The Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus Affinis) are known as algae eaters. Furthermore, these animals are some of the best algae eaters in the world.
This species is very peaceful and ideal for novice aquarists, and can be placed with a huge variety of freshwater fish tanks. Particularly, you will not need much experience to care for them, as they are undemanding animals, tolerating a variety of conditions. However, if you can keep your fish tank always clean and perform periodic maintenance, this animal can live for up to 6 years.
Furthermore, due to their size and peaceful behavior, Otocinclus Catfish are easily eaten by larger fish, so they are skittish by nature. Also, they usually spend most of their time at the bottom of the fish tank or on the surface of decorations, plants and walls. However, if there is no algae, they will move to a new surface.
A healthy fish tank usually means that you will have healthy catfish, but they can be fragile. Sometimes, individuals die shortly after being introduced into a new fish tank, even if they look healthy and conditions are perfect.
Technical Details
Name: Otocinclus Catfish
Scientific Name: Otocinclus affinis (Steindachner, 1877)
Family: Loricariidae
Species Origin: South America (Brazil);
Length: Up to 5 cm.
Life Span: Up to 6 years in captivity;
Care Level: Easy;
Water Parameters
pH: Maintain the pH of the water between 6.0 – 8.0
Water Hardness: Between 5° – 19 °dH
Temperature: Must be kept between 20°C – 26°C
Care
Food
The Otocinclus catfish will feed on brown and light green algae. So, it can be fed with vegetables, such as zucchini and lettuce, and also with specific feeds for the species. If there is no algae in the fish tank, provide vegetable flakes.
Temperament / Behavior
The Otocinclus Affinis is a very peaceful, territorial and timid fish. It must be kept in groups of at least five fish of the same species.
Moreover, the ideal is always to keep more females than males. It is usually active at night and during the day it is usually stuck to the leaves or glass of the fish tank.
Compatibility
As they are small and peaceful animals, they will have no problem living with other fish species.
See Also:
In fact, large and aggressive fish need to be avoided, this means that many cichlids are not a good choice. So, an Oscar fish could hunt and kill a catfish with ease. A general thumb rule is to stay away from species with an aggressive reputation or mouth large enough to eat them.
Some compatible species are Poecilia sphenops, Poecilia reticulata and Tetra fish. Invertebrates like shrimp and snails are great companions for this species.
Reproduction / Mating
In reproduction, the male always seeks to chase the female. The eggs are placed on the plants or on the walls of the fish tank.
The eggs hatch three days after spawning. In the first days, you should feed the fry with infusoria and special foods for them. Over time, you can feed them with brine shrimp and boiled spinach.
Fish Tank Size
In that case, the fish tank for the Otocinclus Affinis needs to be at least 40 liters for a small group of up to 5 individuals of this species. Overall it must have very clear water and an excellent filtration system. The movement of water is important to recreate its natural habitat.
Bibliographic References
Delapieve, M.L.S., P.A. Lehmann and R.E. Reis, 2017. An appraisal of the phylogenetic relationships of Hypoptopomatini cascudinhos with description of two new genera and three new species (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). Neotrop. Ichthyol. 15(4):e170079. (Ref. 116855)
