An Honest Conversation About Otocinclus Fish

‎ Otocinclus catfish have the reputation of being very sensitive and hard to keep. Find out why as we show you how otos travel from the wild to your home and what you can do to bring them back to full health again.


WHO WE ARE
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At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to Aquarium Co-Op and check out our weekly videos.

Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.

0:00 - Intro
0:34 - Otocinclus Fish in the Wild
1:41 - Sorting Otocinclus Fish at the Exporter
3:17 - Otocinclus Fish Feeding
9:01 - How many Otocinclus Fish should you keep together?
9:30 - Keeping Otocinclus Fish in Your Aquarium
10:30 - Trick with Repashy Food
11:35 - Why Otocinclus might be more sensitive

#Aquariumcoop #Aquariumfish #Fishtank

[evita]

After half a year of having my group i saw my first baby otto yesterday! Seems like they're happy with me 🥳

[catfishcave]

My tips. (And I’ve had them live to 9 yrs old)
Lots of wood. Different types if possible.
Brown algae is your friend.
Almond leaves.
French cut green beans.
Small tankmates. They are the perfect shape to be eaten, and they lie in plain sight. Even a small Jurupari can eat them.
Sinking food.
Low 70s for temp (at least for the winter)

[elliottball]

As a shop owner, typically Otocinclus spp. come in looking rather skinny.
I always keep one of my QT tanks under the lights “dirty” growing plenty of algae and then I also add new pieces of vine wood to the tank pre their arrival which allows for all the lovely mulm and periphyton to grow all over it. Once they arrive they will feed on this as it’s “Natural” and once they’ve cleaned that up, you can start to ween them onto dried foods. Works a treat 👌🏼😁

[finsandwhiskers]

Hi Cory! I am a breeder of Otocinclus looking to make change in ending their journey of being wild caught! I have many resources in my videos, and we even brought one fry up to adult! I would love to have a conversation with you to change their future for the better.

[johannessordfarne]

Love this. Simple, clear, honest and true. You speak for the fish, and that is great. We can do better by them.

[mellywell]

They are definitely right up there with goldfish and bettas for the most abused/neglected fish in the hobby. Poor wee things.

[jawjagrrl]

Such a long time for such a small creature to go without food! I think most average knowledge fishkeepers assume that by this point any "common" fish they buy are captive bred unless otherwise marked - in fact there is an expectation of wild caught to be more exotic AND more expensive. Seeing these huge numbers of fish being pulled from the wild can also raise questions about over collecting, but videos like this can open up good discussion about a sensitive topic.

I used to think of Otos as good for small tanks, but not anymore. My nano tanks got shrimp and snails for cleanup knowing that the main source of cleaning is two legged and sans gills.

[galaxynovaa]

I knew fish were fasted, but I appreciate the way you take care of the fish and plants before you sell them. You really bridge the gap from wild to our tanks. Thank you!

[SlickNick]

Otocinclus are such great fish! I bought 4 a year and a half ago when I was newer in the hobby they went from my 5g to my 15g and now live in my 29g I set up a couple months ago. My Apisto Borellii shares his frozen brine shrimp with them. Also when I’m doing maintenance and water changes they stay grouped up and swim very tight together really neat to see.

[annapalmer]

I love that I can always trust you guys to give good, honest information. You advocate for the best practices in the hobby and as a self-taught fish keeper, it's invaluable!

[kellyduguay]

Thank you for making a real honest video! I had been on the "hunt" for a pair of ottos that started about a year ago, but after watching your video, was glad I didnt find them immediately. This summer I set up a quarantine tank, and worked on getting it ready for them, or maybe a couple more catfish (I only wanted full bellies) I was lucky enough to find a fat otto and a younger one and brought them home and they've been happily (?) grazing on the rock and java fern algae plus they love uncooked vegetables and shrimp pellets. Two weeks and into the main tank they'll go where algae is abundant. I wish I knew about the wood but hey now I know. Point is it's been 2 weeks, they're still alive and eating and I have you to thank ....so props to you Corey!

[setyahartade]

oh wow. i learn alot from this video. i kept group of oto before, and failed miserably. hearing that they are really sensitive about parameters, i deliberately keep them in stable tank to keep soft algae low. i was happy for a week and a half that my tank is spotless, and then they start to wither away.

[BigBadPibbul]

I absolutely love otos, I had my best luck with them when I was a kid and "neglected" my tank quite a bit more than I would now. My small pleco (never did figure out what he was but he stayed small) and my pair of otos outlived everything else that ever went into that tank, one oto died after about six years and the other had to have been in my tank close to ten years. I haven't had nearly as good of luck with them since, and I truly believe it all just boils down to a little maintenance neglect.

[justincarroll]

I really hope we can get these guys captive bred soon

[westfishtanks]

Going to start an aquarium maintenance business but instead I just throw 20 otto’s in the tank so that they get fed properly 😎 Leaving rocks in aquarium water outside and then putting them in the tank once they’re covered in algae is a classic tip on these guys!

[sixtdenied]

I have 3 in my 28 gallon planted tank. I love watching them chill out on the leaves. One of my favorite little fish.

[deansfishroom]

This is right on, 100%. Otos need good food sources, biofilm on wood or rocks, algae on just about anything, as well as supplemental foods. I feel the number on cause of death in a home aquarium is the lack of proper nutrition for them.

[lishar]

This explains so much! I bought 6 Oto’s a couple years ago for my 75 gallon and they all died within a month. Now I know why-no wood, no plants, minimal algae, bright light, high Ph. I’ve since rectified all that but have other algae eaters at the moment. This was great info!

[matthewdelacruz]

Great Video as always! I realized how much otos actually eat when I was ready with cycled ten gallon. All the glass/plants/decor were covered in diatom algae and the sorts. I went that day to grab 4 otos. Accilimated and dropped in and within 30 minutes my small pink flamingo was half clean. Within the hour it was fully clean. I go to sleep and overnight the entire glass front, back, left, right was completely cleaned. At that moment I realized that they need way more food and readily supplement them when I feed. They are such interesting creatures and I guess when they're happy they like to school with other fish for some reason.

[AquascapingCube]

Yes, I like Otocinclus so much. Such a funny fish :) I always try to make them as comfortable as possible.