Types of large catfish for the aquarium. Aquarium fish: catfish

Aquarium catfish act as a natural filter by eating the mucus secreted by other inhabitants of the aquarium. Picking up various residues from the bottom, these fish raise strong turbidity, so the tank must be equipped with a powerful filter. Many aquarium catfish are nocturnal, hiding during the day in various shelters. Keeping them is relatively simple, you just need to follow certain rules care.

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Description

According to the description, aquarium catfish are prominent representatives of the catfish order, which includes several families. In some species, instead of scales, the entire body is covered with bone plates. But in most representatives, the body is covered with skin. Feature fish - the presence of a mustache, which can be either one pair or several. Some individuals can reach a length of more than a meter.

The color of catfish is different - from dark gray to brownish speckled, but there are exceptions. For example, there may be species with brighter colors - silver-gray or yellow. Aquarium catfish most often have a protective, camouflage color. They live at the bottom of the reservoir, leading in the twilight and dark hours of the day. active image life. During the day, they most often rest, and after dark they get out in search of food.

Catfish are predatory and omnivorous. This point must be taken into account when keeping such pets. Fish live in an artificial reservoir on average 5-10 years.

Kinds

Aquarium catfish are of various types. The most popular fish for keeping at home:

View	Description
Armored, or callichtous	Includes approximately 150 varieties. The most common representatives include corridors (speckled or spotted catfish, golden catfish and about 30 more species) and hoplosternum (beige catfish, tarakatum). They belong to omnivores. This family gets along well with other aquatic inhabitants, ignoring their presence.
Ancistrus	These fish do not like to swim. Their mouth is in the form of a sucker, so they are often called catfish-stick or catfish-sucker. This is a peaceful inhabitant of the aquarium, which gets along well with many fish. Adhering catfish are phytophages that feed on plant foods. Representatives of this species are dark ancistrus, ordinary, star-shaped
Otocinclus	Otocinclus affinis is best suited for keeping in an aquarium - a small catfish that grows only up to 2-3 cm. The back of the fish is light gray, the abdomen is white, pronounced black stripes run along the sides of the body
Glass	Most interesting representative soms. He looks unusual - through his skin you can see the bones and entrails. It is 4–10 cm long. The surface of the body is scaleless, transparent and slightly pearly. Feature- two antennae above the upper part of the mouth. These catfish have very fragile health. They should be fed live food.
Brindle	Very shy fish. Grow up to big size so they need a spacious aquarium. It is advisable to cover the bottom with large pebbles or stones. It is not recommended to add other shy fish to them, as this will only increase their fear.
American	The species belongs to the catfish family. Another name for the fish is catfish because of the mustachioed muzzle. She is unpretentious in food, but the quality of water is very important to her.



Content Features

Aquarium catfish do not require special care, but you must adhere to the following rules of keeping:

• Aquarium size. The volume of the tank is chosen taking into account the size of adult fish. The best option is an aquarium of 200 liters.
• Priming. Catfish feed on food that settles on the top soil layer. To prevent the water in the aquarium from becoming cloudy, fine-grained soil should not be laid on the bottom. It is not recommended to use large gravel for these purposes, otherwise the fish may get hurt on its sharp edges. It is best to fill the tank with soil of medium size, which has a light shade.
• Plants. You need to plant as much vegetation as possible in an aquarium with fish. Choose those species that have hard foliage, because catfish love to eat soft leaves. The bottom can also be decorated with decorative elements - grottoes, snags, etc. It is recommended to plant vegetation in special pots, as some types of fish can damage the roots while digging in the ground.
• Water quality. Optimum temperature water in the aquarium is + 22 ... + 26 degrees. Acidity aquatic environment should be neutral, and the hardness should be in the range of 6–12.
• Equipment. In the tank with fish, a compressor must be installed that saturates the water with oxygen. Small catfish can also breathe air, so access to it should not be limited. Vegetation should not cover the entire surface.



Feeding

Feeding catfish is very easy. They feed on the remnants of food lying on the bottom that other fish have not eaten, thus cleaning the bottom of the tank.

Almost everyone eats catfish:

• bloodworm;
• frozen food;
• shrimp;
• tubifex;
• lean meat;
• black bread;
• daphnia;
• cyclops;
• dry food.

For good nutrition, catfish are recommended to feedspirulina tablets for herbivorous fish. Many species are happy to absorb food of plant origin. Catfish love to eat rotten places on snags, polishing them to a shine. They use their antennae to find food.

reproduction

Catfish breed very easily. To breed them, you will need an aquarium with a volume of 30–70 liters, called a spawning tank. It is equipped with plants and snags. Lighting is made twilight, muffled and provide the tank with enhanced aeration.

The spawning ground may not have soil and plants at all and be with natural light.

Water should be within + 17 ... + 25 degrees, be clean and neutral in acidity. One female and 2-3 males are launched into the aquarium.

To stimulate spawning, do the following:

• change temperature regime in the spawning ground, decreasing or increasing the temperature by 2-3 degrees per day;
• daily replace water by 50% of the total volume of liquid in the aquarium for 2-3 days;
• enhance aeration.

The courtship period lasts 7–10 days, during which the male arouses the interest of the female, circling around her and continuously following her. Spawning is carried out as follows: the male body and pectoral fins hold the antennae of the female, and she spawns in her ventral fins while taking milk into the mouth. Then she begins to look for a place for spawning, cleans it and carefully lays out the eggs, smearing them with milk.

Catfish-parents after spawning are deposited in a common tank, and in the spawning area the water temperature is maintained within +19 ... +21 degrees. The appearance of larvae from eggs occurs after 8–12 days. It is recommended to give fry special dry food or ciliates.. After 7–10 days, the diet is expanded by adding brine shrimp, nematodes, bloodworms, tubifex.

Compatibility

Catfish are peaceful fish that never fight with other species. But they have conflicts among themselves, which happens relatively rarely. Not all aquatic life can get along with catfish. Neons and guppies are a delicacy for them, so they need to be kept separately.

If they live in an aquarium predatory fish, then it is recommended to plant them large species catfish that can stand up for themselves.

This fish feels great in standard aquarium conditions at a water temperature of 22-26 degrees Celsius and constant hardness in the range from 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 pronounced danger to tropical fish living in water with such hydrochemical parameters. 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 renders Negative influence 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 as follows. Catfish jumps to the surface and gains inside 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. The maximum size of a 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, but 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.

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

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 pieces 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 puberty at the age of 7 to 9 months, after this period they are quite ready to start spawning, the signal for which can be a sharp drop in temperature in the aquarium, the easiest way to do this is to change a large number 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, having moistened the glass with a liquid with a high content of sperm, the prepared caviar is glued onto the wetted 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 intensive feeding the above products, the grown fry can be released to older individuals in a demonstration aquarium.

Aquarists love catfish for their unusual appearance, the ability of some species to grow to an impressive size, as well as decorative. There are incredibly many types of aquarium catfish, some of them are even remotely similar to catfish. There are species that completely change our understanding of catfish, and some can truly compete with any goldfish in an aquarium.

Types of aquarium catfish

1. armored representative. Almost all of this family of fish have a calm disposition. Compatible marble aquarium catfish with any other species, prefers to live in flocks and in aquariums with sandy soil.


2. Redtail aquarium catfish also applies to decorative species. It is this species that grows by leaps and bounds. And at the same time, fish grow to very impressive sizes. Therefore, it is worth keeping them young. Most often, you can find this inhabitant at the bottom of the aquarium, where he prefers to rest.


3. Aquarium sucker catfish got its name due to the unusual structure of the mouth. Their correct name is ancitruses. These fish are also the orderlies of your aquarium, they are completely unpretentious. This one is also lovers of life at the bottom of the aquarium, peaceful and will not get along except with cichlids. Cichlids will begin to gnaw at the fins of catfish and thereby harm them.


4. Aquarium catfish killer whale a representative of the inhabitants of South Asia, in an aquarium it will grow no longer than 12 cm. Such a fish needs space, therefore, an aquarium of at least 100 liters is suitable for it. Aquarium catfish of this species prefers life in the water column, but activity occurs at night. It is important for this fish to have a sufficient number of all kinds of decorations and snags at the bottom.


5. Tiger aquarium catfish also called brindle pseudoplatystomy. Starting these fish, be prepared for their shy disposition, sweeping away everything in its path. The fish will grow big, therefore, it immediately needs a large aquarium, so for an adult couple you need about 1000 liters. According to the size, it is desirable to cover the bottom with large stones or pebbles. If possible, do not add shy ones to this species, as this will only increase fear.


6. Aquarium catfish cat already by its name is of interest to any aquarist. They got their name for their cute and mustachioed muzzle. This species is unpretentious in food, but the quality of water plays an important role. Therefore, constant filtration, aeration and water replacement are mandatory conditions.


7. Aquarium striped catfish or the so-called singing catfish. Wide bright stripes of white and black colors go along the entire body of the fish. This representative of the armored ones boasts incredibly strong armor in the form of bone growths on the body. In addition to their strength, these growths have small spikes, which gives the fish excellent protection.


8. Spotted aquarium catfish or cuckoo catfish- representative of the people of Africa. The species got its name for a reason: after spawning, the fish act in exactly the same way as the bird known to everyone. The fish are incredibly active and can chase each other for hours in the water column.


9. quite rightly got its name, as it looks like a killer whale, but only in miniature. Pangasius, this is the second name of the aquarium shark catfish, has a flat head shape, as well as two pairs of whiskers and fins that are very reminiscent of sharks. The fish is quite nimble, while also very shy. To keep an aquarium catfish, you will need an aquarium of at least 300 liters. It is very good if the bottom is decorated with a lot of all sorts of snags and shelters for the fish.

All types of aquarium catfish, of which there are a huge number in nature, are surprisingly similar in appearance. More than 1200 thousand different waterfowl variations of this species live in aquariums alone. Otherwise, these fish are called cleaners, because they eat the remains of uneaten rotting food lying on the bottom. And many amateurs acquire such "orderlies" precisely because of their accuracy. You can buy such curious specimens at any pet store.

When buying a catfish, you should keep in mind that you will not constantly admire his cute face. Many of them are nocturnal and hide behind snags and other shelters during the day. The only exception is . Also, catfish mostly have a protective color and completely merge with the surrounding soil.

Many fish of this group grow to very large sizes and are predators. Therefore, aquarists sometimes miss the small inhabitants of the aquarium: or.

Catfish are spawning and breed quite simply.

Ancistrus

star ancistrus
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They are one of the most common types of chain mail. People call them sticky. Catfish can live in any aquarium, as long as it is clean fresh water, and even well-groomed plants grew. For their safety, the fish are looking for secluded places, for example, various snags, ceramic pipes. They are especially active in the evenings or when the water temperature is very low.

Settled and acidified water with a temperature of 20-25 ° C should be poured into the aquarium. For good growth and reproduction of algae, bright lighting is brought to the reservoir. For catfish, such light is an irritant, so they hide in the recesses of the sandy bottom, in snags and decorative ornaments.

Nature endowed ancistrus with strong fins, but deprived them of a swim bladder. For this reason, aquarium catfish-stickers cannot stay in the water column for a long time, like other fish. They move spasmodically, right on the glass of a home reservoir. At good care shells live 6-7 years.

Ancistrus catfish look like small flattened torpedoes with chain mail combat paint, on which geometric bone plates were glued on top. Aquarium sticks are decorated with 7 luxurious fins: two pectoral, a pair of ventral, large dorsal, anal and adipose. On the elongated lips of the round mouth there are large horn-shaped suckers, with the help of which the fish stick to snags and feed on green algae. On their head of impressive size, small eyes gleam.

spotted catfish

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Or an ordinary catfish - this is one of the oldest inhabitants of freshwater aquariums, in which he got back at the end of the nineteenth century. natural environment habitats for speckled catfish are shallow stagnant water bodies of South America.

These are relatively small fish, females (about 8 cm) are slightly larger than males (4-6 cm), their body is short, dense and stocky. The shape of the body is fully adapted for the bottom lifestyle - the back is strongly arched, but the abdomen, on the contrary, is almost flat (see photo of the speckled catfish). The entire body of the catfish is covered with bone plates and resembles a shell. The dorsal fin is high and straight, slightly rounded in females. The color of the body is brownish-gray with yellow on top, with a slight metallic sheen, and the belly of the catfish is yellow-pink.

An albino form of speckled catfish has been bred - it is pale pink in color with red eyes, like all albinos. Easily crosses with the usual form. The life span of speckled catfish is approximately six to eight years.

The optimal conditions for keeping speckled catfish are as follows: temperature - 20-25 ° C, pH - 6.0-7.5, water hardness up to 20 °. Catfish do not like too high water temperature. You need to install a good filter in the aquarium, and change about 30% of the water every week to fresh. Catfish love to live in a flock, so it’s better to start several pairs at once, so they will be much more comfortable. it is better to pick up small and not sharp, because this fish loves to dig it. In addition, the soil layer must be of a decent thickness.

Also, speckled catfish love to lie in the shade of plants, so don't forget about it. , or perfect for these creatures. It's also a good idea to decorate your aquarium with driftwood and rocks - this will improve the design of your small water world and the inhabitants will be more comfortable. It should also be added that the speckled catfish is a rather clumsy fish and therefore there should not be places in the aquarium where the fish can get stuck.

Breeding speckled catfish is also not very difficult and is accessible even to novice aquarists. Perhaps beginners should even try their hand at these fish, because there is nothing complicated about it. An aquarium from ten liters is suitable for spawning. Spawning of speckled catfish begins when several conditions are met, namely: a decrease in water temperature, increased aeration and regular water changes. The soil in the spawning ground is not necessary, it is enough to press down any plant with a medium-sized stone. One female and two or three males are usually launched for spawning. Producers are placed in the aquarium in the evening, spawning itself occurs in the morning. It is advisable to place the aquarium so that the rays of the sun fall on it, then reproduction will occur with its sunrise.

The fry are quite large, it is not difficult to feed them, they are not inferior in unpretentiousness to adults. Any food for fry or finely ground food for adult fish will do. With normal nutrition and conditions of detention, by the month the fry reach a centimeter length.

striped platydoras

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striped platydoras- a species of catfish of the armored family. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Lives in the basins of the Amazon, Tocantins, Parnaiba, Orinoco and Essequibo rivers in French Guiana and Suriname.

In nature, the size of these catfish can reach 24 cm, and the age, according to some sources, is up to 20 years. In the aquarium it grows up to 15-18 cm and reaches the age of 12-15 years.

The abdomen is rounded. Males are usually smaller, but slimmer than females. The pectoral fins of the fish are very developed. The front beam of the catfish is covered with small spikes and ends with a sharp hook. There are three pairs of antennae. Two pairs are located on the lower jaw: two central ones 2-3 cm long and two extreme ones 4-5 cm long. On the upper jaw there is one pair of antennae up to 7-8 cm long. The body is covered with longitudinal yellow and brown lines. Juveniles tend to be brighter colored than older ones.

The first year of life of catfish can be observed throughout the day. There are cases when the platidor floats to the surface, turns over to the top with its belly and thus collects food from the water surface. But with age, the fish begin to lead a more secretive nocturnal lifestyle, becoming more active only late in the evening. In case of lack of food, smaller fish are eaten.

It is better to catch catfish with a can or vessel, as they can very easily get tangled in the net due to the rather sharp rays of the fins. Caution should be exercised when fishing, as the sting from their spikes is painful.

They are omnivorous, therefore they are unpretentious to feed. In nature, they feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and various aquatic insects. In aquarium catfish, the food should contain a lot of protein. About 20-30% of the diet should be plant foods. Suitable as food, earthworms,. Since these fish feed from the bottom, sinking pellets or tablets should be given to them.

Sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce occurs at the age of one year. Spawning should be a volume of 100 liters. Aeration, filtration and creation of water flow are required. Dilution water: GH up to 6°; pH 6.5-7.0; t 27-29 °C. Carbonate hardness is minimal. As a rule, the spawning process is activated by an injection of gonadotropic hormones. Catfish can build a small nest (3 to 10 cm in diameter) from pieces of plants. After that, they spawn and attach it to the substrate. You can use synthetic threads, small-leaved aquatic plants.

The female lays up to 300 eggs. After spawning, catfish are planted. Caviar develops within 2.5-3 days. Juveniles begin to swim for 5-6 days. Fry should be fed live dust, a microworm.

Tarakatum

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Catfish tarakatum is an excellent choice for those who prefer to keep an aquarium with large unusual fish at home. Despite their size, these pets are very unpretentious, they have a reputation for being kind and peaceful neighbors, and watching catfish swarming in an aquarium is a pleasure.

At home, catfish tarakatum grows to a decent size - 14-16 centimeters, and in combination with restlessness, this makes a very funny impression. Many breeders kindly compare these cute catfish to cockroaches because of the similar name. Their resemblance to insects is also given by long, spectacular antennae, restless nature and the ability to survive in any "aquarium" conditions.

Aquarium catfish tarakatum has a large elongated body covered with strong bone plates, a high back and a straight abdomen. The main sign of these fish is mobile antennae on a wide head: long on the upper jaw, and shorter on the lower. Males, as is usually the case with fish, are slimmer and smaller, they can be recognized by the long ray of the pectoral fin, usually of a reddish hue.

A wide distribution area provided a tangible difference in the color of the fish. If you want to know what a tarakatum looks like, the photos will show cute bumpkins with the same long antennae, but completely different colors. Most often you can find a dark, almost black color, with light streaks throughout the body. There are "aquarium cockroaches" spotted and striped, also known as "tiger" and "leopard". Such catfish have a light gray, greenish or pink body color, over which darker spots are scattered.

aquarium fish Tarakatum are ideal for inexperienced owners: they are friendly, unpretentious and quickly get used to new conditions. The main and basic requirement for your mustachioed aquatic pets is a large aquarium, at least 100 liters (or more). The soil is better sandy or small rocky - playful catfish are very fond of digging in the ground for a long time, and sharp stones can injure their antennae or head.

Tarakatums prefer to frolic at night, but quickly master and can be active at any time of the day. These are sociable animals, so it is worth having a small flock of catfish at home to constantly admire their games. A particularly beautiful sight is the aquarium tarakatums on vacation - big fish laid down at the bottom at ease side by side and resemble a group of fur seals on vacation. However, such calmness is only a temporary phenomenon, so do not forget to close the aquarium with a lid - not only can a roguish tarakatum jump out of the water, all surfaces next to the vessel will be splashed.

In the wild, in tarakatum fish, reproduction occurs as follows: catfish choose a flat leaf of a plant that floats on the surface, and the male builds a foamy nest under it, where the female lays eggs. AT home aquarium such a sheet successfully replaces a piece of foam plastic 15 by 7 centimeters and about 2 centimeters thick, which is attached to the corner with suction cups. If you have 3-4 pairs of tarakatums or one male for several females, there should be 1-2 more pieces of foam than required - this will help to avoid a fight for a place.

Breeding tarakatums begins with the preparation of the aquarium - the temperature is slightly increased, water changes are done more often. After the female lays eggs, the male and the foam nest are placed in the spawning ground (if the female is not removed, the male tarakatum will begin to drive her away from the eggs). After 4-5 days, fry appear, you can feed them with brine shrimp, a small tubifex, it is better to keep them in low light.

catfish panda

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Panda catfish are peaceful schooling fish that live in the rivers Pachitea, Rio Pachiteo, Ucayali, flowing in South America. In aquarium conditions, these catfish can live with any non-aggressive fish, even larger ones. Neighbors in the pond do not seem to notice the pandas, the same, in turn, also do not show any interest in them. That is why panda teenagers can be planted in a common aquarium from the age of 2 months.

Panda corridors have additional intestinal respiration, which is why they sometimes swim to the surface of the water and swallow air, after which they calmly swim to the bottom again. It is at the bottom that pandas spend most of their time.

It should be noted that these catfish are not "orderlies" of the aquarium, they do not eat up the remnants of food for other fish. Panda catfish eat live, frozen food, flakes, catfish tablets. Food is taken mainly from the bottom. The breeders of these catfish believe that if the young of these fish are not given live food, namely a well-washed tubifex, then the catfish turn out to be tightened and small. By the way, the length of an adult healthy panda catfish should be about 5-5.5 cm.

The optimum water temperature for keeping these catfish is 22-26℃; pH 5.8-7.5; hardness 5-16°. Filtration, aeration and weekly water changes are required.

Panda corridors reach puberty by 10 months. The females of these catfish are larger than males, their dorsal fin is rounded, and the line of the abdomen has an arched profile. In males, the line of the abdomen is straight, the dorsal fin has a pointed shape.

glass catfish

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The glass catfish got its name from its transparent body. You can see through the skeleton of a fish the background aquarium. The body is elongated and laterally compressed. Both the skeleton and swim bladder well visible. Rest internal organs located in front of the body and not visible. Depending on the light, the body may acquire blue hues. Like all catfish, a pair of antennae is located on the upper jaw of the fish.

Glass catfish - a small fish and in an aquarium reaches up to 10 cm in length, so it can be content with a relatively small amount of water. For a school of six fish, an aquarium of about 80 liters is suitable. Keeping fewer fish is not recommended as the fish become shy and lose their appetite due to stress.

An aquarium for glass catfish must be planted with a large number of live plants. The catfish swims in the middle layers of the water, and unlike other relatives, it does not hide in shelters. Fish love shady areas, so it is advisable to place floating plants in the aquarium. Lighting should be subdued, as bright light can cause unnecessary stress for the fish.

As for water parameters, the glass catfish is very sensitive to water purity, so you need to take care of good filtration in the aquarium. Aeration is also desirable. The optimal water parameters are: acidity 6.5-7.5 pH, hardness 4-15° dH, temperature 23-26ºC. Water change is best done weekly, about 20-30% of the total.

For feeding, you can use live food and some quality dry food. The diet should be varied. These aquarium catfish have a peaceful nature, so you can pick up calm small fish in their company.

To breed glass catfish at home, first lower the water temperature by a few degrees and the water level in the aquarium to half. After that, every day, in small portions, soft water is added. To stimulate spawning, fish are fed a large amount of live food before spawning. After spawning, the producers are removed from the aquarium. If it was possible to stimulate spawning, then the female will spawn on plants. Imitation of the rainy season will also help develop eggs. The starter food for the fry is encapsulated brine shrimp.

catfish changeling

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Changeling catfish refers to fringed catfish. It has a characteristic, almost triangular body, a semicircular mouth and powerful spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins. It has three pairs of antennae, two of which are feathery, as if with a fringe.

In nature, this catfish feeds mainly on insects (that have fallen on the water surface), but has a lower mouth, so it often has to swim upside down to collect food from the surface of the water. Hence the name - catfish changeling.

In an aquarium, the changeling is best fed with live, and only occasionally dry, balanced food. Catfish will collect food from both the surface and the bottom. In summer, you can give various small insects. Fish are prone to obesity, leave them without food one day a week.

During the day, catfish mainly hides among snags, in various caves, at night it begins to be active, looking for food. Large aquariums with various shelters, snags, grottoes, and plants are suitable for keeping catfish. Water temperature +22-+27 ºС. Be sure to need aeration, filtration and water change by 1/3 of the volume weekly.

Synodontis changeling is a schooling fish, this must be taken into account. But the most important thing to consider when purchasing these fish is that many of them (or rather most) are active predators and they will not swim peacefully next to their small neighbors, they will certainly devour them. They are best kept with cichlids or similar large fish.

Sackgill catfish

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Under natural conditions, this catfish is widely distributed in Asian countries- Iran and Pakistan, India and Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Catfish prefers large and small reservoirs with stagnant water, muddy channels with a weak current, and occasionally occurs in brackish water.

If an ordinary river catfish has a flat body, compressed from above, then Heteropneustes fossilis is a bit like an eel. Its body is compressed from the sides, and only the muzzle is flat, equipped with four pairs of long, stiff whiskers. He swims like an eel, wriggling his whole body. The color of the fish is unremarkable: dark brown or gray, but there are also albino catfish with off-white skin color.

This catfish is pretty big fish, in the process of life of which a lot of waste is generated. Accordingly, good filtration and aeration of medium intensity is necessary. Water changes should be done 1-2 times a week (10-15% of the total volume).

A feature of home keeping is the fact that the catfish acquires a body length in accordance with the size of the aquarium. For example, in a 200-liter jar, it can grow up to 35-40 cm. In a small volume, the length of the fish will be less. In the aquarium, you need to create shelters - grottoes and caves, snags, fragments of ceramic pipes or inverted clay pots with a side hole. But you should not clutter up the bottom of an artificial reservoir - at night, when the owners are sleeping, the catfish actively swims, it hunts.

In food, the predator is unpretentious. It can be fed with frozen dry food, worms, meat, fish fillets, shrimp. Commercial feeds include Neon BloodWorms, Sera Viformo, Tetra PlekoMin, Tetra TabiMin and some others. Under optimal conditions, catfish can live in an aquarium for up to 20 years.

Asian catfish become sexually mature at the age of 2 years. Under natural conditions, they spawn during periods of rain. In artificial domestic reservoirs, spawning is caused by injection of a special drug - gonadotropin.

shark catfish

photo can be enlarged

In nature, shark catfish are quite impressive in size: it reaches a length of more than 1 meter, and in aquariums it grows up to 50-70 cm. If you watch a video with a shark catfish, you will see how this fish really looks like a real big predator.

The homeland of this fish is the lakes and rivers of Vietnam. Initially, aquarists were not interested in him, but in Food Industry shark catfish Siamese pangasius played a big role, and not by chance - the fact is that catfish is able to gain up to 40 kg in a short period of time. However, later aquarists paid close attention to the beauty and unusualness of this fish.

When these aquarium fish are still young, their body is silver-gray in color and has discreet dark longitudinal stripes. Over time, the color of the fish becomes monophonic. Two pairs of long whiskers still make it possible to distinguish this fish from a small shark, big eyes located on the sides of the head. Females are somewhat larger than males, and their color is paler.

Catfish sharks are not only large, they are also very mobile fish, and mostly like to be in the middle layers of the water. Therefore, the optimal tanks for them are aquariums of at least 400 liters, elongated in length. The aquarium should have a lot of space free from decorations, provided for the free swimming of its inhabitants. Adult fish can only be kept in huge public aquariums with a volume of several thousand liters. While they are still young, catfish can live in tanks as small as 1.2 m, but keep in mind that freshwater sharks grow very quickly, so they will soon need new house. All decorations with sharp edges from the aquarium must be removed, since this species tends to make sudden throws, as a result of which the freshwater shark can damage the skin.

It is worth saying that freshwater sharks eat quite a lot. However, they only grab the food that is in the water column next to them. Therefore, in order to maintain cleanliness in the aquarium, it is advisable to have such fish that will pick up food particles from the bottom - then there will be much less pollution in the aqua. Freshwater sharks should be fed in the evening. It happens that they refuse food if there is too much light in the room - in this case, the lighting should be reduced.

The optimal water parameters for keeping shark catfish are as follows: temperature - 22-27 ° C, hardness - dH 2-20, acidity - pH 6.5 - 7.5. It is necessary to replace a third of the volume of water every week. In addition, organize powerful filtration and aeration of the water, because in the old water the fish will feel uncomfortable and may even get sick. It is especially worth making sure that the level of nitrites, ammonia and nitrates remains low, and the other components do not play a big role.

Aquarium catfish

Corydoras golden or bronze (Corydoras aeneus) - one of the most famous and popular aquarium fish, this type of corridor can always be found on sale. Also, with the help of selection, additional strains of this species were bred: albinos and a variety with long fins. For some time, “short-bodied” golden corridors and artificially colored samples appeared on sale. Golden corridors are very hardy,

Albino Corydoras (Corydoras paleatus) is a pseudo-albino cultivar that has been developed commercially from the dark speckled Corydorus paleatus. The Albino Corydoras is now a very popular and common aquarium fish that is pinkish white in color with bright red eyes. Outwardly, this variety is very similar to the albino aneus, obtained from the bronze or golden corydoras catfish (Corydoras aeneus),

Julie Corydoras (Corydoras julii) is a beautiful aquarium fish with an interesting pattern, a small bottom catfish. The body of this species is creamy white in color, covered with small black spots with bold central horizontal stripes. For such an interesting coloring, the fish is also called leopard catfish or leopard corridor. This is a very active small (up to 5 cm in length) corridor, peaceful, loves to be in the company

Hypancistrus zebra (Hypancistrus zebra) is an amazingly beautiful aquarium fish, chain catfish, quite rare and expensive. In the numbering of chain mail (loricarian) catfish, it is listed under the numbers L46 or L98, it is also known under the names zebra pleco, imperial catfish pleco.

Bunocephalus banjo catfish (Bunocephalus coracoideus) is an aquarium fish for those who want to keep an unusual pet. The catfish banjo is very strange in appearance, but is gaining more and more popularity among hobbyists. Bunocephalus (Bunocephalus) in Latin means "bumpy head." And the whole appearance of the catfish, a wide head and a narrow body, resemble a guitar or a banjo, for which the catfish received

Corydoras green or emerald brochis (Corydoras splendens, formerly Brochis splendens) is an aquarium fish bottom catfish of relatively small size. Previously, emerald brochis was assigned to the genus Brochis, but later, in 2003, it was included in the corridors. Currently, it is still often found under the name "brochis". As well as other corridors, emerald brochis has a modified highly vascularized intestine, which