Rarely bred; almost all otos on sale are wild-caught.
Keep a group with a mix of sexes and feed lots of algae to bring them into condition.
40 L tank with fine sand, dense plants, some tannins and a gentle current.
Cool, fresh water changes and plenty of biofilm and algae feeding.
After a Corydoras-style T-position spawning, eggs are scattered around the tank, usually among plants in the upper areas or on the glass. Large cool water changes may trigger spawning; the fry are tiny and need plenty of algae.
Fry feed on biofilm and powdered spirulina; very prone to starvation, so keep a mature algae-rich tank.
Best sexed from above: mature females look broader in the body.
Typical for egg scatterers
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.
Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.
Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.
Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.
Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.
Most small fish reach about 2 cm in 2–3 months and can join the main tank.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.