Feeding otocinclus (was : No algae, no good!)

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Feeding otocinclus (was : No algae, no good!)
From: Hardjono.Harjadi at Eng_Sun.COM (Hardjono Harjadi)
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 11:09:05 -0700


>------------------------------
>
>From: Chris Teichreb <teichrch at Meena_CC.URegina.CA>
>Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 14:37:08 -0600 (CST)
>Subject: No algae, no good!
>
>Hi everyone,
>
>	I had been battling algae in my tanks for a while now with
>no avail.  I asked about Otocinclus and their algae consuming
>capacities and was pleased with how highly recommended they were.  
>One of the local stores had some so I bought out the last of them
>and added them into the tanks.  Only one died and the others
>look to be quite happy.
>
>	Anyways, the problem is this.  The Otos did such a great job
>of cleaning up the algae that there is now next to nothing for them
>to eat.  The tanks which they are in are solely theirs, no other fish.
>I definitely don't want the little guys to starve, but I also don't
>want to start giving them zucchini wafers and the 'sinkable savories'
>as others have said this will only spoil them and they will no
>longer consume the algae I want to get rid of.  Help!  What should
>I do?  Anybody else ever have this dilemma?  TIA

I fed my otos with zucchini and bottom feeder wafer occasionally and they 
still cleaned up the algae. While we are on the subject, I just find out that
my otos are omnivore. I left a ball of live tubifex on a clay plate for
my corys and I noticed that the otos were congregating in the plate
slurping the worms. Did anybody else notice this ?

Hardjono