# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  Help needed on Zebra Otos

## AndyPeh

Hi all! Need some support in finding Zebra Otos, can someone let me know if they have seen any lately at LFS or someone selling them? Would love to get a couple for my new 1.5 Ft Tank.

Thank you in advance for the help! :Well done:

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## AndyPeh

Hi All,

Any support for this? I have been running all around Sg looking for them.
So far I have tried GC, C328, JZX anyone with any information?

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## stormhawk

I haven't seen them at other LFS either. You have to be patient for the next bunch to appear.

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## AndyPeh

Appreciate your reply! Yeap am guessing I will need to do just that will post here if I manage to see them.

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## magpie

When you are at the LFS, you can check with the store keeper on the availability and next shipment of zebra oto. Alternatively, you can call up LFS to check before going down.

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## AndyPeh

Yup I did that and gave them my number if they receive shipment. Most just say no updates on when they will be coming in again. Most likely will see a spike in prices on the next batch.

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## magpie

Zebra oto are wild caught and seasonal. Be patient and wait for the shipment.

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## astro

Are u getting Otto for algae control? If yes, I recommend u get from Yishun618 just behind the counter in the few small 1ft tank, the china sucker fish. Bought 2 last month and bought another 4 today. Good algae cleaner

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## AndyPeh

Hi Astro, Thank you for your reply.  :Well done:  Am actually getting the zebra otos for their pattern, current tank already has a good amount of algae control so just thought to get some nice zebra otos to keep in the tank.

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## Urban Aquaria

> Am actually getting the zebra otos for their pattern, current tank already has a good amount of algae control so just thought to get some nice zebra otos to keep in the tank.


Totally agree with that... zebra otos are so rare and have such nice patterns that i also consider them more like showcase fishes (instead of just "algae" crew).  :Grin:

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## blim

Yes, they are lovely. The first time I met zebra otos was at JZX a month ago. The shape, color and pattern made me stop to admire them. Their passionate eyes were telling me, please take me home. I did not buy but went back later only to find them gone. Regretted. Now searching for them too. haha.

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## AndyPeh

Haha will keep this post alive and post once my hunt for them succeeds!

And bro Urban Aquaria I believe the first time I saw them was on your wonderful Sand Tank post. Inspired by you to keep these beautiful fishes.

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## stormhawk

I was at C328 earlier today, they did not have any Zebra Oto in stock. Just a heads up for those who are still searching for them.

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## AndyPeh

Thank you StormHawk for the update! :Well done:  Seems like next batch won't be coming in anytime soon.

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## stormhawk

Was back at C328 over the past two days, still no zebra oto either.

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## nicholasliao

I'm interested in them as well. Please do keep me updated about the findings!

I'm planning to get them for my shrimp tank which are currently undergoing a Hydra and Menatodes infestation.

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## stormhawk

If you have Hydra and nematode infestations in the tank, I'd suggest you not add any more fish. Hydra can cause discomfort for most fish, because they are equipped with stinging cells just like anemones do. Treatment of such infestations would require the use of fenbendazole or flubendazole. Basically a de-worming medication should remove these critters. All shrimps should be removed before you dose your tank with these medications or the shrimps will probably die too.

When I last had Zebra Otocinclus, they were fairly interested in live tubifex and frozen bloodworm, but they would take algae wafers too. They seem to be more on the herbivorous side. I guess the rarer Oto would be the little Tiger Oto aka Parotocinclus sp. "Peru"?? This little Oto was very interesting to keep, but unfortunately they were not thriving in some tanks. I believe they needed a specific type of aufwuch to survive. To date, I haven't seen these little ones for sale for years now.

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## nicholasliao

I've haven't seen the Tiger Oto as well. I only came across Zebra Oto's in pictures from JZX pages. Would love to get my hands on some common Oto's first before I really commit to getting some Zebra's.

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## nicholasliao

[QUOTE=stormhawk;725813]If you have Hydra and nematode infestations in the tank, I'd suggest you not add any more fish. Hydra can cause discomfort for most fish, because they are equipped with stinging cells just like anemones do. Treatment of such infestations would require the use of fenbendazole or flubendazole. Basically a de-worming medication should remove these critters. All shrimps should be removed before you dose your tank with these medications or the shrimps will probably die too.

Thanks for the advise. Will be heading down to Serangoon North later on today to seek some advice from the LFS on what medications to get.

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## Atham

I saw zebra and orange oto at GC early this week. Bought a few pieces. Maybe could find them at other lfs during this season. The zebra is slightly bigger and more active than my normal otos. :Smile:

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## nicholasliao

just came back from GC. if you guys want zebra oto's they have plenty in stock.

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## AndyPeh

Hmm tempting. Going to check them out during lunch tomorrow.

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## vannel

All this talk of Otos has me reminiscing about my..

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## AndyPeh

Nice piece Vannel! Any one has any luck with getting them to reproduce?

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## vannel

Sad to say, my Orange Otos didn't survive long enough to reproduce. I think they require a species only setup. Very different from the usual Oto cats. Might try again in future if they become available.

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## fhan

The gc has some bro,

How to tell male and female? Thick pectoral fins for male?

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## vannel

Ohh..? Looks like I need to make a trip down someday. Sexing them is generally the same as others I think. I usually go for the top down approach and look for wider specimens past the pectorals for females.

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## stormhawk

The problem with these Orange Otos and Tiger Otos is their diet. We cannot replicate what they are eating in the wild, so they just die from lack of a specific kind of food. I kept Tiger Otos for about a week max in an established tank with only C. hastatus as tank mates but they did not survive even with the standard catfish diets.

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## vannel

That's my main issue as well. Diet. Not quite sure what they were lacking. My 2 Orange Otos just kept hanging onto the driftwood. Didn't react to any food even when I dropped some in front of them. I haven't heard anyone who had luck with these Otos thus far.

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## stormhawk

I reckon it's a type of diatom or aufwuch that they need to survive. Need to find information regarding their natural habitat to be truly sure, because it is heart wrenching when expensive little jewels like these Otos die on us no matter how much we try to keep them alive. To date I think these are Peruvian in origin.

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## vannel

I've tried looking through articles upon articles but have not found much with regards to these Otos. Needless to say, videos of their natural habitat are impossible to find. I do agree with their origin being Peruvian though. That much seems certain. 

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## nicholasliao

For zebra oto's, are their diet mainly algae wafers or do they require any specific form of diet?

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## Urban Aquaria

> For zebra oto's, are their diet mainly algae wafers or do they require any specific form of diet?


From my experience, zebra otos eat the same things as common otos... a good supply of existing tank algae and bio-film is ideal, as well as supplemented with algae wafers and sinking wafers, and the occasional slice of fresh zucchini or cucumber. No specific diet required, feeding a mix of different foods is the key.

Note that they should only be introduced to a well established tank, one that has already completed its cycle for a while and has stable parameters.

If you have the chance to choose them, it's recommended to pick the ones which are active and have round bellies, not sunken or pale color (which may indicate pre-existing illness or internal parasites).

I've found that zebra otos are quite hardy once they properly acclimate to a tank, i now have a 2ft breeding tank dedicated specifically to zebra otos and the current 12 in there (which were accumulated over the past few months from various sources) have had 100% survival rate so far.  :Smile:

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## nicholasliao

Cool. Has breeding been successful?

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## Urban Aquaria

> Cool. Has breeding been successful?


Not yet... still waiting for them to get busy with it, maybe need to dim the lights and turn on the barry white music.  :Grin: 

Honestly, i have no idea what are the triggers or conditions for them to breed (supposedly similar to corydoras, so trying out various existing methods). All the online journals and discussions i've read so far on their breeding patterns have not shown any consistent methods yet though. I guess its still new territory to explore.

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## nicholasliao

I havent had any luck even with my sterbai corys let alone the normal ottos. Planning to get zebra ottos when I set up my green laser or gold laser cory tank. Would need to seek expert advice to breed and multiply them.

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## qngwn

I managed to breed normal otos before, but it was purely by chance. temperature then was around 26. the young ones did not survive to adult stage.. tried to find out why, but did not seem to get much info online.

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## barmby

Getting pleco to spawn is one thing. bringing up the fries are tough. man.. Their grow out rate is not very positive. 

speaking from someone who has done 15-16 spawns for a same pair of L333 year to date (Accidental Breeder)

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## qngwn

maybe we're accidental breeders thats why! perhaps the food and water conditions for fries are very much different..

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## nicholasliao

I really think that having an excellent filtration system is an important part in bringing up the fries as well as the injection of regular water changes about 2-3 times a week.

I believe that we must be abkw to reclipate the natural environment of rivers and streams which is the constant flow of fresh water. 


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## Urban Aquaria

Yeah, those would be good practices to help maintain tank conditions... i also had normal otos spawn occasionally before in my other tanks too, but their tiny fry didn't seem to make it past a few weeks. Apart from natural attrition, most likely it was also because there were other larger fishes in the tank which probably hunted and ate them up. 

This time round i'm keeping a species-only tank and putting a good mix of males and females (1 male to 3 females ratio), so hopefully the chances of spawning are higher. Also put in some cherry shrimps to help clean the spawned eggs too. Will start a thread journal on it if successful.

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## nicholasliao

Nice. Will definetely look out for that thread. All the best!

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## qngwn

All the best, and do update us with you're successful  :Well done:

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## dwong

Sorry to bring up this thread again, but have there been any recent sightings of zebra otos? I checked GC and JZX over the weekend, heard from JZX that there's very little supply these days. Would love to add one of these to my normal otos in my tank.  :Very Happy:

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## Berny

you can try C328, they had some stock the last time I've been there

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## Aventador

> you can try C328, they had some stock the last time I've been there
> 
> Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk


I was at C328 today. No sighting of Zebra Otos. Uncle said supply is seasonal.

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## dwong

> I was at C328 today. No sighting of Zebra Otos. Uncle said supply is seasonal.


Thanks for the sighting report! Saved me a trip to C328 as I was planning to go down earlier today after work. Looks like we've got to wait a while more  :Smile:

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