White catfish aquarium. Features of breeding aquarium catfish at home. Together with a friendly flock

About two thousand species of catfish inhabit the fresh waters of the world. These are one of ancient fish planets, their fossils were found in the deposits of the late Cretaceous period (70 million years ago).

One of the main features is the absence of scales, often replaced by bony plates. Catfish lead a bottom nocturnal or twilight lifestyle. There are also predators among them, but most species prefer detritus, plant foods and benthic invertebrates. Aquarists keep up to 800 species of catfish, not counting hybrid forms. Normal aquarium conditions are suitable for keeping: hardness 6-12 °, temperature 22-26 ° C. acidity is neutral, with slight deviations in one direction or another. Due to skin respiration, or the ability to breathe atmospheric air, most catfish are not demanding on the oxygen regime. Haplosternums, for example, swallow air, it enters the intestines and is absorbed into the blood through a dense network of capillaries.

They are represented by almost one and a half hundred species distributed in the waters of South America. These are typically omnivorous bottom fish. Their body is quite high, triangular in cross section, covered with bone plates arranged in two parallel rows, resembling parquet. The small lower mouth is surrounded by three pairs of antennae, which help in the search for food. Males are slimmer than females, they have more developed dorsal and pectoral fins. Callichths get along well with any fish, just completely ignoring them. They themselves are unattractive prey even for large predators. In aquariums with armored catfish, constantly digging at the bottom, it is necessary to arrange productive water filtration, cover the bottom with pebbles, and plant plants with a strong root system.

The impetus for the spawning of callicht catfish is the fall atmospheric pressure, the addition of soft, chilled degrees to five degrees of water and the presence of a substrate for laying caviar. The incubation period is 5-8 days at a temperature of 25 °C. Starting norms are rotifer, microworm, artemia and compound feed.

Of the armored catfish among aquarists, the most common genera Corydoras and Hoplosternum (Hoplosternum). The golden catfish (C. aeneus) and speckled (C. paleatus) belong to the genus corridors. The body of the corridors is short, valky. The abdomen is flat, the back is convex. The dorsal fin of the male is pointed. The main color of the speckled catfish is olive with a metallic sheen, the back is darker, the belly is yellow-orange. Irregular dark spots are scattered over the body. The golden catfish has a wide, shiny, dark green stripe running along its entire body. In the anterior third above it is a narrow golden one. The head and back are dark brown. Both species have albino forms. Speckled catfish is an old-timer of aquariums. Its first breeding dates back to 1878.

In aquariums, hybrids of golden and speckled catfish are widespread, as well as their hybrids with Rabo, Schwartz and Bond's black-striped corridors. Fish grow up to 7 centimeters long, females larger than males. Vessels with a volume of at least 80 liters are suitable for spawning. The fish are placed in a spawning area in a group, with a predominance of males. The water temperature is slightly above 20 °C. Its composition does not play a role. The female lays the eggs in her pelvic fins folded together, where they are fertilized by the males, and sticks them to a solid substrate. It can be a plant leaf or an aquarium glass. If spawning took place in community aquarium, the eggs can be carefully removed with a razor and transferred to a separate incubation vessel. The best starter food is brine shrimp.

In addition to those mentioned, at least three dozen corridors can be found in aquariums.

The genus Hoplosternum is much less rich in species. But one of them is perhaps the most famous aquarium catfish.

Thorakatum ( Hoplosternumthoracatum) from Eastern Brazil has been bred in Russia since 1910. This is a fish with a long round body, reaching 18 centimeters in length. The body is covered with two rows of plates, as in the corridors. At the highest point of the back is a fairly large dorsal fin. The color of the catfish is brown-brown, with irregular dark spots. There is a black color option. In males, the anterior ray of the pectoral fin is strongly thickened and turned into a powerful bone spike of orange-bloody color.

Thorakatums build foam nests under floating objects and plant leaves, releasing air bubbles not through their mouths, like labyrinths, but from under the gill covers. In the spawning area, it is easiest to use a foam raft the size of a school notebook. For spawning, the female can sweep up to 1000 eggs. The male is left to guard the nest, but you can transfer the raft with caviar stuck to it into a separate vessel. It is advisable to make a prophylaxis against fungi and add methylene blue or tripaflavin to the water. Two days after hatching, the juveniles begin to take brine shrimp.

Beige hoplosternum ( Hoplosternumlitorale) not inferior in size to the previous species. The color is beige-olive, sometimes gray with a greenish tint. The body is torpedo-shaped. These catfish build nests in the form of a large and high cap of foam mixed with scraps of plants.

Both types of hoplosternums are unpretentious, peaceful fish that love dusk. In aquariums, shelters made of snags and stones, shaded areas of the bottom are desirable. When the content of the water parameters do not play a role. In spawning areas, the addition of soft water and a rise in temperature to 24 ° C are necessary.

Not deprived of the attention of either experienced aquarists or beginners. A distinctive feature of these bottom fish is a strongly elongated or flattened body, completely covered with multifaceted bone plates, and a well-developed oral sucker with tubercles and outgrowths for scraping off algal formations. Males are larger, brighter and slimmer than females. In adulthood, numerous outgrowths resembling plant roots appear on their heads - tentacula. In females, they are much less pronounced. The main food of Loricaria catfish is vegetable, but they do not refuse bloodworms, tubifex, fillets sea fish and sinking compound feed.

Caviar is deposited in ceramic or glass tubes. During the entire time of incubation of eggs, 6-10 days, the male sits in the tube, covering the eggs with his body. If spawning took place in a common aquarium, the tube, along with the male and eggs, is transferred to a separate container, simply by closing the ends with your hands. When the fry swims, the male is removed, and the fry are fed with brine shrimp, compound feed or algal paste.

from the waters of Brazil. The flat body is painted in dark colors with light spots. The abdomen is light. The large dorsal fin resembles a flag. The fish grow up in good conditions up to 14 cm. They swim clumsily and reluctantly. They spend most of their time clinging to aquarium glass or plant leaves and scraping off algae. Activated in the dark and with a drop in atmospheric pressure. Ancistrus are quite suitable for the conditions of a common aquarium, to the other inhabitants of which they do not pay the slightest attention.

The female lays 50-100 sticky oblong bright orange eggs resembling small barberry berries. The water in the spawning and rearing aquarium needs slightly acidic, pH = 6.0-6.5, temperature 26 ° C. Malek begins to take food 6-8 days after hatching.

- one of a large family of fish that received most widespread under the name "red loricaria". The body is elongated, strongly elongated, thin. The length of an adult fish reaches 12 cm. The color is red, of various shades. The male is slimmer, on his pectoral fins he has a brush of villi. Loricaria are absolutely peaceful fish. They lead a modest lifestyle, often hiding in such a way that it is impossible to find them in an aquarium. They take any food from the bottom. Spawning is seasonal - in winter. It flows like an ancistrus. Suitable tube diameter is about 30mm. The floating fry look like pieces of threads 7 mm long. They are very sensitive to water pollution by organic matter. In a rearing aquarium, a filter with activated carbon and daily complete replacement of water with fresh water of the same composition and temperature. Water is suitable for settled tap water, passed through a filter. Malek grows rapidly and soon ceases to react painfully to pollution.

When installing filters in aquariums with chain catfish, and especially with their juveniles, it is necessary to prevent fish from entering the structure. They tend to look for cracks and holes and climb into them. Once in the filter, catfish usually die.

- catfish with a very thin and long body. The snout is sharp, the pectoral and dorsal fins are large, in the form of an acute triangle. It grows up to 30 cm, while being almost a complete vegetarian. Picky in food - you need algae tablets, lettuce, even cucumbers. Does not tolerate pollution. Caviar lays in a tube.

Luxurious catfish from the river. Orinoco. Black or dark brown spots - brocade - are evenly scattered over the light body. The dorsal fin is large and high, in the shape of a sail. The mouth is a large, strong sucker. Swims poorly and reluctantly. It eats fouling and scrapes wooden snags that need to be provided to it. But he does not refuse from the bloodworm. Water hardness varies over a wide range, temperature from 23 to 30 °C.

Brocade catfish has come into great fashion in recent years, but is often a problem for beginners. On sale, there are usually juveniles 5-7 cm in size. When buying a catfish, they often do not know that it is able to grow up to 30-35 cm. big fish, such as discus, tries to stick to them. Probably, catfish are attracted by the mucus that covers their body. As a result, the scales are damaged, and ulcers can occur. Pterygoplicht pays no attention to small fish. We can recommend catfish from the genus hypostomus, similar to pterygoplicht, devoid of this drawback and growing not so fast.

The shape of the body is strongly reminiscent of pterygoplicht. The dorsal fin is smaller, the color is brown, rufous or reddish. They are imported under the names Hypostomus sp., Spotted Hypostomus, Red Hypostomus, Albino Hypostomus and Watavata Hypostomus. The last name seems to be closest to the truth. The conditions of detention do not differ from the brocade catfish.

Watawata from Peru is the most useful inhabitant of the aquarium. A convinced vegetarian, not paying attention to bloodworms, is constantly busy cleaning the aquarium from algae. One catfish is enough to perform ideal permanent cleaning in a two-hundred-liter container. In my pet store, one soma watawata is always in each aquarium. If the catfish does not have enough "pasture", it is necessary to feed it with plant foods.

They are covered with a strong bone shell, which is absent on a flat belly. Twilight, solitary fish, looking for food at the bottom. The dorsal and pectoral fins are equipped with strong serrated spines. Be careful: catfish are easily entangled in the net, and a pricked finger hurts for a long time. If you take the catfish in your hands, it makes a loud creak. They are omnivorous, but need at least a third of plant food. Withstand a wide range of hardness, acidity and water temperature. They are indifferent to the oxygen content in water, they can swallow atmospheric air. In aquariums, most often contain agamyx (Agamyxis flavopictus) - black, with light spots and platydorus (Platydoras costatus), which has yellow stripes on a dark brown body - two on the sides and one on the ridge. Both fish have a short massive body and a large head with not very long whiskers. They grow up to 12-15 cm. They do not pay attention to neighbors who are busy with their own affairs. They require not too coarse gravel at the bottom and shelters made of ceramics or driftwood. The content is not difficult. Breeding is available only to experienced aquarists.

Killer whales are fast, sociable, diurnal catfish that swim in the water column. Not too predatory and can be kept in a species tank with other fish. The skin is bare, without bony plates, the first ray of the dorsal fin is transformed into a hard spine. Water parameters can vary widely. Omnivorous, but live food is preferred. Males are smaller and slimmer.

The most popular killer whale is. It would be more correct to call the catfish "Tengara", since several more mistuses are common, but the name has taken root in the aquarium hobby. The body is elongated, silver-gray, with a bluish tint and light longitudinal stripes. The eyes are large, with contrasting "earrings" behind the gill covers. On the snout are four pairs of rather long antennae. Length up to 12 cm. Mistus is a “shock” fish. With a sharp change in conditions, for example, when transplanting, "faints" and may die. It doesn't matter if the new conditions are better or worse, the mistus reacts only to their change. Before planting newly acquired fish in the aquarium, you need to smoothly align the water parameters. The easiest way is to add water from the aquarium intended for it to the water in which the catfish arrived, drip, using a thin tube.

Reddish killer whale ( Mystusmicracantus), similar in shape to the mistus, but colored in pink-red tones, with large dark spots behind the gill covers and a dark band on the caudal peduncle, and Siamese killer whale(Leiocassis siamensis), dark brown, with wide yellow transverse stripes, like a bumblebee, contain less often. Caring for them is not difficult, breeding has not been mastered.

- a genus of African catfish from the rivers of Zaire, Nile, Niger, Zambezi and others. About 10-15 years ago, they abruptly entered the Russian aquarium fashion. Many of them are peaceful and calm fish, quite large in size. The body is torpedo-shaped, triangular in cross-section, with a large wide head. Three pairs of long, branched mustaches. The color is very variable - from ash-gray to almost black with dark and light spots. All species of synodonts are able to swim upside down, combing the surface of the water with their fluffy whiskers and collecting insects that have fallen into the water. For the changeling (S. nigriventris), this method of swimming has become the main one. The content of synodonts is not a problem. The reaction of water is neutral, the temperature is 22-26 ° C, but it is desirable to increase the hardness to 18 °. Catfish are activated at night, eating bloodworms and other food prepared in advance for them at the bottom. Reproduction of synodonts is a great difficulty. Only from one species (Synodontis spec.) is it possible to obtain offspring in the traditional way, and even then not always.

The most common are: Angelic Synodont, (S.angelicus)— black, with white polka dots. In contradiction with the name, it attacks small fish and is only suitable for keeping with cichlids or other fish that can fend for themselves. Size up to 20 cm, often no more than 15. Changeling (S. nigriventris)- peaceful catfish up to 6 cm long. Suitable for any aquarium. The color is gray, with streaks, but a pure black version of the color has recently appeared. Cuckoo (S. multipunctatus)- not a bad companion in the general aquarium. The color is gray-yellow, with dark round spots. Throws its eggs to spawning African cichlids.

is the only species in the family. The body of this catfish is cylindrical, elongated, the color is black-blue or brown. Sometimes with two golden longitudinal lines. There are also albinos. On the jaws there are 4 pairs of long, dark whiskers directed forward. Size up to 30 cm. Males are brighter and slimmer than females.

During spawning, the color of the spawners intensifies, and spots appear on the body. Catfish is attractive not by color, but by unusual shape. These catfish breathe atmospheric air. From the gill cavity to the very tail, two air sacs extend, playing the role of lungs. In nature, such an adaptation allows catfish to wait out the drought, remaining almost without water in the semi-dried mud. You can keep them in normal aquarium conditions. During the day, catfish prefer to sit in shelters under stones, snags or plant roots. They are indifferent to other inhabitants, but they can well scare other fish trying to take their chosen place at the bottom. In an aquarium with them, in order to avoid conflicts, it is better not to keep other bottom species. In the spawning ground, sandy soil is needed, on which, after stormy mating games up to 5000 eggs are spawned. Malek swims on the seventh day, he is easily fed with compound feed and grows rapidly.

In youth, it is very similar to the sac-gill catfish. The main difference is in the dorsal fin, which stretches almost along the entire body. Natural color is brown, with small specks. The marble form is more often on sale. The body is light yellow with dark brown large "marble" spots. This is a voracious predator for a large species aquarium. It can grow as thick and as long as a teenager's arm. The content is very simple - almost any water parameters. Omnivorous and very voracious.

Catfish from Thailand is very popular in aquariums around the world. It has been imported into Russia not very long ago and is still little known among newcomers. The body is shark-shaped, bluish-silver, with a dark longitudinal stripe. The back is dark. A flock of pangasius feverishly rushes around the aquarium, adhering to the middle layers of water, very enlivening the underwater landscape. Fairly peaceful appearance, suitable for keeping with not too small species. May panic and "pass out", but quickly recovers. It is gluttonous, grows quickly reaching 20 cm. Any food, temperature 23-27 "C, water is neutral with slight deviations.

Active during the day, completely peaceful catfish with a transparent body. Through the transparent muscles and skin are visible internal organs and a skeleton. Lives in average aquarium conditions, but only in a flock. Single individuals quickly die. Keep only with peaceful neighbors such as small characins or viviparous. Easily picks up infection from sick fish. At the same time, the transparent body of the catfish becomes cloudy. Thickets of plants are needed as shelters. Small regular water changes are needed. Doesn't handle dirt well. Keeps in the middle layers of water, swims slowly, "neatly". Feed is suitable live and dry. Grows up to 10 cm.

Anatomical features

Catfish usually grow from 3 to 15 centimeters, although there are representatives that reach almost 2 meters. One of their main distinguishing features is the antennae. Usually catfish have two to four pairs located on both sides of the mouth. In some species, the antennae are branched, and in some, they have transformed into sucker lips. This is a very sensitive organ of taste, with the help of which the catfish is looking for food, searching the soil at the bottom.

Since in their natural environment catfish usually swim near the bottom, nature has deprived them of scales. Instead, the fish are covered with either thick skin or bony plates. Such a cover makes many catfish clumsy and clumsy. Catfish have spines on their pectoral and dorsal fins, with which they fix themselves in crevices when hiding or just resting. And, of course, spikes are needed for protection. Keep in mind that domestic catfish can be dangerous because of their sharp spikes, so be careful when handling them.

Behavior

As for communication, catfish are quite accommodating fish. They can easily coexist with other inhabitants - provided that they are large enough in size not to be eaten by catfish. Of course, the aquarium must be spacious so that all its inhabitants feel comfortable. But even if you have only catfish living in your aquarium, everyone needs their own corner. It can be equipped with pieces of wood, stones or ready-made purchased houses. So that the fish do not damage their sensitive organs, the bottom in the aquarium is best made from fine sifted sand (but not construction), and not pebbles. And do not forget about the algae, they will serve as both shelter and food for your pets.

Most catfish belong to nocturnal fish. Therefore, if you want to watch your pet, buy a speckled catfish. Speckled catfish is a fish that will sleep at night, and during the day diligently sift the soil at the bottom with the help of its antennae.

"Orders" of the aquarium

You can often hear from pet store sellers that small and large catfish purify the water in the aquarium and the owner does not have to do this. Catfish, combing the soil at the bottom, really pick up everything edible, partially cleaning the pollution. By the way, this does not mean that your pet's nutrition should be left to chance. It is also important to note that the natural habitat of these fish is silty water. But this also does not mean that you can not clean the aquarium at all and only occasionally change the water. Enhanced aeration of water is really not needed, but pure water and an aquarium is a guarantee of the health of your fish. If other fish live in your area, they simply need cleanliness, and the catfish will quickly get used to it and will not experience any inconvenience.

Features of nutrition: what to feed

In nature, catfish rarely rise to the surface, preferring to swim at the bottom. There are no strong currents and predators, but there is always something to profit from. Therefore, these fish are not adapted to swallow light food from the surface of the water; they need heavy food that they can pick up from the bottom. It can be tableted or flaked, it can also be fresh or frozen. Chopped bloodworm, tubifex, enchitrius will do. By the way, by nature, catfish are predators, therefore they are characterized by predatory feeding - sometimes they also eat small neighbors in the aquarium, such as goops or neon fish.

Reproduction and breeding

The breeding process in catfish is quite simple, and if only fish of this species live in your aquarium, you can not even put them in a separate aquarium. Otherwise, for catfish spawning, it is better to allocate a container with clean water with a capacity of 30 to 50 liters. Usually 3-4 males are left per female. It is highly desirable that the place where spawning takes place has a lot of algae and soft soil. If you want to encourage your pets to breed, you need to change the water temperature within a few days within 17-25 ° C and aerate the aquarium. Spawning usually takes place early in the morning. When the eggs have already been laid, you can leave natural light or darken it a little. A week after spawning, the female will be ready for a new spawning. The fry develop quite quickly and almost immediately they can be fed with finely chopped bloodworms or “dust”.

This fish thrives in standard aquarium conditions with a water temperature of 22-26 degrees Celsius and a constant hardness in the range of 6 to 12 dH. In this case, it is recommended to adhere to the neutral acidity of aquarium water.

A slight deviation of pH from the average parameters is quite acceptable and does not pose a significant danger to those living in water with such hydrochemical parameters. tropical fish. The only thing you should pay attention to when measuring parameters is the presence of table salt in liquid samples from the aquarium. There should be no salt in the water at all, since salty water has a negative effect on catfish of the genus Corydoras.

These fish are quite calm about the observance of the oxygen regime and the lack of oxygen is easily compensated for by breathing with surface air.

The process of atmospheric respiration is in the following way. Catfish jumps to the surface and takes in atmospheric air. Dives and ascents will be practiced by the animal until the entire supply of air is completely used up.

When arranging an aquarium, it is necessary to offer your bottom dwellers some kind of shelter. It is quite possible to make them yourself, you just need to use aquarium decor in the form of snags, aquarium castles and cave imitations for these purposes.

The possibility of using live plants in the aquarium tank is determined by the owner of the reservoir, based on the specific type of catfish living in the reporting area.

Many catfish are herbivores and eat plants meant to be used as decoration.

A characteristic feature of armored catfish is their lack of scales on the body, it is often replaced by bony armored growths.

The life span of these animals is quite large and ranges from 5 to 15 years.

Speckled catfish are peaceful fish that do not pose a danger to other inhabitants of the reservoir. Maximum size fish of this species can greatly exceed 10 cm, the female grows up to 13-15 cm long, and the male is much smaller, its size rarely reaches more than 5-7 cm. The difference between individuals of the opposite sex is not only in size, it is also beautiful hallmark is the size and characteristics of the upper dorsal fin: in females it is short and rounded, while in the male it is elongated and pointed.

Except speckled catfish in the genus Corydoros, there are many more species, in a number of which such catfish are recorded as: golden, shterby, trilineatus, Julia's corridor and many others.

Catfish nutrition

The food habits of catfish differ depending on the species in question; among various catfish breeds, one can meet both staunch vegetarians and notorious predators that can eat any inhabitant of the aquarium community. But most often among aquarists, representatives of chainmail species are common, giving preference to feeding on detritus and larvae of aquatic insects. These orderlies of artificial reservoirs will not remain indifferent at the sight of earthworms and small crustaceans. They love to dig in the ground, looking for bits of food full of nutrients. For food, these lovers of fresh dry mixes always use freeze-dried products made in leading factories in Germany and Russia.

Reproduction of speckled catfish

Speckled catfish reach sexual maturity at the age of 7 to 9 months, after this period they are quite ready to start spawning, which can be signaled by a sharp decline temperature in the aquarium, the easiest way to do this is to change a large amount of water in the aquarium by replacing it with fresh water. But before applying such a trick with manufacturers, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.

They consist in the fact that fish of different sexes are separated from each other and kept separately. They feed very well on a varied, nutritious diet consisting of tubifex, aulophorus and oligochaetes. After 10 days of following such a diet, the stage of maturation in the society of young fish begins. After that, a flock is formed, consisting of 2-3 females ready for spawning and 5-6 active young males. They are combined in one common tank, where a massive water change is carried out. Fresh water entering the aquarium imitates the onset of the rainy season for fish, which provokes spawning behavior in catfish, which ends with mass spawning.

Excitation males actively pursue females, and they, releasing a small portion of sticky caviar, capture it with their anal fin folded in half and look for mature male fish ready for intercourse, which they grab with their mouths in the genital area and take milk into their mouths.

Then, wetting the glass with liquid great content sperm, stick prepared eggs on the moistened place, which is why the process of fertilization takes place in it. After the end of the fertilization process, the eggs must be disinfected with a thick solution of methylene blue. This procedure will rid the masonry of pathogenic bacteria and saprolegnia fungus. If the process ends successfully, then the larva should hatch within 8 days. At this point, it is desirable to prepare food for a hungry fry. In this capacity, brine shrimp nauplii or frozen blanks of the smallest cyclops can act. Such a diet will allow newborn fish to maintain stable growth and regular weight gain. When the fry reaches a size of half a centimeter, it can be transferred to feeding with finely cut tubifex and aulophorus. A worthy replacement for aulophorus can serve as a grindal worm or vinegar nematode. These highly nutritious feeds are ideal for the very young developmental process. high level. After two months of intensive feeding with the above products, the grown fry can be released to older individuals in a demonstration aquarium.

Aquarists are attracted not only by small and guppies, there are also connoisseurs of larger pets. These pets include a variety of aquarium catfish. True connoisseurs of these mustachioed will not be scared away even by them night image life. Next, you will get acquainted with the types of catfish, the conditions for their maintenance, as well as interesting photos these fish.

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Description

Aquarium catfish belong to the catfish order. There are several families in the detachment, for example, armored, chain mail, catfish proper and others.

Catfish are considered one of the most ancient fish. This is evidenced by the presence of bony plates in a number of species, instead of scales, which are absent altogether. Most of the body is simply covered with skin. Another one feature- this is the presence of a mustache, there may be one or more pairs.

Animals live mainly at the bottom of the reservoir and lead a predominantly twilight or nocturnal lifestyle. Catfish can be predatory or omnivorous, eating both animal and animal food. plant origin. This point should be taken into account when keeping them with representatives of other species. Therefore, do not be surprised if you suddenly miss a few small fish, such as guppies.

The color of catfish can be the most diverse, ranging from dark gray to brown speckled, there are even albinos. Mainly a protective, camouflage color. The catfish can easily blend into the ground or deck without you even noticing it. They lead a secretive life. Buying catfish for an aquarium is not a problem; they are sold both in many pet stores and aquarists themselves.

Subspecies of catfish

The order of catfish has a huge number of varieties, many of which are successfully kept in aquariums. All types aquarium catfish to bring in one article is simply unrealistic. And we will consider the most popular among aquarists, both experienced and beginners, and see photos with names.

Clarius

Clarius spotted or Angolan, whose catfish cannot be kept with small fish. This is a predator, so it will eat its small neighbors. Clarius grow up to 60 cm in length, so when purchasing it, stock up on an aquarium of 400 liters or more.

The body of the fish is long, the dorsal and anal fins stretch almost all over the body. They end before the tail one, without passing into the last one. The color can be brown, olive, spotted and albino forms. There are 4 pairs of whiskers on the muzzle.

This type of catfish can move on land and breathe atmospheric air, without which he actually could not travel. Out of the water can be up to 31 hours, but must remain wet. it important information for the aquarist, as a tight-fitting lid must be arranged on the aquarium, otherwise he may escape.

Glass

Characteristic features of glass catfish are its transparency and fragility. For this quality, he received another name - ghost fish. The spine is well visible. Opaque only head and silvery bag next to the head, which contains the organs of the fish.

Suitable for experienced aquarists. Fish are very demanding on the quality of water, prone to various diseases. You need to run in an aquarium with an established ecosystem. You need to keep in a flock of 10 individuals.

flathead

Flat-headed, most often it is called the red-tailed catfish one of major representatives of his squad. Night dweller, likes subdued light. Can be kept with other aquarium fish.

The body is elongated with a large flat head. A distinctive feature can be called the color of the caudal fin - from orange to red. The color of the body is black and white.

In the wild, reach 120 cm, with aquarium maintenance slightly less. In addition, in captivity they usually contain young individuals. The size for an aquarium is at least 300 liters.

brocade

Brocade pterygoplicht (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps) is a representative of the chain catfish family. The body is covered with multifaceted bone plates, which is typical for the family. The head is a large sucker.

Colour: Body light in color, covered with brown or black spots, which resembles brocade. For their color, catfish got their name. The dorsal fin is large, high and resembles a sail.

synodontis

Tarakatum

Tarakatum (Hoplosternum thoracatum) is a representative of armored catfish of the genus Hoplosternum. Like other armored species, it has two parallel rows of bony plates covering the body.

Their body is rounded. They can reach 18 cm in length. The dorsal fin is large, located at the highest point of the back. On the pectoral fins - the first ray is thickened, turned into a bone spike, orange in color. Their color is brown-brown, with fuzzy, uneven black spots. Black individuals may occur.

During spawning, nests are built from foam. But it is formed not with the help of the mouth, as in labyrinths, but with the help of gills. Nests are placed under floating objects such as leaves.

Ancistrus

Ancistrus (Ancistrus dolichopterus) is a member of the chain catfish family that is especially popular with aquarists. The body of Ancistrus is long and flat. Covered with bone plates, multifaceted, this is distinguishing feature family of chain mail. Another feature is the presence of an oral sucker, with the help of which the catfish scrape off the overgrown algae.

Color dark shades with small white spots. The belly is light. The dorsal fin is large and shaped like a flag.

Ancistrus are inactive, swim clumsily and reluctantly. Most of the time they spend scraping off the algae, sticking to the wall of the aquarium.

Care and maintenance of fish

Let's start, perhaps, from the very beginning - with an aquarium. When purchasing a mustachioed miracle, keep in mind. That buying a completely baby, you can soon become the owner of a solid whopper. Therefore, immediately take care of purchasing a large aquarium so that it does not have to be changed when your catfish grows. It is desirable that the capacity was from 200 liters. You determine a more accurate volume depending on the acquired species.

The next thing to take care of is the ground and the “interior”. Catfish aquarium fish, like catfish living in nature, eat food from the top layer of soil. In order to avoid constant turbidity in your aquarium, the filling of the bottom should not be fine-grained. But coarse gravel will not work either, your pet may get hurt on sharp edges. Opt for soil with medium grain size and light color.

Plant in an aquarium a large number of plants. They should be with hard foliage, soft plants will be eaten by catfish. Some aquarists use artificial vegetation. In addition, place other elements inside, for example, snags, various decorations, grottoes. So the aquarium catfish can always find shelter.

Catfish are quite unpretentious in terms of water quality, but this does not mean that working with them is simple. A number of points should be taken into account. The water temperature is from 22 to 26 degrees Celsius. Acidity - neutral, slight deviations in any direction are allowed. Water hardness - from 6 to 12.

The aquarium will need to be equipped with a compressor, since oxygen saturation of the aqua is important. But at the same time, some catfish can breathe atmospheric air. Therefore, they should always have access to it, make sure that the plants do not cover the entire surface.

As for feeding, it has already been said that catfish eat food of animal and vegetable origin. In addition, they prefer benthic invertebrates. They eat young growths of algae. There are also industrial feeds specifically for this family, so you will not have any problems feeding them.

Diseases of catfish

If you find a disease in your mustaches, then you first need to determine the cause. The first thing that can affect health is the conditions of detention. Perhaps they are not quite suitable for the animal. In this case, dealing with the problem is quite simple, it is enough to improve the conditions for the fish. Change ⅓ of the water in the aquarium weekly, clean it. Observe the temperature and so on.

If your catfish used to be healthy and the content is appropriate, then the disease came from outside. It could be brought in with new fish, plants and food. Then medical treatment will be necessary.

But be extremely careful. Catfish in the aquarium do not tolerate salt treatment, if it is included in the preparation - you will not cure the fish, but you can kill it. They also tolerate preparations containing copper just as badly. If you already use such, then do not give the full dose, since the dose of 0.25 mg / l is critical for the mustache.

By themselves, the diseases of aquarium catfish are the same as those of other fish. And if you take good care of the aquarium, quarantine newly arrived fish and plants, feed your pets properly, then the catfish will be healthy.

Photo gallery

Video "Ancistrus Catfish"

In this video, you will get acquainted with ancistrus in detail and learn about their content.

In the article I will consider and tell you about the conditions for keeping, breeding and existence of aquarium catfish. Catfish are the most interesting and useful inhabitants of the aquarium. Some of them are able to dig the ground, move objects, which greatly help their owner to equip and create a new interior in the aquarium. I will talk about their variety of colors and the difference from other aquarium inhabitants, which made them so popular.

Many beginner aquarists are interested in how long their pets will live. Catfish are kept in aquariums with a relative temperature ranging from 22 to 28 degrees, water hardness up to 12 and neutral acidity.

Depending on the type and conditions of detention, aquarium catfish can live up to 8 years.

under favorable conditions and proper care aquarium catfish able to live up to 8 years. At the same time, large catfish in the wild live up to 100 years. Catfish are diverse, and if we take into account all the artificially bred hybrid forms, then there are 800 species of them.

Types of aquarium catfish

Catfish help to clean the bottom of the aquarium from waste and uneaten food. Each type of catfish is good in itself, but not everyone knows how they differ from each other in addition to color and how they look.

The most common of the aquarium inhabitants of catfish are:

Ancistrus;
Tarakatum;
Fractocephalus;
Sack gill catfish;
Broad-headed catfish.

Ancistrus

The word ancistrus comes from the ancient Greek language, which means horn in translation. Such outgrowths (horns) are formed in a mature ancitrus on the head. Outwardly, they resemble a beard or thorns.

Different in color, but predominantly:

light coloured;
black;
gray with dots.

Young fish differ from older ones by the presence of light or yellow spots on the body or head.

Almost all species of this catfish are covered with thorns and prickles. The spikes located on the gill covers are not initially visible, the male shows them only when he feels danger.

Catfish eat almost all algae and all live and dry food that they find at the bottom of the aquarium. During the spawning period, a couple of catfish are transplanted into another container, with a volume of 20 to 30 liters, mainly in cool water (20-24 degrees). During this period, in addition to feed, the female needs to eat bloodworms or shrimp. After a while, the female lays up to 100 eggs, and the male inseminates them.

Tarakatum

This species is light brown with spots all over the body and fins. Spots begin to appear in the process of growing up.

Life expectancy of 5 or more years, depending on habitat conditions. This species has an unusual structure, breathes oxygen air. Periodically spotted catfish rises to the surface, for a "sip" of air. At the same time, the catfish picks up speed and if the aquarium is not closed, then it can jump out of it.

An adult fish in size reaches 15 cm, the aquarium needs a spacious one, at least 100 liters in volume.

In one aquarium, you should not contain more than 6 tarakatums and only 1 male. During the spawning period, 2 or more males do not get along.

brocade

In nature, catfish can live 50 years, in an aquarium environment from 10 to 15 years.

Distinctive feature catfish is its dorsal fin, which often reaches 15 cm or more in length.

Able to eat algae in large quantities. This species gets along with other fish. Two adult catfish require a lot of space, at least 400 liters of water. A large snag should be placed on the bottom, when growths accumulate on it, catfish will eat them, this is one of the main sources of food.

Although this species eats plants, they are scavengers in nature. At night, they eat up the scales of slow and flat fish (angelfish, discus). In size, this species is able to reach 45 cm, which is a lot for an aquarium fish.

Glass

Or ghost catfish (second name) is an aquarium fish, which is simply impossible not to pay attention to. In nature, there are many varieties of this type of catfish, but in the aquarium it is found only:

Indian;
minor.

Their difference lies in the fact that the Indian grows up to 10 cm, and the minor can grow up to 25 cm in length.

The first thing that others see is the transparency of the fish, so that all its internal organs and spine are visible. It is worth launching the fish only into previously prepared water with a normal temperature (not lower than 26 degrees) and a low content of nitrates in it.

You need to feed bloodworms, brine shrimp and small dry food (they have small mouths). In the aquarium environment, the glass catfish eats the fry of other fish, and feeds in this way in the wild.

Scientists cannot determine how to distinguish a female from a male.

In an aquarium, ghosts do not breed. Pet stores sell wild-caught catfish.

Fractocephalus

The red-tailed or fractocephalus is so named because of its bright orange caudal fin. This is one of the largest and most predatory catfish. Its color is dark gray, with black spots all over the body. The catfish has a large mouth, the width of the entire body. In the wild, its size reaches 1.5 meters or more, and its weight is about 70-80 kg, but this does not make it a less popular aquarium inhabitant.

Even in an aquarium, the dimensions are impressive (up to 130 cm), you need a large aquarium, at least 300 liters, and for adult not less than 6 tons. Redtail catfish most spends the day hiding at the bottom in snags, he is inactive, but omnivorous, eat everything and everyone who gets in his way.

Catfish lives in an aquarium for up to 20 years.

The red-tailed catfish is not whimsical in food, it uses:

bloodworm;
fruit;
shrimps;
mussels;
worms;
mice.

Sex differences have not yet been determined. AT aquarium habitat there have been no cases of breeding yet.

sac gills

This type of aquarium catfish is not only a predator, but also poisonous fish. In an artificial environment, it can reach 30 cm in size. Instead of gills, these inhabitants have bags along their entire body, which, when the fish hits the land, help it live for several more hours.

When a catfish bites, a person begins anaphylactic shock, the bite is similar to a bee bite, simple precautions must be observed when cleaning the aquarium. When biting, put your finger down hot water to prevent the spread of the poison and seek medical attention immediately.

Life expectancy is 5-7 years.

The color is dark or light brown. Reproduction is quite difficult. The female is much smaller than the male in size; for normal spawning, she needs special injections.

armored catfish

The size of catfish is from 2.5 to 25 cm, they are triangular, but flat below. A distinctive feature of the species is the presence of a shell. They do not show aggression towards other fish. The water temperature ranges from 18 to 28 degrees.

shell catfish

There were no cases of breeding in aquariums; for this, the fish are given injections. In nature, spawning occurs during the rainy season.

wide-headed

Asspred or wide-headed catfish are up to 15 cm long in size. Large catfish in nature grow up to 40 cm. These catfish have no wen and scales.

The characteristic features are:

small mouth;
flat head (passing into the chest);
small eyes;
large mustache.

In an artificial environment, catfish adapt to any food aquarium fish. A third of the water in the aquarium needs to be replaced several times a week. There were no cases of breeding in the aquarium.

Each type of catfish is individual. Some are small, while others, on the contrary, reach 50-100 cm in length, which is not always convenient with an average aquarium size. Most of the species of catfish are predatory, they should be kept with similar aquarium inhabitants.