Problems with java moss and otocinclus

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Matt724

Matt724

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 19, 2009
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Los Angeles, CA
Okay, I bought some Java moss, Java fern, and amazon sword at the LFS the other day and planted (tried) in my aquarium. I put the amazon in and that was not that bad, except for the roots not staying beneath the gravel. The Java fern I stuck in a whole through the rock. And the java moss was a mess. I opened the container it was stored into and it was just like a loose bundle of it. I tried taking clumps of it and sticking it in the ground, but it just got loose and floated around the tank and onto my filter. I tried weighing it down with rocks, but still, some parts are floating around and overall it just does not look good. :irked::cry:

I also bought an otocinclus to clean up some algae problem that I'm having, but so far it has barely moved, and it has not cleaned any of the algae in my tank. It's not dead, that's for sure, but I'm afraid it might soon.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated:D
 
java moss should be tied with string to wood or rocks. you cant root it in the gravel. as for the otto, who knows. whats your parameters like?
 
how long's it been setup? i was looking more along the lines of ammonia/nitrites/nitrate. my ottos never stop moving in my 55g. could be that the parameters are stressing him out
 
-if the roots are sticking out... thats fine they will take care of themselves or put some more gravel on them...
-thats what javamoss does.. its not a planted plant.. it will attach itself to driftwood/gravel/rocks but it takes a long time.. its a slow growing plant... you can use string or fishing line to tie it to stuff if you want to hold it in place
-otos dont eat green spot algae.. they will munch on biofilm (the film on glass that makes things look dull) and diatomes but they are very small and dont eat a whole lot.. also if you got it from a store theres a good chance it is use to eating "fish food" (wafers/uneaten flake) and so it dosent really grasp the whole "i eat algea" thing.. veggies are a good way to teach them to look for food.. either way even 50 of them wont do a whole heck of a lot for algea cleanup.. thats your job
 
How did you acclimate the oto to your tank? What are your water parameters? What is this ammonia alert you're talking about? I'd get API liquid test kit to get accurate results of your tank water. You bought the oto for the wrong reasons. If your algae problem is rampant, then something is wrong with your water conditions. You need to correct what is causing the rampant growth. If it is not rampant, leave it and settle with an algae scraper instead of relying on a fish to do the job.

Amazon sword: Dig through your substrate deeper and push the plant into it, then pull it gently above until the crown is exposed a bit. It should not be buried or the sword will simply rot and die.
 
yay!!!

let us know what you have find out
 
My otocinclus moved very little the first few days it was inmy tank. They seem diurnal, so it will be getting some algae at night as well.
 
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