I lost an Oto today - why????

[daisymac]

Yesterday everything seemed fine. This afternoon I go in to do my afternoon headcheck and can't find one of the 2 I bought. Well there it was, belly up. I got him out but am baffled as to what happened.  :(  I bought the pair on 6/30.

I tested my water with the Master kit last night and the readings were:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10
pH - 7.4 to 7.6 (sometimes those colors aren't dead on, so I take a guess)

Just now I used the 5-in-1 dip test and came out with the same readings except this test measures the GH (150ppm) & KH (140ppm) and the drop test doesn't.

One of my leopard danios is acting a bit odd, too. It's hovering at the bottom level at the tanks and seems to be searching for something. I don't know how to explain it, but it goes up and down and back and forth. Everyone else seems fine.

[Tiapan]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

without any obvious water problems and no external signs on the fish it seems it has to be an internal thing, i just lost one of the albino bushy nose plecos i got from sunny's and it has been fine for like a month. the water parameters were great and the fish was just fine yesterday. welcome to the wonderful world of "i dont have any idea" it happens a lot in this hobby. as soon as you think you know everything and want it to work out something goes wacky

[daisymac]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

After reading up on this topic, I found out that oto are notorious for dying within the first month. If you have one that lasts past that point you are in good shape. So I guess the strategy is to get a bunch and then wait and see. Maybe it's the same for plecos.

[armthehomeless]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

Yup, i've had that problem too. I buy several at a time and am almost always left with a little less than I start with. I currently have 4 regular otos and 2 niger otos.

[semper]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

unfortunately i just lost my gold nugget.

don't know what happened either.

[daisymac]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

Good grief! Went to bed and the last oto was hanging on the side of the tank. Got up at 9 and he was floating at the top of the tank, and someone had bit his tail off!   So now I have no more. I called a couple places and they don't have anymore, so I guess I need to call Village and see if they have some.

So I did a 20% water change, vacuum and cleaning.

Those fishies are crazy!  :crazy:  Instead of scurrying away from me and the vacuum, they hover around my hand!  I tell them they should be afraid and they just laugh at me. Ha ha he he! They figure I'm the one obsessed with them, I feed them therefore I am no threat! Silly fishie boys!

[Mzungu]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

 Have they started nibbling your hand yet? I still get startled! And some have little teeth, kind of hurts!! It's sad to see me yelp in surprise when a 1" fish nibbles my hand. But oh well, it's funny. I figure it's better than all of them hiding when I come near!

I've had trouble with otos in the past, as well.  :(  Sigh. But, if you still want to get a few more, I went to Village yesterday and they have quite a few. I also saw their "graceful tetras!" Oh, and if you go, take a look at the tank on the counter with all the little nano tanks, the one with all the little bubbling toys and sunken ships and such. There's a female guppy in there that is ENORMOUS. Biggest guppy I have ever seen. Crazy!

[daisymac]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

Not nibbling my hand yet, but one day I wasn't paying attention, put my hand with the food into the water a bit and they were knocking up next to it - like "gimme, gimme." I bought a couple algae shrimp, and when I was trying to clean the tank, one of them kept trying to ride on my hand!


I will go to Village this afternoon (I hope.) So M.B., was the tank labeled "gracefull tetras"? When I called to ask about them the guy said there was no such fish in the store! I told him they are really bandtail tetras, and then he said okay, yea, we have those. Hmmmm . . .

I saw that guppy - I thought it was an exotic breed! LOL!

[Mzungu]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

Yeah, it was labeled "graceful tetras!" It's in that row of tanks right across from the register. I'm pretty sure they're on the bottom rack. Can't miss 'em!

Hey, nothing stupid there! I never even imagined a guppy could get that big!!   8O  I couldn't leave the store without knowing, had to ask.

[daisymac]

Re: I lost an Oto today - why????

I went and bought 6 more otos', and a beautiful blue/purple betta. I told them that they had the tetra tank mislabeled, and that they were pretty aggressive, but then before I left I looked at that tank with the enormous guppy, and there was one of the bandtails in there. So I figure that if you want them you either have to have 1 or a school of them. The guy said go ahead and bring them back.

I think these otos' will last longer because they are larger than the other I had. I hope I hope!