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Ceará parotocinclus

Parotocinclus cearensis

Also known as Cearensis oto

FreshwaterFish

Ceará parotocinclus (Parotocinclus cearensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Ceará coastal drainages, Brazil

Overview

The Ceará parotocinclus is a small grazer for a mature planted tank with gentle tank mates. It needs a little experience to keep well.

Did you know

Many small loricariids, the Ceará parotocinclus among them, can gulp air and take up oxygen through a modified gut. That ability pays off in the dry season, when its home waters shrink to warm, still pools.

Caring for the Ceará parotocinclus

Keep Ceará parotocinclus in a mature, gently planted tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Rock, wood and a soft floor suit them. Add them only once the tank has grown enough biofilm to feed them.

Keep the water soft to neutral, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They need steady conditions and frequent small water changes.

Their staple is the film that grows on surfaces in a mature tank. They spend the day scraping biofilm and algae from stones, wood and plants. Add a little blanched vegetable and gentle prepared grazing food.

Ceará parotocinclus are social and do fine alone or in a group, though several kept together feel secure and stay active. They are small and peaceful, so share the tank only with calm, modest community fish and shrimp. They have been bred in aquariums with moderate difficulty, laying small clutches on hard surfaces.

Good to know

Parotocinclus cearensis is a member of the family Loricariidae. Like the rest of its genus, it keeps a small adipose fin that the true Otocinclus lack.

In the wild

The Ceará parotocinclus lives in the coastal drainages of Ceará, in the semi-arid northeast of Brazil. Its streams run seasonally rather than year round, shrinking and slowing through a strong dry season. It grazes stones and plants in warm, gentle water.

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Tank mates

The Ceará parotocinclus is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Ceará parotocinclus need?

A Ceará parotocinclus needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Ceará parotocinclus need?

A Ceará parotocinclus is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Ceará parotocinclus eat?

A Ceará parotocinclus grazes the biofilm and algae that grow on surfaces in a mature tank. Add a little blanched vegetable and gentle prepared grazing food.

How big does a Ceará parotocinclus get?

An adult Ceará parotocinclus reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

How does a Ceará parotocinclus breed?

The Ceará parotocinclus lays small clutches of eggs on hard surfaces. It has been bred in aquariums with moderate difficulty.

Related species