My black widow tetras keep trying to eat my otos algae wafers. They look so dumb while they do it too 🤦🏻♀️ I’ve been trying to feed them their food first so they’re distracted while I put the wafers in but they just eat all their food and then go take the wafers after. My three little otos barely get to eat their treat before it’s snatched up by the tetras. Could this make the tetras sick? I’m worried they could choke too! It’s not like they’re starving either. I feed them every day and watch to make sure they all get some.
Posted by misstempt
1 Comment
Fish will actively go after any food that’s offered to them, and since your tetras hang around the middle part of the tank, they’re quick to go after the algae wafers once they’re finished with whatever you were trying to preoccupy them with (I assume flakes). This is not your fault at all; your black widows tend to be a little fast.
That said, a fish eating too much will often lead them to sickness or even death in a worst case scenario. Your fish will actually be significantly happier and healthier being fed about twice or once a week, a feeding regime that would kill most warm-blooded pets.
Now for your otos; otocinclus are excellent fish that are able to do so good of a job of cleaning the tank that feeding shouldn’t be that much of an issue. If you’re still worried, otos *love* vegetables, most notably blanched zucchini. A small piece of parboiled zucchini will be enough for your cleaners, and your tetras will probably show less interest in a vegetable slice.