Ideally, you should quarantine your fish 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. The first 24 hours are critical, then the first week, then the first month. I always add my algae wafers in a little plate they've got in the aquarium. If it is, then they're not alarmingly pale. Paleness in an oto is a sign of stress. They like extremely clean water. Tank Mates : Many, given their peaceful nature. if its a bristlenose catfish, it may have layed eggs, as they are very easy to breed in home aquariums. Their shape is streamlined and some say they resemble … Two days ago I noticed one of my catfish had a swollen belly. What do you think? … They may be stressed from transport when you buy them from your pet shop and quarantining them will help settle them down. This will increase their chances. The otocinclus catfish are easy prey due to their peaceful nature. I have 4 Oto catfish. The form of the body of the fish is just like a spindle. Now you know all the signs to look for when your guppy is pregnant. What tank mates are in the tank. The catfish comes in a variety of species about 3000, and the name “Catfish,” was because of their barbells that resemble a cat’s whiskers. Overview . They are small sucker-mouthed catfish. Privacy Policy | SiteMap | Aquarium Dictionary | Affiliate Disclosure | Contact Us, Salt and Pepper Cory (Corydoras habrosus). 5. Otocinclus or better known as oto is a type of small-sized catfish that can help you to keep your aquarium algae growth in check. Description of Otocinclus Catfish. It may be due to the cucumber. I don't give them fry food as they'll not find it and it'll just pollute the tank. There are 20 species of Otocinclus, but they share many things in common. Do remove it after 24 hours or so to avoid a nitrate spike from the vegetable rotting. Do not forget to seed your algae farm with some waste matter by rinsing the filter in it. Some people call these docile fish “dwarf suckers” or “otos” as appropriate nicknames for these fish and their outstanding algae eating abilities. I put all 4 in a separate 5 gallon tank away from my original aquarium (which had goldfish, who would eat their eggs). The Otocinclus Catfish has great qualities that can enhance any tank, but you should take caution when purchasing these fish from the store. They are really poor acclimators. I have 5 of them in a ten gallon along with a still very tiny pea puffer. If you don't do it, algae take ages to grow. They tend not to fight other fishes for food, mater or space. Sunken belly: it is imperative that they get a constant source of food. However, they can be a little reclusive at times and providing places to hide will help make them feel secure. They like to school. Maybe you meant to say brine shrimp? How to Purchase the Otocinclus Catfish While you always want to be sure you are buying healthy fish, it is especially important to look at the health status of an Otocinclus Catfish before … 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. Post pictures and I might be able to help. Catfish. i read somewhere that if your oto starts to spend a lot of time at the top of the tank its because the water quality is not good, they apparently do … Otocinclus Catfish have a sizeable fan base in the aquascaping world due to their insatiable appetite for algae, interesting features and mild temper. And tell me how do you tell if a Otocinclus Catfish is pregnant . I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen again- but if it does you definitely have to share!! Robert. After a couple of days, the eggs will disappear and you'll see some tiny wrigglers. She'll lay her eggs all around the tank, not in one big clump. They like to be left alone. When your jars are covered in algae, you can drop them in the tank. ... stick to otocinclus. You can use a syringe to slowly drip water water into their bag. Pregnant Otocinclus? Dang!! Southern Fried Catfish Recipe courtesy Paula Deen tutor: Paula's abode Cooking Episode: A barbecue 8 (5 to 6-ounce) catfish fillets, skin bumped off Salt Crab boil seasoning (suggested: previous Bay) 4 cups all-purpose flour a million cup cornmeal Oil, for frying warmth a fryer or a deep pot halfway crammed with oil to 350 stages F. Sprinkle the two factors of each and every catfish … It basically consists in gradually adding drops of your tank water to their bag (which is floating on top of the water to get them gradually used to the temperature of the tank) over about 2 hours or so. 3 years ago. So, I thought one of my Otos was just extremely fat, but I'm starting to think she is holding eggs. The stomach becomes gradually big as the eggs mature. Stress can be caused by many factors including: excessive tank disturbance by humans, aggressive tank mates, not enough hiding places, not enough other otos, water parameters, temperature, etc. If you still have them live and kicking after a month, then there's a good chance that the'll live to a ripe old oto age. Breeding : They can be difficult to breed in the home aquarium. I was reading online and found a few blogs about bloated catfish and giving them salt baths. An oto with a sunken belly may already be on the way out. They cannot be pregnant as they aren't livebearers. They eat algae and stick to the sides of the glass, but unlike plecos they won’t harm … Don't despair and keep trying (e.g. i saw some articles on breeding otos on planet catfish there are people that are breeding them there, Here's a article I wrote : BREEDING OTOCINCLUS, Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about them on AquariumAdvice.com, Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community. Updated August 5, 2019Author: Mike - FishLore AdminSocial Media: 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. I have Fat Oto's like that. I do add a frozen spinach leaf for something different (freeze the bag of baby spinach, then take one out and thaw a little and stick it in with a veggie clip to weigh it down... they LOVE it! My newly acquired zebra otocinclus is well on her way to a big belly too ... Oto Catfish. Member. Origin / Habitat : South America in well oxygenated, moderate or slow flowing water where this is plenty of algae to eat. So I have what I believe to be a very pregnant otocinclus. All it is is a clean fishbowl covered with a clear top (to let the light through on top as well), and you put a couple of (clean) glass jars in there to grow algae on. I clean once/twice a week. I'm worried about this one. Though mercury can harm a developing baby's brain, eating average amounts of seafood containing low levels of mercury during pregnancy hasn't been shown to cause problems. Things To Watch For: Paleness. These catfish are great for small 10 gallon aquariums, because adults rarely exceed 2 inches.The smallest species (Otocinclus tapirape) only grows to be an inch long.The largest species is Otocinclus flexilis, which reaches 2.2 inches.. Their body is a simple cylindrical shape which narrows towards the head and caudal fin. Temperament / Behavior : This is a very peaceful catfish and does well when kept in small schools. Lv 7. Otocinclus Catfish - Otto Cat. Pregnant neon tetras tend to have enlarged or swollen belly because … Only add them to tanks that have completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. They will lay eggs on plant leaves. Relevance. I recommend you quarantine them for 2 weeks. I'll try and get a picture soon, but thus far does anyone think she may be pregnant? If you want oto fry, you'll need to get rid of any fish in the tank that could potentially eat the eggs of course. The male will defend the eggs, which is really cute. These fish come in roughly 19 different species of the Loricarlidae family. macrospilus) – Group of 5 $ 14.99 One of the most popular aquarium algae eaters (and for good reason), the Oto Cat or Otocinclus is a small, schooling suckermouth catfish found … 2 Answers. To make sure your guppy is pregnant, you should check for the sign of pregnancy, as well as having a knowledge of illnesses that can cause a bloated belly to occur. Please ensure there is not a trace of ammonia or nitrite, and that your nitrates are really low. 8 years ago. Thanks! There are about 22 species of Otocinclus with some of the more commonly kept pictured in this article. So I know that Otos hardly ever breed in captivity, but my female has been getting a little rounder than usual lately. It could just be that she's loving the cucumbers I've been giving them for a Christmas treat, or that she's always looked this way and I only just noticed. They are smaller but excellent algae eaters in an aquarium. While pregnant women can get omega-3 fatty acids from many sources, most experts recommend eating seafood for this purpose. Pregnant Otocinclus? Only if it is in a well-conditioned water tank and with good feeding. Otocinclus. stay tiny and love algae. Otto cats are primarily herbivores so you will need to supplement their diet with algae wafers if you think they may not be getting enough algae to eat. Watch out for a spot. I don't mess with anything inside the tank aside from once/twice a week cleaning. With right conditions, the otocinclus catfish can live for 3-5 years tops. It's super important when you first get them that you drip acclimate them. I named her 'Froggy' because she looks like a fat frog & her belly will split soon. A lot of people report death within 24h of first noticing the discoloration. Some are not so good at locating their food, or identifying something as food. It could just be that she's loving the cucumbers I've been giving them for a Christmas treat, or that she's always looked this way and I only just noticed. Take a few at a time and put them into your Otto tank and rotate them every couple of days so your ottos have a continuous supply of algae. Just look at them under normal conditions (natural light) to see if their stripe is nicely visible. Updated August 5, 2019 Author: Mike - FishLore Admin Social Media: 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. This means that they dislike changes, a lot! (well, a while, a week or so I think). Recap. Krill is mostly used for larger species to increase coloration. I don't even know how to begin with them as fry so I was just shooting from the hip on what fry might eat based on the otos that I have been around (my 6, my moms 20, and my friends 3). It isnt impossible as 8 months back mine spawned. Use the criteria we discuss above to differentiate between the two genders. He just kinda stands watch around them. If your wrigglers make it past a week, you have a good chance that they'll survive. Recently I saw that one of them was pregnant (about 3 days ago). Stay on top of your water changes to prevent nitrates from getting out of hand and provide plenty of surface agitation (air stones or power heads) for gas exchange.