I love otocinclus catfish but I'll be damned they are challenging to keep alive! They tend to only eat soft brown algae and once that's gone, they waste away and usually die from starvation or some other stress related disease. :(
I bought 6 last summer and now only 2 remain. All the ones that died died from starvation. They were all super active at first but when their food source became depleted, they wasted away.
That's why I wanted to try Repashy Gel Mix. I asked the guys at Aquariums West (Local fish store) what they fed their otocinclus and they said - Zucchini and Repashy.
So I did just that. I had some frozen zucchini (courgette) chunks in the freezer. I popped them in the microwave for about 2.5 minutes and then threw it in the tank. My kuhli loaches loved it. So did the otos...when they had a chance to even touch it. My siamese algae eater ate it too.
Then I tried the gel mix.
Mix 1 part dry mix to 3 parts boiling water. Stir and let it cool down. As the pungent green liquid cools, it becomes gel. It's basically like making jello mix...but the ingredients are fish food. Stinky. Bleh. But once made, you can keep in in the fridge for 2 weeks and a few months in the freezer.
I bought a large tin of it (the only size I could find) and I haven't even made a dent in it yet.
So the good news: otos liked it!
Bad news: so did all the other fish and shrimp!
I had mixed the gel mix in a small plastic container and sealed it. When I wanted to feed the fish, I cut out a small cube and toss it in the tank. When mixed CORRECTLY, the gel cube maintains its integrity for 24 hours and doesn't dissolve and pollute the water. Apparently this is to simulate "grazing behavior" and encourage fish to eat a bit, swim and play and come back to eat more...
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| Yeah, doesn't look that appetizing... |
Well...
Not my greedy piggies.
They just all kept pecking at the gel chunk until it was all gone.
Must be really yummy.
Cheers,
Chesmok
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