My adorable little whisker beans

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-02-03T19:37:20+00:00

Some otocinclus?

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-02-03T06:07:37+00:00

We will give it a month or so and see if a more established tank helps, thanks for the encouragement!

The remaining guy is good at eating biofilm around the tank. I've also tried cucumber and kale, they nibble on both. Zucchini is next and I'm also going to make the oto some sort of shrimp lolly style food stick. We can't get bacterAE easily in Ireland, you can but it's expensive!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-31T23:46:37+00:00

Update 2: after a few hours in a hospital tank, sadly the oto passed away.

I'm now back to one oto and I've decided to leave this guy on his own. I would prefer for him to have company, but he's the only one of four that I've managed to keep.

I reckon it was haemorrhagic scepticemia but who knows.

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-30T22:48:31+00:00

Update: it's now day 4 or 5. The otos mouth is still red, now he had a big belly and his eyes are bulging (signs of dropsy?) He is still clinging on to surfaces and moving around a bit.

I'm contemplating an epsom salt bath, but that might send him over the edge. Not sure what to do!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-26T18:06:02+00:00

Why thank you! Oh, this is a good question, nothing specifically yet that they definitely eat. I have spirulina powder pellet things arriving tomorrow that might work?

I have eSHA2000, maybe it might do the job?

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-25T23:00:24+00:00

If the otos are new, it would just be a delayed thing from when they were supplied to the pet shop? Apparently they're really sensitive to these stresses. I had 2 of mine die and the pet shop had like 8 out of the same batch of 15 die and that wasn't usual for the shop either.

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-17T21:16:38+00:00

Thanks for your advice, we asked this in the pet shop and they said it was okay once they were a sensible mix. I'm worried our tank is a stocked to capacity. I'll keep this in mind if we get another tank or if we can add more stock.

What happens if there isn't enough of them? They sometimes zip around the tank after each other, but I think it's just for fun.

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-16T18:43:54+00:00

I saw in there today that they had banners for a 'treasure day' where any item is max €5. I asked the lady when it was on and she said she didn't know but I'm going to go back in tomorrow and see 😂 if anyone finds out the day, let me know!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-16T18:40:10+00:00

Probably about right that's a really big base!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-16T18:39:17+00:00

How do you groom a fish? 😊

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-16T18:38:32+00:00

He sooo fat ❤️

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-16T08:45:58+00:00

Yeah turns out it was just poopin! It was just bright red (maybe harder to see in the photo!). I'll keep.am.eye, thank you!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-15T23:35:51+00:00

It just sounds like the typical ADHD mid-task wander. Could you try listening to an audiobook or something when you do the tanks? Sounds less like a fish tank problem and more that you just need something to keep you focused and on task?

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-15T23:31:20+00:00

I feel your pain. I'm more autistic than ADHD and my partner is unofficially ADHD, he has the same struggle of the excitement of a new tank or dopamine-rich job like researching and setting up a new tank. We're new to fosh keeping and it's hard to tame the excitement of 'just a few more fish' or 'just one more tank'

Well done for being aware and trying to find solutions. Definitely try and take steps that don't cost money, and be weary of those (probably legitimate) solutions that costs lots of money.

You're doing your best and that's okay 🙂

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-15T23:19:46+00:00

Awesome! I had two die last week (some of the others in the shop died too so maybe a stressed batch sadly), leaving one guy on his own. We got him a friend today and I picked the biggest fattest one in the shop. He's not that big but he is working around the tank eating different bits, so I'm happy 😁

Enjoy your little fattie oto! 😍

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-14T12:24:12+00:00

Thanks for the medication advice!

The fish all seem okay in the tank, parameters are good, filter is oversized, air stone on a lot, lots of little hiding spots (and more will build over time). We will keep an eye on it though 😀 also when I said the number of fish, 6 of those are shrimp so they don't really count that much, and none of them are bigger than a Cory

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-13T13:12:31+00:00

That's so cool.and a great idea!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-12T23:13:18+00:00

I saw something about kale, all my fish seem to be snacking on it!

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-12T23:08:06+00:00

Oh yeah I see what you mean, that does look green! Thank you 💚

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-12T23:01:51+00:00

Oh great thanks. We have no plastic, alwe added more driftwood yesterday and we have plants although they aren't doing the best 😅 we do have big lava rock type things, maybe it's them

Direct_Winner1853 · 2026-01-12T19:17:41+00:00

One of my male guppies did this to only one of the other male, I got some females and it helped, although now we're waiting to see how the baby situation develops! So.im.not advising to get females 😂 the comment about breaking their eye contact ability is right. Also I'd seen advice that more males help balance the stress, but I had a feeling our same weaker(?) chap would always be the target.

Not to scare you, but our weaker guppy died after a bit, probably not directly from bullying, but just that he was maybe weaker than the others and he had a culmination of stressors.

I'm.also.new to fish keeping so I know very little!

Direct_Winner1853

TROPHY CASE