Otocinclus Catfish Care Guide

Otocinclus Catfish is a wonderful addition to any tank thanks to their gentle nature. These tiny Catfish are gentle and won’t attack any other fish in your tank. You can safely add numbers to your tank without risking shows of aggression with the Otocinclus Catfish.

Otocinclus Catfish

Otocinclus Catfish are a calm fish that loves to be with their friends. They are the perfect fish in both their calm demeanor and cleaning skills. Otocinclus Catfish is great at cleaning glass, but they also love plants. They are great at delicately cleaning your greenery and your Catfish with stay happy and healthy eating any particles off the leaves. These fish are excellent for tanks with shrimp or babies. The Otocinclus Catfish has great qualities that can enhance any tank, but you should take caution when purchasing these fish from the store.

How to Buy 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 you purchase. If they aren’t taken care of properly, these Catfish could starve to death.

Otocinclus Catfish can be caught wild and then purchased by wholesalers in large quantities. The Catfish may not receive adequate food as they are transported from the source to the wholesaler. The same goes for when they arrive and are housed at the wholesale location. Many wholesalers do not provide adequate food for the Otocinclus Catfish and they can become drastically thin or die from starvation.

The life of a wholesaler can be difficult. Many pet stores will overfill the tank and house too many catfish in one aquarium. The pet shops will not provide enough food for the fish or provide a good source of food. One algae pellet will not feed 100 fish, so it is common to drop one in the tank.

Otocinclus Catfish doesn’t like protein, and prefers vegetables. A second problem is that the fish are not given enough algae to eat. When there aren’t enough algae, you need to provide a source of algae for them to feed off of, such as Repashy Soilent Green gel food and canned green beans. This is often not supplied at pet stores and also affects the health of the fish.

You should only purchase the most fat Otocinclus Catfish because of the high chance of starvation. The ones with the full bellies are the healthy fish. You can also check the price and where they are sold to make sure you’re buying healthy fish.

The price range of the Otocinclus Catfish can have a wide range. Some stores list them at $2 per fish while other stores sell them for up to $4 per piece. The less expensive listing price is usually indicative of a sick fish. Otocinclus Catfish, which are often listed at Petsmart at $2 per fish, are thin. The problem with a skinny Otocinclus Catfish is that they will stop eating if they do not get enough to eat in the first place. After becoming starved, the Catfish cannot be brought back to life and will cease having an urge to eat. You are often buying Otocinclus Catfish for $2 because you are buying dead fish.

The Otocinclus Catfish is available in other shops for as low as $4 per fish. While the increase in price can be frustrating, it is actually a benefit. The fish that are sold for up to $4 per fish are normally fatter and healthier. These Otocinclus Catfish enjoy swimming around in their tank, enjoying their round bellies and eating provided algae. By investing the $4 in one fish, you are ensuring that it will have a happy life living in your aquarium. A healthy Otocinclus Catfish may live up to 5-7 years.

If your Otocinclus Catfish is in your tank for over a month you can be sure that you will have succeeded in finding a healthy food balance. Your fish will be happy navigating their new home if they have lived in your tank for this length of time.

The Otocinclus Catfish makes a great addition to any tank. If you give them love and care they will thrive for many years.