Any person buying a fish tank wants his hobby to be fun. People are willing to spend a lot of money on maintaining the aquatic system, lighting and decoration. However, many aquarists do not consider it necessary to have fish for aquarium cleaners that would help him and share his daily worries.
What are they needed for
Sometimes, even with the most careful care, the inside of the aquarium is covered with a brown coating. Owners have to clean the walls with different chemicals every time. However, this can be avoided if the fish, which feeds on plant debris, are pulled in time. Such species will eat garbage with pleasure, since for them it is the main food. In addition to fish, snails and aquarium shrimps have this property. The most popular species included in the list of fish-cleaner aquarium: catfish, girinoheylus, swordsmen, guppies, mollies, Siamese algae and skate.
Black mollinsia
It is considered, perhaps, the most popular aquarium fish. Molliesia is extremely unpretentious in leaving and perfectly reproduces in captivity. It is quite hardy and can be kept even in fairly hard water. This species does not tolerate temperature extremes as a result of which it can become sick.
The main nutrition of mollies is algae. Therefore, in aquariums with artificial plants, the fish usually feel very bad. In such cases, owners are encouraged to feed their pets with spirulina, spinach or duckweed.
If the aquarium also contains large fish, then mollies will become uncomfortable. Experienced breeders recommend making small groups of these fish, which will include three females and one male. Usually, each female gives birth to sixty fairly strong fry.
Multicolored guppies
This is another type of unpretentious fish is very popular among owners of aquariums. It is believed that the main shades of guppies are cream, blue and white. From Central America, these fish came to Europe only at the end of the nineteenth century. They got their name in honor of the British scientist Robert Guppy. Due to their small size, these fish can live in an aquarium of absolutely any capacity. Experts believe that for each individual, one and a half liters of water is enough.
They need a fairly long daylight hours, lasting at least ten hours. In addition to algae, guppies eat dry food, bread and pieces of meat. There should be enough plants in the aquarium so that these fish do not feel hungry. Water temperature usually does not exceed twenty two degrees. In order to stimulate the birth of a female, it is desirable to raise the temperature to twenty-six. They belong to viviparous fish. Moreover, the fry appear quite strong and hardy.
Girinoheylus fish
This is a fairly large aquarium fish cleaner. The list of varieties of girinoheylus is small. The length of his body sometimes reaches fifteen centimeters. When breeding these fish, it should be borne in mind that they are quite aggressive. Moreover, their attacks are sometimes aimed not only at other inhabitants of the aquarium, but also at relatives. Because of this, very often scales are damaged in neighboring fish.
The main food is plant food. If the garinheylus does not have enough algae waste, then it should be fed garden greens. The best option would be spinach and a fresh salad.
These aquarium fish cleaners from algae live long enough, with puberty appearing only in the third year of life. Breeding girinohejlusov quite troublesome and many beginners can not afford. First of all, the aquarium should be large enough, but in order to keep the eggs safe and sound, the female is transplanted into a special sedimentator and a solution of the fungus is added to the water.
How to contain swordsmen
There are many types of swordsmen, among which the most attractive are the Berlin, Lemon and Comet. Despite the fact that the fish prefers fairly warm water, the swordsman can withstand temperatures of nineteen degrees. This fish is demanding on cleanliness, so the aquarium owners have to constantly use a filter and regularly change a third of the water in the aquarium. They feed on any kind of feed and eat plant food in the form of algae residues.
One can distinguish a male from a female by tail in the form of a sword. A photo and description of the aquarium fish-cleaner can be found in almost any literature intended for aquarists. In the female he is practically absent.
This viviparous fish is quite prolific, and its offspring are quite hardy. Thanks to these qualities, newcomers like to breed swordsmen. The price of this fish is quite low and therefore affordable to almost everyone. The fry are fed with egg yolk or ordinary dry food. Within a month, they can be transplanted back into the aquarium.
Siamese algae eater
To date, these aquarium fish cleaners (photo you can see above) are considered the best inhabitants who eat vegetation waste. Externally, algae eater is as follows:
- He has a long, narrow body, reaching a length of sixteen centimeters. However, under aquarium conditions, algae-eater barely reaches fourteen.
- This fish lives long enough (up to ten years).
- He has silver scales with a pretty stripe. On each scale there is a border.
- Females are usually larger than males.
- The fins of this species of fish are dull.
Aquarists very often call the Siamese algae eater "flying fox". Even the photo and name of the aquarium cleaner fish speak for themselves. The main food of this fish is algae. Moreover, it can even eat such seemingly inedible species as girinoheylus and ancistrus. They are quite tough and seemingly unsuitable for food. However, for a flying fox this does not become an obstacle.
Algae eaters are usually peaceful and get along well with any aquarium inhabitants. They are quite active and mobile. Therefore, it is advisable to select an aquarium for them roomy with a small number of fish.
Unfortunately, in captivity, algae eater does not breed. It can only be purchased at a pet store, where it comes from those countries where it lives in natural conditions. Siamese fox is very fond of clean water, enriched with oxygen. During rest and rest, algae eaters lie on their side. As soon as the fish feels that it is in danger, it immediately hides in the vegetation.
Sea Horse
This interesting and attractive type of fish attracts both experienced and beginner aquarists. It got its name because of its resemblance to a horse. He has a peculiar characteristic head, tail, which helps to stay on any support, and a fairly large belly. The natural habitat of the seahorse are the coral reefs of the Caribbean. The length of his body barely reaches 1.5 centimeters.
For the cultivation and breeding of the ridge should provide him with proper conditions. First of all, in the aquarium should be a sufficient amount of algae, which serve as its food. In addition, driftwood must be located at the bottom, for which he will cling to his tail.
How to care
These aquarium fish-cleaners are quite voracious and if there is not enough plant food, then they can also eat ordinary food intended for other fish. However, the best option would be shrimp, which are fed with a syringe or tube. Very often this process takes a long time. Due to slowness, skates can look at food for fifteen minutes and only then eat it.
Due to the gluttony of seahorses, water is often polluted, so owners of aquariums have to clean the bottom regularly. Fast and aggressive fish scare seahorses. Therefore, it is advisable to place fearful skates in a separate aquarium or select calm neighbors.
These aquarium cleaner fish are extremely difficult to breed since they are monogamous. Sometimes after the death of his pair, the horse is in no hurry to create a new family, he remains alone. The surprising fact is that in the skates, the carrying of children is not done by the female, but by the male. The female lays eggs in a bag to the male, after which all worries about the future offspring are transferred to him.
Aquarium sticks
Cleaner fish are sometimes essential for aquariums. If the owners do not want to start quite simple guppies or mollies, then you can opt for catfish. He has a rather interesting mouth in the form of a suction cup. The body consists of a kind of scale, which is also called chain mail. Thanks to the fins located on the chest, this fish can swim against a powerful current. In addition, the tail of the aquarium sticks no less power.
Care and maintenance
These aquarium cleaner fish are very demanding on cleanliness and good filtration. In the wild, its growth reaches fifteen centimeters, however, in captivity, it barely grows to ten. In addition to the waste products of algae, catfish also require special nutrition for sucker fish. Owners can also feed it with root crops and garden greens. They prefer to lead a nocturnal lifestyle.
When propagating, ancistruses lay eggs, and the male carefully guards the clutch. Five days later, fry appear from the eggs, which for some time feed on the reserves of their own gall bladder.
They are quite unpretentious and easy to maintain. However, non-sticking catfish need to be clean, which is why owners often have to change part of the water and monitor good filtration.
Cleaner Fish Diseases
Among the infections that fish cleaners carry, the most common disease is ichthyophthyroidism. Convex spots appear on the body of the fish, as a result of which it may die after some time. Most often, this disease is brought in from the outside. Therefore, the purchased fish is pre-quarantined and only then launched into a common aquarium. It usually takes up to eight days, during which the disease can still manifest itself.
Sometimes fish like catfish suffer from microspores. Often this disease is confused with ichthyophthyroidism, since tubercles also appear on the body. In order to get rid of these diseases, you should put the fish in warm water with a temperature of no more than thirty-two degrees and add salt. Typically, the ratio of salt to water is two grams per ten liters of liquid.
However, it should be borne in mind that with a running disease, fish-cleaners in the aquarium do not recover, but, on the contrary, die quite quickly. In addition, you can use the help of malachite green. As a rule, the packaging indicates the dosage required for treatment. Using this composition is quite convenient.