Otocinclus Catfish Care Guide

With their docile attitude, Otocinclus Catfish can be a great addition to your tank. These Catfish don’t have any bones and will not attack other animals within 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. Their calm demeanor as well as their cleaning skills make them the perfect fish. Otocinclus Catfish is great at cleaning glass, but they also love plants. Your greenery will be kept clean and tidy by them. They also love to eat any leaves that aren’t completely removed. These fish are excellent for tanks with shrimp or babies. Although the Otocinclus Catfish is a great addition to any tank, you need to be careful when buying these fish at the store.

How to Purchase 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. Otocinclus Catfish can suffer from severe starvation if they are not provided with adequate food by wholesalers.

Life after the wholesaler often does not improve. 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. Often one algae pellet is dropped in the tank and one algae pellet cannot feed 100 fish.

Otocinclus Catfish is not a fan of protein. They prefer vegetables. One other problem is if they are kept in a dirty tank that does not have enough algae. If there isn’t enough algae in the tank, it is important to give them a source of algae. Repashy Soilent Green gel food or canned green beans are good options. This is often not supplied at pet stores and also affects the health of the fish.

Due to the high risk of starvation, it is best to look for and purchase the fattest Otocinclus Catfish that you can find. Healthy fish are those with full bellies. A few other ways to ensure you are buying healthy fish is to look at the location they are being sold at, as well as their listed price.

Otocinclus Catfish prices can vary widely. They can be listed in some shops at $2 per fish, while others will list them for as high as $4 per fish. The less expensive listing price is usually indicative of a sick fish. In stores like Petsmart, Otocinclus Catfish are usually listed for about $2 per fish, but they are skinny. Otocinclus Catfish that are skinny will stop eating if they don’t get enough food. The Catfish will not eat again if it is hungry. Often buying the $2 Otocinclus Catfish means you are buying a 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. Fish that sell for as high as $4 per fish are usually healthier and fatter than fish that cost less. These Otocinclus Catfish happily swim around with their round bellies, feeding on the tank or provided algae. By investing the $4 in one fish, you are ensuring that it will have a happy life living in your aquarium. Healthy Otocinclus Catfish will live for approximately 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, a small fish that can be added to your tank, is a wonderful addition. They will thrive for many years if you love them.