Strange oto behavior

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#1
So, I got three new otos last night. I got my water tested and since it read normal, I decided to start adding the otos before my son is here this weekend and we get the platies (decided on platies instead of mollies for several reasons, one being I found a guy who is selling his young'uns for 50 cents each :D). Anywho, I got them home and put them in the 46gal. Everyone was happy and busy last night. This morning, I went to switch on the light just to check how everyone was doing and came across one of the newbies (I'm more than sure it's one of the new otos since it's smaller than my older guys) pulling an upside down cat at the top of the tank. By that I mean that he was just floating there upside down. I took my net and was going to snag him out, thinking that he was dead, but as soon as he saw the net he swam off like nothing was wrong. I've gone to check on him a couple of times since then and he's back floating in the same area (right side of the tank at the top, usually on his back or side). I'll go to fish him out and he swims off like a normal oto. Should I take him out just in case there's something wrong with him? The only problem with that is that I only have a 1.5gal hex that is empty to put him in (with no filter or even bubble stone since all available bubble stones are in the smaller betta tanks and the 10gal). Or should I just leave him in there and chalk it up to more strange behaviors in my fish (like my female bettas that like to bite)? As I said, he swims normal and has even latched onto the wall of the tank while I've watched him. Just every once in a while, he decides that he'd rather be an upside down cat. :p
 

Newman

Elite Fish
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#2
does not sound normal as to what ive seen them do. hopefully he makes it...
does he have any bad signs like a very thin profile and an emaciated belly? dontgive up hope even if he does.
 

Feb 27, 2009
4,395
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36
#3
Do you have a film on top of your water? Sometimes they will skim that for food.

Otherwise, I'd just give him time. Moving him now after just being added would be very stressful. If it were me, I'd do a 'head count' of otos for a few days so that if he should die, you can remove the body right away and prevent an ammonia spike.

Mine have skimmed the surface a few times, but not that often. I see it maybe once a month in a tank or two.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#4
Well, I came home from work today and he was dead. It's really strange. He was the smallest of the three I got yesterday, but not emaciated or with a thin profile. He was just small. All the others are doing great. Very frusterating. Since Petsmart has a 14 day guarantee on their fish, I'm going to take him back tomorrow (as soon as I can find my receipt, which *should* be in my truck) and either get another one or get my money back.
 

Newman

Elite Fish
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#5
get another one. he was likely doomed from the store :(
all of my smallish 1/2" otos did fine so far...so i cant say small size matters.
my one emaciated male oto (the otocinclus hoppei) has actually fattened up quite nicely, and thus survived also.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#6
I did get another one. :p I got him not knowing that the other one was dead, though. I was at Petco getting some anacharis and he was the only one in the tank full of pictus cats and something else. He's nice and fat and healthy. :D He's as big as my originals.