Otocinclus Catfish - Otocinclus
Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus spp.)
The Gentle Algae-Eating Specialist
Looking for a peaceful and hardworking addition to your freshwater tank? The Otocinclus Catfish, affectionately known as the “Oto,” is a small, social algae eater that plays an essential role in keeping your aquarium clean and thriving.
Native to the streams and rivers of South America, Otocinclus are known for their gentle nature, tight schooling behavior, and tireless grazing on soft algae. They are an ideal choice for community tanks, especially in planted aquariums where their small size and non-destructive habits are a perfect match.
Key Features:
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Excellent algae cleaner—especially fond of soft green algae
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Peaceful and social—best kept in groups
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Perfect for nano and planted tanks
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Safe with shrimp and other peaceful tankmates
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Active and entertaining to watch
Care Notes:
Otocinclus thrive in well-maintained aquariums with stable water parameters and plenty of natural surfaces to graze on. Supplement their diet with algae wafers, blanched veggies, and fresh greens if natural algae levels are low. Ensure good oxygenation and gentle flow, and always acclimate them carefully, as they are sensitive to rapid changes in water quality.
Bring balance to your aquascape with the charming and diligent Otocinclus Catfish—a must-have for any freshwater cleanup crew!
The Otocinclus Catfish, commonly known as Otos or Oto Cat. These little Loricariidae cats are one of the smallest you can find in the hobby and does a fantastic job cleaning algae in an aquarium. Even aquascaping experts love the cleaning ability of the Oto as they are safe for planted aquariums.
Size is about 3/4" to 1".
Max size: 2"
Minimum tank: 10gal
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Oto Cats
It's been a few days and 5 out of the 6 otos are doing great. Unfortunately, 1 out of the 6 was DOA, but that happens sometimes. Would buy from Petzone again.
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as advertised with quick shipping
5 stars. Not only did they arrive alive but with full bellies! The ones at the LFS all look starved
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Oto cats
Fish arrived quickly. 1 arrived dead. Will reach out to petzone for another. Otherwise everything was perfect.
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Nice fish
Bought 5 recently, they all arrived fine and were in very good health. They look just like the picture, you can tell they've been well cared for
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Otocinclus Catfish
Added six of these guys to a 65 gallon tank, they do a fantastic job removing any algae they can find.
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Healthy, happy, and fantastic shipping
Perfect group of well settled otocinclus. Healthy, eating, and very active. 100% live arrival.
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10 otos
Came happy and healthy, all 10 alive and loving life. Such a great species!
