Main Diet

• In the wild, the otocinclus is exclusively vegetarians. The core of its diet is brown and green algae, which come in the form of commercially prepared wafers.
  
  

Treats

• A pet otocinclus also likes vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and Romaine lettuce. These need washing, blanching and, if necessary, weighing down so that they stay on the bottom of the tank where "ottos" prefer to feed.
  
  

Misconception

• The Otocinclus catfish usually cannot just live off algae in a tank. It can only eat soft algae it can easily pry off of surfaces. Also, a tank may not produce enough algae for the fish to survive.
  
  

Considerations

• The Otocinclus catfish has been observed eating the eggs or corpses of other fish. It may also eat leftover fish food that carnivorous tankmates ignore.