Are all Otos caught in the wild??
 

I'm planning on getting some Otos when my tank has Algae, and I'm wondering if they are ALL wild caught? I don't really like the way they are caught, and I've been reading that some don't make it because of the way they are caught.

Thanks!

I don't think all are wild caught. If they were, then they would be seasonal. I see otos available all year round.

How are they caught, anyway?

YouTube - Collecting Otocinclus affinis in their natural habitat

They are stunned by using a chemical... Then scooped up. Even if they weren't stunned, I don't like to buy animals that are caught in the wild. :-? Just doesn't seem right.

I have read the same as doggyhog. Some people have had luck breeding them in their tanks, but I believe most are wild caught. Many say that the way they are caught, is the reason many die after being brought home.

Their exclusive food preferences also account for alot of starvation during shipping/shelf life. By the time they make it out of the pet store they are rail-thin and on their last legs. Let's not forget that they are super-sensitive to water quality and do not always acclimate well.

A very valid point indeed, They dont survive two seconds in most aquariums anyway, unless they're densely planted with the likes of anubias and crypts- big plants with big leaves that are slow growing, will harbor green algae (What an Ottos diet should be revolved around) If you cant provide them with green algae, they will die, they have a high mortality rate in captivity, most due to improper housing.

If I were you, I would consider another type of fish unless you can meet the criterion, or you will end up with a few dead fish! Also the tank must be big enough so it can provide enough algae at the same time. Anything under 20 gallons should be considered inappropriate in my opinion

No joke! I have plopped ottos into aquariums full of GDA and had them die over a few days... they are super weak when you get them from the LFS usually.

Man, that's cruel. :-( I feel bad for those poor ottos. If I ever buy them, I need to ask the source. They should be farm or hobbyist-bred and not wild-caught.

I got lucky with my otos but my tanks are heavily planted with stable water parameters. The otos I brought home were very pale and pretty skinny. The LFS was selling them for .99 cents and I had a feeling they'd recover in my tanks. It's been a year and they're fat & happy. Nice little fish if you can give them what they need to thrive. I'm guilty of keeping a school of fish (Denison barbs) that have yet to breed in captivity (to my knowledge) and I've read that their numbers have dwindled in their native habitat. If I had it to do over again...

I recently bought some Otos and lost two of them then bought two more. I was feeling a little guilty about buying what I thought were wild fish but a clerk at Petco surprised my by saying all their fish are bred in captivity, even the saltwater. This surprised me.
The Otos I have now have are doing well, they look fat and happy.