Breeding otos

[stanleo]

I have a female that I have suspected was full of eggs. She has been really fat for over a week but I wasn’t sure. Tonight I am sure. My power went out and I was looking in the tank with a flashlight and found her and I can see tiny yellow eggs through her skin. Does anyone now how to breed these fish? This would be interesting as I know the otos most of us get are wild caught because breeding them is such a challenge. If I can’t, will being eggbound hurt her? I currently have 2 males in with her in a 120 gallon planted tank but I have a ten setup for a Blackwater that I have not added fish to yet. It would be hard to catch them but I think I could do it. Anyone have suggestions? In the pic you can just see a spot of yellow right in front of the anal fin.

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

Soft water, high tempatures followed by a cool water change usually stimulates breeding mode in most locariids, they also need a good amount of food, try giving blanched veggies, they are group spawned aswell, usually a bunch of males will follow the female, though this is not needed having more males just increased that chance that one will want to spawn at any given time.

 

[Colin_T]

if you have males and females they won't become egg bound.

info as above but you can stimulate most fish into breeding by doing a huge water change with slightly cooler water.
eg; Your tank is currently 26C. You do a 80% water change using water that is 20C and that will usually get catfish to breed.

However, most catfish will breed when conditions are good regardless of big cool water changes. I would just let them be and keep doing whatever you are doing and see what happens. If they haven't spawned in a couple of weeks try the big water change then.

you need lots of rotting plant and wood in the tank for the fry. And they need biofilm on the plants and wood, so make sure you have driftwood in the tank at all times. And break off a few plant leaves and let them rot on the bottom.