u/forest_in_tank

Otos survive some time in my tanks, but they never thrive. Over the years the numbers melted from 8 to 2.
They look okay, always a nice belly, my tank provides lots of plants, hardscape, flow, oxygenation, soft water. It‘s a 70x50x50cm tank with Neon Tetra, Black Neon and Apistogramma ortegai (+ babys).
I would love them to be more active and I‘d really love to just bring in some more otos to have a nice group again, but I‘m afraid that my tank setting is just not working for them.

Tank: 70x50x50 cm (Eheim ClearTank)
„Lower“ Tech: Heater, Oase StreamMax Classic.
No Filter, no CO2, no fertilizer (but some root tabs every then and now)

Light:
1xSuperfish Scaper LED RGB 74cm / 36W
2x 6500K Floodlights (10W)

Substrate: just sand
Hardscape: lots of different roots and stones
background: black filtermat (Attachment with magnets)

Plants: Java moss, Java fern, Anubias, Cryptocoryne spp., Vallisneria, Sagittaria subulata, Red Tiger Lotus […]
Emersed: mainly Monstera, Philodendron, Pilea […] -> secured by clamping behind the filter mat

Fish: 12 Black Neon, 13 Neon Tetra, 2 Otocinclus, 6 Apistogramma ortegai
Feeding: mainly frozen food
Water parameter:
pH ~ 7,0-7,5
GH ~5
KH ~ 5

Tank: 70x50x50 cm (Eheim ClearTank)

„Lower“ Tech: Heater, Oase StreamMax Classic.

No Filter, no CO2, no fertilizer (but some root tabs every then and now)

Light:

1xSuperfish Scaper LED RGB 74cm / 36W

2x 6500K Floodlights (10W)

Substrate: just sand

Hardscape: lots of different roots and stones

background: black filtermat (Attachment with magnets)

Plants: Java moss, Java fern, Anubias, Cryptocoryne spp., Vallisneria, […]

Emersed: mainly Monstera, Philodendron, Pilea […] -> secured by clamping behind the filter mat

Fish: 12 Black Neon, 13 Neon Tetra, 2 Otocinclus, 6 Apistogramma ortegai

Feeding: mainly frozen food