🐟 Golden Otocinclus (Otocinclus vittatus)
Golden Peaceful Algae Grazer • A Shoaling Nano Favourite • Happiest in a Mature, Established Tank
 
📋 The Golden Otocinclus is the same species as our standard Dwarf Sucker Otocinclus in a warm golden colour form, a selectively bred variant of the standard mottled brown colouring. It keeps the same tiny size and gentle habits: it grazes soft algae and biofilm without disturbing live plants, and it's one of the few shrimp-safe fish.
Otocinclus are social shoalers, so they're happiest in a group of six or more. Because they're collected from the wild, they can arrive thin and stressed, so they settle best in a mature, established tank with visible algae growth, with a daily supplement of algae wafers or blanched vegetables once natural algae runs low. Give them that start and they'll graze happily for years.
 
💡 Highlights
🟡 A Warm Golden Colour Form: A selectively bred variant
🌿 Plant-Safe Grazer: Works soft algae without touching live plants
🦐 Shrimp-Safe: A good partner for a shrimp tank
👥 A True Shoaler: Happiest in a group of six or more
🏡 Loves a Mature Tank: A settled tank with natural algae gives it the best start