine is only at 1 1/2", ive never kept one this is my first, and it doesnt have any bristles yet, but it is very active, fins look great and spanned out nicely and seems to tend to the tank very well at this stage.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#12
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
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#12
lauraf said:
Thanks for the info OC - really neat to learn more about otos. And I was wondering how, if it was a new tank without established algae, one can introduce otos right away. But of course you have algae logs and rocks for them!
I miss my otos. But I now have my albino bristlenose and a lone fat SAE and almost no algae . . . .
Click to expand...
It was run with just the substrate and water for over two months, with 55 watts of CF lighting (2.75WPG) on for 18 hours a day. Fed with fishfood, DIY CO2 and filtered with a sponge filter (so a 'fishless cycle').

Believe me, there was PLENTY of algae in there before the first set of plants were planted and the otos added!

This is my original 4 that spawned for me twice already (though no fry lived beyond a week) with 7 more added that were purchased later and are now out of QT. I had oringally 1 female and 3 males. Now I have 3 females and 7 males, and one I haven't determined yet, likely a boy though.

This was set up with the intention of trying to spawn them, so more than the 'average' community tank will have.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#13
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#13
@tropical - I've had my bristlenose for about, umm, three months? She (I am calling it a she because Anshu named her Cleopatra from one pic or another I posted that reminded him of Cleopatra reclining on her lounge) is a good two inches now, is crazy active, loves her veggie treats of spinach or zucchini, and generally is doing a good job on the algae. I have miniscule amounts on some of the smaller plant leaves.
Cleo is also developing a really nice golden hue now. I don't see any bristles yet . . . .
@OC - thanks for the additional info on your tank set up for the otos - good luck with the breeding! I'll be following with interest.
And one day I'll figure out how to quote from multiple posts in my reply post . . . . ;)
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#14
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
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#14
lauraf said:
@OC - thanks for the additional info on your tank set up for the otos - good luck with the breeding!
Click to expand...
Thanks, I will need it!

lauraf said:
And one day I'll figure out how to quote from multiple posts in my reply post . . . . ;)
Click to expand...
Like this post is doing?

If its from the same person's post, just copy/paste the whole thing after you hit 'reply' and take out the parts you don't want. Just be sure to leave the tags between the square brackets [ ] in.

If its from more than one post (same or different people), just hit reply, copy the info from the box, then just hit your back arrow on your browser. Go to the other post you want to reference, hit reply, then paste the info from the first post you wanted to reference.

Just play around with it, its not hard once you see it work. Good luck!
 

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