Otocinclus Catfish, Otto Cat

[Mugwump]

Otocinclus Catfish, Otto Cat

The Otocinclus Catfish is a great addition to a peaceful planted tank and a small school of them can form a great algae cleanup crew. Otocinclus Catfish like to hang out under and on plant leaves as well as sucking on the tank glass. However, Otocinclus Catfish can be a little reclusive at times and providing places to hide will help make them feel secure. Because they can be quite shy it's a good idea to avoid keeping them with overly aggressive tank mates or other fish large enough to eat them.

Otto cats are primarily herbivores so you will need to supplement the Otocinclus diet with algae wafers if you think they may not be getting enough algae to eat. Some hobbyists have difficulty in keeping them and it may stem from the tank not having enough algae present for grazing, improper acclimation, lack of hiding places, high nitrates and low oxygen levels. Stay on top of your water changes to prevent nitrates from getting out of hand and provide plenty of surface agitation (air stones or powerheads) for gas exchange. For even better results, add your new Otocinclus to an established tank that has already completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle.

Ideally, you should quarantine your Otocinclus Catfish before introducing them to your main tank so that you can monitor them for disease and also provide them with optimal water conditions and no competition from other tank mates for fish food. They may be stressed from transport when you buy them from your pet shop and quarantining them will help settle them down.

Otocinclus Catfish Picture

 

Otocinclus Catfish, Otto Cat Profile Facts and Care Information
Scientific Name : Otocinclus vestitus

Common Names : Otto, Oto Cat, Dwarf Sucking Catfish, Midget Sucker Fish

Otocinclus Care Level : Easy but needs to be slowly acclimated and you must keep them in optimum water conditions by performing frequent partial water changes. Only add them to tanks that have completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle.

Size : Up to 2 inches (5 cm)

pH : 6 - 7.5

Temperature : 70?F - 78?F (21?C - 26?C)

Water Hardness : 6? to 15? dH

Lifespan : 3 - 5 years

Origin / Habitat : South America

Otocinclus Catfish Temperament / Behavior : This is a very peaceful catfish and does well when kept in small schools.

Otocinclus Catfish Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : They can be difficult to breed in the home aquarium. They will lay eggs on plant leaves.

Tank Size : 20 gallon or larger.

Otocinclus Catfish Compatible Tank Mates : Many, given their peaceful nature. Avoid keeping with fish large enough to eat them and fish that are overly aggressive.

Otocinclus Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Quarantine all new fish before adding them to your aquarium!

Diet / Fish Food : Herbivores, you may need to supplement their diet with algae wafers.

Tank Region : Mostly middle to top.

Gender : The male is usually smaller than a female of the same age.

Similar Species : Catfish

Fish Lore Forum : Otocinclus Catfish Forum
from..............

http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_otocinclus.htm

[BallAquatics]

Here's a link to the 'draft ' that Gary MacDonald put together while working on his article that was published in TFH.  It has some very good info, but some of it is now out-dated, and some of it I don't agree with, (mainly the stocking).

http://forums.tfhmagazine.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=13374

Here's a link to the journal of a fellow named James from Virginia that regularly spawns his Otos.  Lots of good info here as well.

http://forums.tfhmagazine.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=27209

Dennis

[PaulineMi]

Thanks guys.

Dennis the journal by James has some truly awesome videos and pictures!  The spawning otos video was captivating as was the one with the fry eating the zucchini.

[Mugwump]

Nice post, Dennis....some super nice vids too.....

[BallAquatics]

There is so much negative stuff on the WEB about Otocinclus that's it's time they were shown in a more positive light.  They are such fun unique little fish...  I guess I really got hooked on them when I kept dwarf shrimp.  It's hard to find fish compatabile with shrimp and Otos fit the bill perfectly.

They are probably not a good fish to recommend to beginners, but with just a bit of TLC they do very well for me.  I keep mine in unheated tanks that at times during the winter get a bit chilly.  By the same token, the tanks get into the mid 80's in the warmest summer months.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the links, maybe it's time to get you some Otos...   

Dennis

[PaulineMi]

I picked up nine otos today.  They were sold out at Petsmart so I got them from my LFS.  Paid waaaaaay more for them but they look very healthy.  Fat little guys and very active. I should have asked if they were tank bred because they look pretty young. Could that be the case? I've always thought of them as being wild caught.

Now for the real test.  Can I get them through the QT period? 

Here's our set up:

5 gallon tank at 76 degrees
Small HOB filter
Anubias with some diatoms on the leaves, a floating stem of pennywort, small piece of driftwood and some scattered pieces of gravel from their original tank
No light on the tank, only ambient light while they get acclimated
Gave them a small piece of Repashy Soilent Green and a small chip of an algae disk

Any suggestions?  Should I add an airstone?  I don't have a sponge filter small enough to fit in the tank.

[BallAquatics]

Sounds like you should be in great shape!  If they are fat and healthy looking, you're already way ahead of the game.  They should love that anubias plant with the diatoms.  If you're able, you might switch it out for another when they get it all cleaned up.  I like to have some plants that need attention when I get a new batch of Otos, but it doesn't always work out that way.

I lost one of mine over night and have another that isn't just right, but the other 10 are doing great, (knocks on wood).  These guys had just come in at Petsmart as they get their weekly shipment on Friday.  I used to wait for the initial die-off, but have found I have better luck getting them when they first come in.  Petsmart has a 14 day guarantee, so I just freeze any losses and take them in later for replacements.

Dennis

[Jdmcfast]

I picked up 15 more ottos last weekend too and so far they are all doing good in QT. you can't beat $1 a piece for these gentle super cleaners. It seems if they make it through the first month or so you are home free. I believe I read somewhere that a lot of that is due to using cyanide in some way to collect them from the wild, doesn't sound good for anything in those waters!

[Jdmcfast]

Well so far I've lost 4 of the 15 & they don't have any more in stock:-[

[Mugwump]

That's too bad, good luck with the rest..

[BallAquatics]

The fish lady here at the local Petsmart said the sale runs until Feb 4.  My store gets in a new batch almost every Friday.  With a bit of luck your store will have more before the sale is over.

Dennis

[Jdmcfast]

Ya I hope so but the 2 shipments haven't had any:-[

[BallAquatics]

Ya I hope so but the 2 shipments haven't had any:-[

Makes you wonder why these places spend money on advertising when they don't have the goods to sell you when you get there!!!  I just saw the TV ad again this morning...

Dennis

[Mugwump]

Ya I hope so but the 2 shipments haven't had any:-[

Ask the manager why they weren't on the manifest......they should be....if not, tell him/her that'll you'll be expecting them on the next trip there....

[Jdmcfast]

They get their fish in today so I'll call tomorrow and see if they got them in