# Captive Bred Otocinclus



## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

I would like to start probably a 12 gallon long otocinclus biotope. Or if not truly a biotope, certainly a species-only tank. They have long been my favorite fish and I want to feature a group of them rather than making them just members of my cleanup crew. I've heard all the horror stories of both how they are captured by poisoning and then not properly fed at pet stores...I would love to forgo all that both for ethical and practical reasons. I want healthy fish that will thrive. I know this was a rare thing last time I was looking, but is anyone currently breeding otocinclus?


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I heard of people accidentally bred these. A species only tank is best. Mine had always die from starvation in a community tank. I think the soylent green repayshi gel food is best or you can make something similar.


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## Tsin21 (Oct 12, 2017)

You can check out planetcatfish to see which species are reported to breed in captivity. I've read somewhere that they spawn similarly to corydoras.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

I have kept them successfully in a understocked community tank that had lots of algae mostly because I was new to planted tanks and had too many nutrients and lights on way too long. So I plan to encourage algae but on purpose this time lol

I will definitely get the Replashy Soylent Green and may also see if they like some of the plant-based sinking foods I currently feed my RCS. http://www.theshrimptank.com/foods/csf-edgeomni-pro/

I would love to see them school but unfortunately I don't think I really have room to keep more than 6 at the moment. The tank I want to get turned out to be 9.1 gallons, 24 inches long. Suppose I could go with a 20 gallon tall to hit that same footprint (the place I want to put it is 24 inches long) but I really prefer the look of a more shallow tank. long.https://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMax...0_Gallons-AquaMaxx-UJ94554-FIAQNCNTUT-vi.html

Maybe if no one is selling captive bred I can try my hand at breeding them myself in the future...


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

I suppose I could live with this dimension and have a larger school so they would exhibit more natural behavior. It looks cuter being rimless lol. I know that sounds needlessly superficial but our home is small and I play tricks with mirrors and glass tabletops as it is to make things appear a little more open than they really are. Ever little bit counts to make things not so claustrophobic

https://www.marinedepot.com/Innovat...ive_Marine-0I05505-FIAQNCNTTT-0I05512-vi.html


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I had 6 or 7 in a 75G once. They didn't school around. They were pretty lazy.
I had a few zebra oto, ocama, they were pretty active and school well.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Well exactlty, that's why I want more like 10 or 12. Someday I would love a ginormous tank full of itty bitty fishes like this but alas, not today.






I did get a 15 gallon long, derimmed it and it's sitting outside on my porch waiting for the driftwood to sink and me to be assured that it's not going collapse all over my living room &#128578; Planting and cycling soon, I'll prolly start a new thread when I get it going


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

nice. Where would you go to buy 200 otos lol... Straight from a whole seller I suppose.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Lol right? It does make me wonder in what kind of quantities fish are bred in? Like are they massive tanks like this or smaller more controlled environments?Prolly depends on the fish I suppose...


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

I think Otos are still wild caught. A lot of the ornamental colorful fish are farmed in outdoor ponds. A few are in controlled environments like discus.


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