otocinclus spawning

[sukiel]

I've been on holiday for 2 weeks, and left my husband in charge of my fish - to feed them, do partial water changes and in particular give the otocinclus blanched courgette/cucumber every day!

When I got back last night, I thought the larger female (?) otocinclus was at death's door with dropsy - it had ballooned, until it was spherical. However, this morning the smaller male (?) otocinclus was swimming round and round it, like it was demented, trying to position its head next to the female. Then, I cleaned the tank out and did another partial water change.

This afternoon, the larger female otocinclus was swimming up and down the glass and underneath leaves, like it was the demented one! There was a tube sticking out of its vent. By teatime, it was much slimmer.

Were they spawning?

[lenkohe]

Congrats… i think it should be.... Did you see any baby swim around....

[Shi Xuan]

Hi there,

There's very few published accounts on Otocinclus spawnings, at least from what I know. That said, here's a past thread you should take a look at;
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...-O.-vittatus-)


Best regards,
Shi Xuan

[sukiel]

I don't understand accounts where people say ottos are omnivores and eat protein. Mine love blanched courgette, but will make do with cucumber; as well as algae and algae wafers - they don't show any interest in food for the other fish, either commercial dried foods or live stuff? I do keep the tank on the cool side for tropical fish around 25C, as all my fish are at that end of the tropical spectrum. I have a wet trickle filter, so the water has a strong current and is well oxygenated?

The tank is too well planted for me to see if there are any eggs anywhere. Unfortunately, the zebra danios might eat the fry - although they now ignore the platy fry completely; and I've been over-run with them. I had to take the male back to the LFS, along with some of his children. Lots more platy fry (in two other tanks now) have to go to the LFS when they are big enough!

The ottos try to shoal with the zebra danios; I wonder if they confuse the similar colours and stripes with their own kind?