# Baby Otocinclus!!



## bridgey_c (19 Aug 2013)

I've just spotted three of these little beauties on the front glass. I have seen them get to this size once before  (about 3mm) but I have never seen them grow to being adults. Has anyone ever bred them? should I be giving them any type of special food? I imagined they would easily survive on the natural algae and the odd bit of pea, cucumber or algae wafer I occasionally drop in but I might be wrong.


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## BigTom (19 Aug 2013)

Lovely. As long as the tank is reasonably mature with a bit of biofilm I'd guess feeding shouldn't be an issue. I think predation is likely to be the major problem if there's anything else in the tank.


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## bridgey_c (19 Aug 2013)

The only fish in there are some of the dwarf rasboras so Im pretty sure they wont take them. Cherry shrimp and the odd assassin snail are the only other inhabitants so I had sort of ruled out predation. I hardly ever feed the adult oto's as the tank is mature and they are never skinny. I'll keep you all updated...

edit: Ive just found eight in total now. I had been doing a trim of the HC so I guess I must have flushed them out


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## dw1305 (19 Aug 2013)

Hi all,
You really need to put some food in for them. Cucumber or Courgette are ideal, as you can stud the slices with spirulina pellets etc. You may need to let the vegetables get fairly soft and slimy before the fish are interested in them.

They also browse on dead leaves, so something like Oak or Indian Almond leaves would help.

cheers Darrel


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## mafoo (19 Aug 2013)

I've seen people who've breed them before recommend boiled courgettes.


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## bridgey_c (19 Aug 2013)

thanks Darrel and mafoo

I've just studded a slice of cucumber with some of the adult oto's algae wafers and dropped it in. I blanched the cucumber for a minute in boiling water but im not sure if thats necessary or not. I've got a box of dried oak leaves somewhere too so I will drop a couple of those in as well. Ive got some spirulina powder for a brine shrimp grow out I was planning so I will have a bash at making my own wafers of pure spirulina and see if they are any improvement on the pre-bought wafers.


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## Fern (19 Aug 2013)

Oh lovely, I have 6 otto's, I love these little guys!
I put in courgette for them, blanched for a few mins, in fact all my fish seem to have a munch on it, Pencil's & Cory's especially.
The spirulina pellets that were mentioned, all I can find is flake locally to me, would the tab's I can get from a health food shop be ok? and if so, how many per courgette?


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## dw1305 (19 Aug 2013)

Hi all,


Fern said:


> would the tab's I can get from a health food shop be ok? and if so, how many per courgette?


I'm sure they would, any sort of algae pellet would do, it is just to make sure that they get some extra nutrition as cucumber is 99% water. Try "TA Aquaculture" for food, I'd recommend them.

I usually just put some pellets on a plate, and then press the cucumber/courgette slice onto them. Once the fish are used to the vegetables (I fasten them with an elastic band  to a bamboo cane wedged under the strengthening bar, & always in the same place in the tank) I add blanched green beans, boiled carrot, raw red pepper and very occasionally a prawn to the cucumber/courgette. I don't blanch any of the softer vegetables, and I put a few boiled peas (skin off) most weeks as well.

Even if the _Otocinclus_ don't eat them, it gives the shrimps a bit of variety.

cheers Darrel


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## Brian Murphy (19 Aug 2013)

Cool .... I've yet to have otto's in my tanks but they are No.1 on my list when my new tank is up and running.  Hope the little guys survive, how do you sex them?


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## Michael W (19 Aug 2013)

Hi all,

www.otocinclus.com -  Home of the Dwarf Suckermouth Catfishes
this is a pretty good site for Otocinclus breeding and care info, its well worth a look.


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## dw1305 (19 Aug 2013)

Hi all,


Murf said:


> how do you sex them?


Just like _Corydoras, _the females are a lot "plumper", it is most noticeable when they are on the glass.The main problem is trying to get the several of the same species, as a lot of look very similar to us, but not to the fish, which aren't as easily fooled.

I've got some newer small ones and I often see 2 of them following the largest one and nudging "her" in the T position, but so far she has just ignored them. They aren't often spawned successfully.


Michael W said:


> this is a pretty good site for Otocinclus breeding and care info, its well worth a look.


It is, there are also a few threads on "PlanetCatfish" <View topic - Otocinclus Breeding>.

cheers Darrel


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## bridgey_c (19 Aug 2013)

that last thread is a good read Darrel, I finally got through the 26 pages! I hope my wrigglers can last long enough to find a taste for the cucumber.

Im having a few problems with my colour profile at the moment so the colours in this photo will be slightly off but any chance of an ID of mama oto?





The genus Otocinclus

maybe the tail of an O.vittatus?


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## dw1305 (19 Aug 2013)

Hi all,


bridgey_c said:


> maybe the tail of an O.vittatus?


Does look a possible ID. You could try posting it on PC, and see if they have any other ideas.

cheers Darrel


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## bridgey_c (1 Oct 2013)

My apologies for shoddy images but I decided not to clean any glass whilst the baby otto's were happy munching on it.

Anyway here is a shot of the eldest of the babies, about a month old I reckon and about half the size of mum and dad, about 7mm, gorgeous little thing!

The shot below is of two younger ones, the small one is no more than a week old and the larger one about two weeks. I have got at least 20 wrigglers flying around the tank and mum and dad are at it non stop with more additions every couple of days. I will have loads of ottos spare in a month or two available to good homes if anyone is in the southport area


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## Alastair (1 Oct 2013)

Congratulations. .... bet your well chuffed. 
Id be interested in a fair few when old enough

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


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## Lindy (1 Oct 2013)

If you would consider posting I was thinking about getting some for my 54l crs tank.


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## bridgey_c (1 Oct 2013)

Yeah I will keep you both posted, prob be a month or two to see how many reach a decent size. I have never received or sent fish by post so nearer the time I might need some pointers. At least I know they will be happy in your tanks!

The baby in the first pic looks a decent size but he is actually still tiny.

From just two parents it is a bit of a fluke.


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## bridgey_c (1 Oct 2013)

The baby in pic 1 and mum


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## Alastair (1 Oct 2013)

bridgey_c said:


> Yeah I will keep you both posted, prob be a month or two to see how many reach a decent size. I have never received or sent fish by post so nearer the time I might need some pointers. At least I know they will be happy in your tanks!
> 
> The baby in the first pic looks a decent size but he is actually still tiny.
> 
> From just two parents it is a bit of a fluke.



Perfect thank you  

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2


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## Anthony89 (4 Oct 2013)

thats great! ive always struggled to keep ottos alive.


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