Algae Eaters, Bottom Feeders, Tropical Fish

Zebra Otocinclus

Name: Zebra Otocinclus - Gensou Premium Aquascaping
Brand: Gensou
SKU: orange-zebra-otocinclus
Price: 17.00 SGD
Availability: OutOfStock

Otocinclus cocama · Peaceful · Intermediate care

$17.00
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SKU: orange-zebra-otocinclus

Tags: Bottom Feeder Fish, Tropical Freshwater Fish

Intermediate care Peaceful Schooling - keep in groups of 6+ Bottom dweller

At a glance

Species profile Otocinclus cocama

Origin

Peru (Ucayali River, upper Amazon basin)

Family

Loricariidae (armoured suckermouth catfish family)

Adult size

Up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in)

Diet

Aufwuchs and biofilm; algae wafers, blanched veg, occasional supplemental feeds (Herbivore)

Temperament

Peaceful

Swimming level

Bottom

Minimum group

6+ (shoaling)

Lifespan

3-5 years

Minimum tank

60 L (15 gal)

Water type

Freshwater

Size to scale

4.5 cm adult length, shown to scale against an iPhone 15 Pro (14.66 cm).

Natural range

Where it comes from — South America

Peru (Ucayali River, upper Amazon basin)

Water

Singapore tap water vs its needs

pH 6–7.5 tap 8

Temperature 22°–27° tap 29°

Hardness (dGH) 2–15 tap 3

Hardness: Soft to medium (2-15 dGH).

Adjusting pH the natural way — Singapore tap water (pH ~8.0) sits above this fish's ideal. Soften and gently lower pH the natural way — driftwood, catappa (Indian almond) leaves or other botanicals. Skip chemical "pH-down".

In the aquarium

How it lives in the tank

Swims in the bottom of the tank

Keep in a group of 6+

Gensou's take 3/5

Sensitivity Index — Moderate

Adaptable, but happiest with stable parameters in a matured tank.

Our own read on how forgiving this species is of water changes — not a formal standard.

Keeping & care

What this fish needs

Special care — Requires a mature, densely planted tank with steady biofilm and clean, oxygen-rich water; acclimate slowly as it is delicate on import.

Family

About the Loricariidae family armoured suckermouth catfish family

Loricariidae are the armoured suckermouth catfishes — the plecos — a huge South American family clad in bony plates with a ventral sucker-mouth for grazing surfaces and holding station in current. They range from the tank-friendly bristlenose (Ancistrus) and dwarf 'L-number' plecos up to the massive common pleco that outgrows most tanks. Most are peaceful and nocturnal and appreciate driftwood to rasp on, though diets vary from algae to wood to protein by species.

Give plecos driftwood and caves, feed to their actual diet (algae wafers, vegetables, or protein/wood by species), and always check adult size — many sold small grow far too large for community tanks.

Breeding

Cave-spawner (male-guarded)

Many smaller plecos, especially bristlenose, are cave-spawners that breed readily: the female lays a clutch inside a snug cave or pleco log and the male guards and fans it until the yolk-sac fry emerge. Provide correctly-sized caves, good feeding and a cooler water change to trigger spawning; larger and fancy L-number plecos are progressively harder and some are rarely bred.

Feeding