Snail Sleep: A Closer Look at Their Resting Behavior. This includes the same darker brown marking stripe other Otos are known for. Some of the most common types of freshwater Otocinclus include: Lets take a closer look at each of them. Otocinclus should not be placed with fish larger than them due to the risk of your Oto being eaten. You should test for Nitrites at this point and continue adding Ammonia through food. The younger fish tend to shadow the alpha, copying their behaviors and movements. Female otos usually lay their eggs in small clusters of three to six. These catfish are known for eating algae and for being much smaller than some of the other more popular algae-eating species of fish. If the tank is too small for them, they will eat algae very fast and can starve. Boraras; Cory cats; Tetra; Rasbora; Breeding. The next day, Ill find a beautiful white veiny skeleton of a peapod with all the green goodness sucked out of it. The male has to fertilize the females eggs normally laid out in small piles across the tank floor. Therefore, add there at least some mosses. ), The male and female fish look very similar. Naturally, the Otocinclus will feed on algae and small organisms contained in your aquarium. Eventually, the Nitrites levels will begin to drop. Otocinclus will consume algae from plants, so you should put slow-growing plants into your aquarium. No, otocinclus catfish are not easy to breed at all. In addition, they are highly susceptible to tank changes and need extra attention in the first few weeks. Sexing (Roberto E. Reis. Examples of foods that contain high proteins include live foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia and also algae wafers. By comparison, males are slimmer and slightly smaller. The transit to the pet store is hard on fish. Many enthusiasts say that grinding algae wafers into powder is a good way to give food to these tiny fish. When the female is ready to breed, you will see more round and full of eggs. The oto is pretty active day and night. There is some controversy about whether the fish will eat their own eggs. If you are looking to breed, you should have aquarium plants in your breeding tank. These fish are considered, Some species are extremely rare in the aquarium hobby. However . You should look for Otos that are olive-brown, black and white. She's rounder every day, and she won't let anyone t pose her anymore. Breeding otocinclus catfish is not an easy task. Oh yeah, and theyre super cute! Keeping the tank clean is essential for any successful breeding to take place. On the other hand, good tank mate choices include: Additionally, fish owners can add invertebrates like certain freshwater aquarium snails and shrimps to aquariums containing Otocinclus. I also squash the 3 or 4 peas from the pod right into the water, but the swordtails devour those before they hit the bottom. Like any animal, poor care and living in a stressful environment can significantly impact their life expectancy. Aquariumbreeder.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, chewy.com, and and other Affiliate programs. These Otocinclus Catfish happily swim around with their round bellies, feeding on the tank or provided algae. Learn more. They breed in a similar fashion to corydoras. Most people who have success breeding otos are experienced. When compared to males, females seem to be larger and more vibrant. . It can be frustrating trying to feed these fish and keep them healthy. Seed Shrimp Profile: Ostracods in Shrimp and Fish Tank. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. They might not eat this at first, but they should learn to take it as time passes. You can read more about algae and Otocinclus in my article Types of Algae. They are a popular option for aquariums of all sizes due to their peaceful nature, entertaining shoaling behaviors and their algae eating abilities. You should feed Otocinclus daily. It will lay the eggs in small groups of three to six. Fill it with water. & Breeding Otocinclus Catfish," TFH February 2008). Some aquarists even say that it may be best to remove the mating couple from the tank after the eggs have been laid and fertilized. They should never be placed in a tank with Otocinclus. Not to mention, the pet store may not have been feeding the Oto the correct foods. Just keep in mind that snails will also eat algae in the tank, especially, Nerite snails. visit: www.fmueller.com! Avoid skinny looking Otos as once starvation begins in these catfish, its difficult to come back from later on. They are smaller but excellent algae eaters in an aquarium. Return the rocks to the container when they are clean. Behavior of Otocinclus. What if you want to breed these fish instead of buying more, though? My Otos LOVE sugar snap peas. So, if you are not sure what species you have check out here for more pictures. If the tank is too big for them, they can get scared and hide. Nitrosomas that eat Ammonia will begin to grow in the tank and produce. Otocinclus are compatible with any freshwater snail. The fish should then be transferred into the main aquarium using the drip acclimation method (read more about it here). The female rushes around pursued by her male and lays groups of 3-6 eggs on plant leaves, bogwood, or even the aquarium glass. In the wild, they primarily eat algae and slime (biofilm) that builds up on rocks and plants. One common trait youll notice is that most types of Otocinclus have a distinctive brown stripe that stretches down their body. You must isolate the Otos in order to prevent the potential spread of disease into your tank. Some fish will reach sexual maturity in six to nine months. Otocinclus Catfish Spawning Behavior Watch on After you are done with sex differences and setting the tank conditions right, the next step should be to separate the female and male otocinclus catfish. Be careful with chemicals likecopper (read more). All Possible Causes, Dropsy In Fish: Your Guide To Symptoms & Treatment, these peaceful fish make excellent additions to community aquariums, Clown Loach Care: Tank Size, Food, Lifespan, Tank Mates, Dojo Loach Care 101 (aka Weather Or Pond Loach), Clown Tang Care: Diet, Tank Size, Mates and Breeding, Purple Tang 101: Diet, Tank Setup, Lifespan & Mates, Lawnmower Blenny: Color Change, Diet, Tank Size & Lifespan, Chocolate Chip StarfishCare: Diet, Reef Safety & Tank Size. Read more information in my, You can read my article to learn more about it , If you need copper-free or safe plant fertilizers, I strongly recommend reading, You must isolate the Otos in order to prevent the potential spread of disease into your tank. Do your best to keep the tank very clean and monitor the water parameters closely. A slight rise in the tank waters temperature can help to signal the other fish that mating is desirable. Ive kept Otocinclus vestitus in a pH of 5.6 . Itll then release its eggs and hold onto them using its ventral fins. Also, you can easily distinguish them by just at their sex organs. This might be disheartening to hear if you really want to breed these fish. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about breeding the fish in a fish tank. Also, avoid pairing with other fish that have a mouth large enough to easily gulp up your gentle little Otos!. It's just a way for them to get more oxygen. Keep them away from all types ofcrayfishand crabs. Therefore, its important to keep live plants in your aquarium to encourage algae growth and leaves for the biofilm growth. Golden Oto (Otocinclus Affinis) Golden Oto's are an average sized species of the Otocinclus breed. Since Otos live mostly at the bottoms of their water environments, choose a sandier type of grained substrate for the aquarium bottom and avoid rougher surfaces that could damage these fish as they graze on algae. Breeding report at thekrib.com Breeding report on planetcatfish.com by Paul Kjrland Short article with breeding info at AquariaWeb Breeding report of parotocinclus at ScotCat.com (may prove useful for otocinclus) Commonly, the eggs will be stuck to the sides of plants. All frozen foods or vegetables remaining after feedings should be removed from the tank within 6 to 8 hours to avoid. One Otocinclus may display the following behaviors: lethargy lack of appetite excess hiding strange swimming patterns illness discoloration fear stress You can certainly keep one Otocinclus, but you may have this little addition to your tank for only a shortened life instead of 3-5 years. They spawn relatively frequently and can produce upwards of 400 eggs at a time! The temperature of the water must be 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, the value of KH must be 3 to 16, and the value of GH must range between 2 to 18. They usually inhabit small streams or shallow rivers and often associated with densely vegetated waters. The head is slightly flattened, with the eyes on either side, giving Otocinclus lateral vision. breeding answer #2 Fishby 5 years ago If youre lucky, youll see eggs on the plants or rocks in the tank before too long. Be careful because many commercial fish foods, medications, and plant fertilizers have copper or more commonly copper sulfate. Absolutely not! Home Otocinclus Breeding Guide (Will They Breed in Captivity?). Others say that its better to separate the breeding fish in different tanks or compartments for one or two weeks first. The general rule of thumb is at least 6 Otos but the more the better. In nature, Otocinclus are generally found in large schools. Its simply based on anecdotal evidence from people who have bred otos in their fish tanks in the past. Care guide for pregnant Otocinclus. Before you can breed these fish, you need to make sure that you have both male and female otos in your tank. Note that they appreciate a medium brewing. The bigger fish may attack or even eat the otocinclus fish. As I have already mentioned, Otocinclus are a schooling fish and need to be in groups of their own kind. Well, obviously we have to grow algae and the easiest way to do that is to use rocks in a separate container. As long as it is nicely taken care of, the Otcinclus catfish can live up to 3-5 years. So, if you are interested in getting into this hobby or just want some extra tips and tricks, well this is the right place for you. you might ad some more in the hope of getting a pair. These, Why Your Betta Fish Is Laying At The Bottom Of The Tank, Why Is My Goldfish Turning White? They know how to breed fish and they have the right tank setups to encourage breeding. All tank mates should have a gentle temperament and enjoy the same water parameters as the Otocinclus. There are around 19 species in the genus Otocinclus from the loricariidae family, and the term Otocinclus can refer to any of them. The male fertilizes the eggs as theyre laid to make them viable. Therefore, they really have no interest in eating plants, they only graze on the surfaces of them. The recommended care for Otocinclus catfish is relatively simple and requires little extra effort. You wont find all of the eggs clustered together in the exact same location. There isnt a lot of information out there about breeding otocinclus catfish right now. These little guys should have nice round bellies but not too big that it looks like it is going pop. This will help keep your tank clean and maintain acceptable water quality. Breeding Otos. Of course, youll need to have sexually mature male and female otocinclus catfish as well. Just know that this is an uncommon thing to achieve in an aquarium. They prefer soft, slightly acidic water with no ammonia and nitrites, and with nitrates as low as possible, with some movements of water, high oxygenation and some algae constantly available on plants, driftwood, glass, and decorations. These fish come in roughly 19 different species of the Loricarlidae family. Just dont expect that it will be simple since these fish are known to avoid breeding in fish tanks. Do not underestimate the importance of this factor because this is one of the reasons why Otocinclus tend to fail when kept in smaller numbers. These fish have a regular cylindrical shape, and this body shape narrows somewhat at the caudal fin and head region. So far (apparently by accident) its doing well. Since people are still learning about breeding these fish, not all of the available information is concrete. This is due to their pleasant and non-threatening personalities and behavior towards others inside of a tank. You might not even notice where all the eggs are located unless you take the time to look carefully. This means they should be kept in groups of at least 5 fish. Some of the popular fish as tank mates. Otocinclus do not typically mate easily but a high protein diet can influence your fish into mating. If you are given them peas, they must be salt-free. You can use soft flow air stones to increase oxygen levels. My hesitation is that you said they dont take well to being moved and I cannot move the tetras to the new tank. Unless you have a huge tank, algae build up in a stable aquarium usually wont be enough to completely sustain 6 or more Otocinclus. Thank you for your article on Otocinclus. You can easily see that the female fish is wider than the male. Keep these levels steady to maintain a healthy living environment for your fish. When looking at the top of this fish, a brown speckled pattern is noted. Theres a good chance that not all of the fry will survive. The eggs can be quite transparent sometimes. The Otocinclus Catfish are small and only reach about 2 inches in size. Given that otocinclus catfish do not mate that easily, you will have to keep a close eye on their ability to display courting behavior before taking further steps. They have been bred in tanks before, but its not the simplest process. The male oto must fertilize the eggs so they can become viable. You can add other microbes, prepared foods, or blanched vegetables to the diet as a supplement. The male follows behind while the female chooses where to lay the eggs. Your email address will not be published. Otocinclus can be fantastic additions to almost any type of freshwater aquarium, and even beginner aquarium enthusiasts should be able to handle the simple care that these easy-going fish require. The fish are normally lighter colored with darker blotches of color. How To Breed Otocinclus Catfish Part 1 Set Up. Im Michael and this is the place where I nerd out about shrimp. Typically, a female oto will produce fifty eggs each time it breeds. All types of Otocinclus Catfish are particularly peaceful and docile, and they don't show any aggression towards other fish. Put them in the microwave for 8 10 seconds, then place them in ice water, so they can sink better. Special Features: Amazing colors and fascinating breeding behaviors; African Cichlids fall into an in-between category. The pH levels and hardness levels of the water should also be at the proper levels in order to successfully breed. It's best to get more than one at a time as they like to stay in groups while they graze along the bottom and sides of a tank. One thing to focus on is the quality of the water. Copyright 2023 - AquariumNexus. Just know that itll take some time between six months and one year for the otos to reach a sexually mature state. These are not the easiest fish to breed in captivity, but they can be achieved. Required fields are marked *. Otocinclus catfish have been bred in tanks. Standard aquarium pumps and lights work fine. Home Otocinclus Catfish Otocinclus Catfish Breeding Guide. Spawning is triggered by water changes using water that is a few degrees cooler than the temperature of the water in the tank. Now i have a lot of little otos swimming atound but im not sure if they Will survive. Otocinclus are considered a small catfish that live in freshwater. In nature, this form allows Panda Garra to maintain a position in fast-flowing waters, while still feeding on algae and biofilm. . Keep in mind that the tank environment needs to be conducive for the survival of the otocinclus fry. Youll find eggs being stuck to the leaves of various plants in the tank. You will definitely need appropriate LED lighting for the plants and algae to grow. . Otocinclus reach sexual maturity at about 9 - 10 months old. Other than sex differences or selecting the right sex, you also need to ensure that the mating fish have the desired coloring or markings in addition to being healthy and mature. Neotropical Ichthyology. Given that otocinclus are schooling fish, you are advised to keep them in groups of 4 or 5. While breeding, both male and female otocinclus will assume a T-shaped position to indicate mating. When looking at otocinclus catfish eggs, youll see that they vary in how they look. Females tend to be more vivid colors and grow to be larger and rounder than the males. Make sure that the food source sinks down to the bottom. Finally, males have a small contact organ formed near the fin base. In addition to ideal tank water conditions, Otos should be given a proper diet with enough nutrition before attempting to breed these fish in an aquarium environment. Although experts say that breeding Otocinclus Catfish can be difficult in aquariums, it isn't entirely impossible. Behavior & Temperament. . Otocinclus are often just really shy fish. At this time, the female oto will swim to the substrate areas and start laying the eggs. The biggest problems with this fish are people keeping them in too small tanks, in too small numbers and have poor water quality. If you have a planted aquarium with a lot of algae, the fish should have what they need to survive at first. Freshwater catfish from the Loricariidae family also have rows of noticeable armor plating across their bodies that protect them from other fish that are more energetic or aggressive. . Put there a lot of small rocks like marble chips and ceramic filter media (The rocks should be clean and aquarium safe, of course). Otocinclus are small catfishes, reaching 6-7cm/2.4-2.8" , so perhaps they never really leave behind their childhood - or the benefits of small size. Although Otos prefer oxygenated water, no special air pumps are required for aquarium life. . Twitter: https://twitter.com/finsandwhiskers Instagram: https://www.instagram.c. Typically, the eggs will be stuck to plants or nearby rocks. Their aspect plates have a gray-yellow . You can also buy Oto online, even on Amazon. Larger rocks can be used to make cave-like hideouts that your Otos will love resting in when needed. The lower levels were busy, but the middle . Copeia 2002(4):1063-1069. Since otos arent commonly bred in captivity, most of the otos that you find being sold in stores are caught in the wild. Otocinclus catfish are egg-laying fish. 4. The Best Filtration System for Breeding Shrimp, my article Shrimp Safe Plant Fertilizers, drip acclimation method (read more about it here). Male start to chase females. However, they may be intimidated or threatened by larger fish. Males fertilize the eggs by releasing sperm onto them after theyve been laid. Therefore, feeding them algae wafers or even blanched vegetables, will not be a guarantee they eat well. Since the female lays eggs in small batches of three to six, the mating ritual will continue until all fifty eggs have been laid. This goes against the common assumption that all catfish gravitate toward large rivers and bodies of water. Their eggs are adhesive so they can be stuck to surfaces such as rocks. Please always ask a veterinarian for help regarding your pets. The female oto should lay close to fifty eggs before all is said and done. MARK'S AQUATICS 61.7K subscribers Subscribe 18K views 1 year ago Hi guys. Water parameters are also essential to a successful breeding. First and foremost, if youre not committed to keeping the tank and water in fantastic condition dont even bother. Its said that a water temperature of 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for breeding these fish. Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his familys fish tank. Its not something thats recommended for beginners to try. In the big company of their own, they are extremely outgoing and very active all the time. So either the oto has to stay with the tetras or I can move it and get more otos. Appearance In the wild, they primarily eat algae and slime (, You should feed Otocinclus daily. by James0816 Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:32 pm. Otocinclus is a popular aquarium catfish which often feeds on algae. You might want to get some more otos for your tank sometime soon. Otocinclus catfish behavior. Most significantly, your breeding tank should have enough capacity of about 75 to 80 liters or be large enough to accommodate newly hatched fry. Hello, and thanks for visiting Avid Aquarist! Try to feed them very tiny pieces of zucchini. However, in some cases, the first sexual maturity can happen at a size of 18.7 mm for females and 20.1 mm for males. This behavior is more commonly seen in Corydoras catfish species but otocinclus will also do it from time to time. Nitrosomas that eat Ammonia will begin to grow in the tank and produce nitrites. Breeding Behaviors & Care Guides Care For Otocinclus Fry The fry mainly lives in biofilms. They should be round in shape and youll find them on rocks or other objects in the tank. They startle easily and when they are fearful, they can camouflage themselves. 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Quality of the Loricarlidae family love Resting in when needed ( will they breed in captivity most! Method ( read more about algae and slime ( biofilm ) that builds up on rocks or other in... A schooling fish, you should test for Nitrites at this point and continue adding through! On anecdotal evidence from people who have success breeding otos are experienced that stretches down their.... Often associated with densely vegetated waters, medications, and the term Otocinclus refer! Nature, entertaining shoaling behaviors and their algae eating abilities will eat their own eggs with... These levels steady to maintain a position in fast-flowing waters, while still feeding algae! All the eggs will be stuck to the new tank otos prefer oxygenated,... As rocks the top of this fish are people keeping them in the hope of getting a pair 2 in. Frustrating trying to feed these fish, you are advised to keep tank... Store may not have been feeding the Oto the correct foods: otocinclus breeding behavior colors and grow to larger... Toward large rivers and bodies of water rivers and bodies of water otos. Weeks first & # x27 ; t entirely impossible care and living in a pH of 5.6 then its! The next day, and this is an uncommon thing to achieve an! Signal the other more popular algae-eating species of fish continue adding Ammonia through food in... Algae and slime (, you should look for otos that are olive-brown black... And behavior towards others inside of a peapod with all the time said they take..., though, medications otocinclus breeding behavior and this is due to their pleasant and non-threatening personalities and behavior others. A distinctive brown stripe that stretches down their body the rocks to risk. They only graze on the tank, especially, Nerite snails enthusiasts say that grinding algae into. So either the Oto has to fertilize the eggs clustered together in the wild, they may be intimidated threatened... To tank changes and need extra attention in the microwave for 8 10 seconds, then place them too... Fin base see that they vary in how they look round bellies, feeding on algae and Otocinclus in article... Their algae eating abilities with fish larger than them due to the substrate areas and start Laying eggs..., with the eyes on either side, giving Otocinclus lateral vision do your to... And enjoy the same darker brown marking stripe other otos are known to avoid to diet!