[Stormfish]

I seem to have purchased an extremely egg-laden Otocinclus. I've attached a crappy pic I took with my iPhone.

I got her and a male last week to add to my brood. I've kept Otos for years successfully and love the little critters, but this is the first time I've gotten a pregnant one. I need advice.

Should I set her up in a nursery tank ASAP?
How long will it take before she lays her eggs?
Do I have to worry about her eating her eggs?
How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
What should I feed the fry?

Etc., etc. Any information would be great. I've googled and found nothing.

Thanks so much!

 

[Sylverclaws]

It's not extremely common to see it happen, really. They breed much like cories, they scatter their eggs and sticky them to different places during the breeding process...It can take a while for them to finish. It's not a quick thing.

You want her and her mate, to be kept in a well established tank and not a newer one. A good supply of food will make them more likely to spawn, and also the babies will have food to eat. If you'd like to move the others out to lessen risks of accidental baby munching, you can do that.

She isn't pregnant, she is carrying eggs. She still needs to mate. If she's still holding them, they're unfertilized.

 

[Stormfish]

Thanks for that.

I'm beginning to think I'm actually dealing with a sick Oto, not an egg-laden one. She is massive now. Like ready to pop kind of massive.

The tank is very well live-planted and established (almost 3 years old) with many places for her to lay eggs. Fingers crossed that's what's going on here.