Beginner - New To Fish Keeping, Would Like Some Help And Advice :)

Hmm good question...
I would want some reassurance they will be well packaged and delivered relatively quickly.
You may wish to look for shrimp safe depending on future stocking plans.
Pest/snail free is something else to look out for (though this likely wont be fool proof anyway!) though you can also treat them yourself once they arrive.
Some sellers may state whether they have been grown emersed or emerged. Emersed is more robust for transport, emerged less robust but will adjust quicker once arrives (can be personal choice here but I personally prefer emersed).

Another good way to go is post a 'wanted' post for your plants on a planted tank forum. The people there will have offcuts they may be willing to give away for free... this way you know they've been looked after too.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head... I'll have a think later on too..

Oh an in vitro... you get a lot of very small plants with no risk of pests, disease etc etc. but they are more expensive.

Any particular reason you are ordering online?

Must dash!

I don't buy plants unless I've researched them first, then I go to Ebay and look for that particular plant. Because I have shrimps and nerite snails, I always look for the ones guaranteed shrimp safe. I don't mind if the plants have pest snails because I have them anyway.
My plants are all the kind that can be attached to decor, or used as floating plants so there are not many for me to choose from 



When the EU banned the import of apple snails, they were also going to ban the import of plants from areas where apple snails abound. They did see some sense, and changed the legislation to banning of the import of plants unless they had been treated with a snail killer. These chemicals also kill shrimps. Plants grown in the EU are exempt from treatment as apple snails are not endemic to the EU.
The trouble is that we can't know which plants on Ebay (or other sites) were imported into the EU and which were grown inside the EU, so looking for a shrimp safe plant is all we can do to avoid killing our shrimps.

After brexit, the UK will need to repeal any laws passed while we were EU members for them not to apply to us any longer, and I can't see any tropical fish related laws being repealed for decades, if ever. So we'll still need to look for shrimp safe plants if we have have any invertebrates in our tanks.

There are lots of reputable on-line sellers, though sometimes you have to pay a bit more for plants that are guaranteed "safe" (e.g. Tropica 1-2-Grow range).
There are other options for treating plants before introducing them to your tank, and if you have a look on https://www.ukaps.org/ you'll find various suggestions for dipping plants in things like potassium permanganate or sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solutions to deal with pest snails/eggs/etc.
Whatever you do with the plants, make sure that they are thoroughly rinsed prior to putting them into your tank. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with having them "quarantined" in a suitably sized container (sandwich box/jug/spare tank/anything) for a few days/weeks, as long as they have suitable light and nutrients, and it might be worth doing that if you are dipping/treating them. You'd be amazed at what I've put plants in when stripping down a tank for re-work. 

Don't feel too down about the oto, they are tricky to get settled, and poor treatment from capture to store can play a big part. they actually have a bacteria in their bellies which help them to digest their food. if they have gone too long without food, no matter how much they eat their bodies cannot process it. this may well have been the case here. try feeding them algae waters rather than catfish pellets which they should eat a bit more readily. catfish pellets are a bit protein rich for the otos.

the water sprite can be planted in the bottom to stop them floating if you want. what fertiliser did you use?

good job on the filter, sounds like your doing just fine 

One of the best trace element fertilisers (by which I mean it does not contain nitrogen, potassium of phosphorus, the macro nutrients) is Seachem Flourish comprehensive supplement for the planted aquarium. There are several Flourishes, but use only this one. It is missing just one of the micronutrients while other makes are missing more than one.


You can also grow your own algae. You just need a few rocks, a glass container full of water and a sunny window sill. Once algae has grown on the rocks out one in the tank. When it's been cleaned by the otos, put another in the tank and the cleaned one back in the container to grow some more algae.

So I lost another oto yesterday. I’m wondering if losing them so close means I’m doing something wrong? The harlequins seem quite content and I saw two of the otos just before I went to sleep yesterday but worried slightly. Or is they dying close just because now is when their bacteria start to have their problems?

Sorry to hear that you've lost another oto.
Unfortunately this is not uncommon.

Due to their diet these fish are more likely to survive in a more mature tank (>6months) that is heavily planted. This allows for lots of surfaces for biofilm & algae to grow. In a newer tank offering algae wafers doesn't always work, and sometimes it can take fish a while to even get used to algae wafers, and recognise them as food.

On top of that, as Matt has mentioned, they are wild caught, and undergo very stressful conditions during transport. A lot of the fish perish during transport, or very soon after arriving at the shop. Even those that survive may have damage that causes them to perish over the next few weeks. So many problems can occur before purchasing these fish that it is sometimes very difficult to tell if a fish that has survived in the shop is going to survive & thrive in a home tank. Sorry, I know it's not very comforting.

You've got your floating plants, which they will appreciate. Do you have a lamp that you could put close to the tank to encourage algae in an area? I know Sue has mentioned growing algae on rocks in a container on a windowsill, but this will take a while. A lamp or torch pointing at part of the tank will help to grow diatoms & algae on the glass more quickly. If at all possible, make sure the light is near some wood in the tank as well, as the otos will like munching on the biofilm. On top of that make sure that keep testing your water, and doing tank maintenance & water changes to make sure that the environment is as clean as possible (but don't wipe off any diatoms or algae).

Even with all of this, there is a possibility that you may face further losses. Your harlequins are generally considered to be more hardy than otos, and are probably all thoroughly enjoying themselves. Just do your best for your otos, and we'll try to help you with any issues. 

Otos don't eat every kind of algae, but they do eat some types. It may take them a while to realise that algae wafers are food. Something else I've seen recommended for otos is sushi nori, but apparently it makes quite a mess if left in too long 

Hard to tell from photo  (always hard to get good snaps of fish!), but he/she looks ok to me 

Hi Alostangel,

I'm not sure if the following article has been mentioned elsewhere in your thread but it is worth reading:

https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/keeping-otocinclus-catfish-in-the-aquarium/

JPC