Catfish aquarium fish are one of the most popular fish. They have a large number of varieties that differ in size, shape, color scheme, behavior. Compared with other inhabitants of domestic reservoirs, some species of aquarium fish catfish are very unpretentious, hardy and resistant to disease. For this reason, their maintenance is recommended for beginner aquarists with no experience. Soma are considered to be orderlies, as, dwelling at the bottom, they eat the sunken remains of food.
Feeding
Catfish are predatory and herbivorous. Predators can be fed with fresh frozen food - bloodworms, tubule mumps, enchitrius. If small fish (guppies, neons) live in the aquarium, catfish can also feed on them.
Herbivorous catfish can be fed lettuce, nettle, treated with boiling water. Also suitable boiled zucchini, pumpkin. You can give a fresh cucumber.
To feed these individuals, you can use dry and granular food.
Since catfish are bottom fish, when feeding them, it should be borne in mind that food does not always reach them, as other aquarium inhabitants eat it.
Somics are very fond of eating driftwood; sometimes they polish them to shine.
Aquarium size
For the maintenance of aquarium fish catfish, it is desirable that the domestic pond was with a wide bottom. For a comfortable living of these specimens, the water should be changed and filtered on time. For small species of catfish, the volume of the aquarium should be from 50 to 200 liters, and for large individuals - 300 liters.
Features of water and lighting
Catfish feel good in standard conditions. Water temperature is from 22 to 28 degrees, acidity is required neutral with slight deviations. Salt water is not allowed.
It is advisable to install a powerful filter. For catfish, it is important that the water is clean and oxygenated. For this reason, half of the water in the pond must be replaced every week.
Catfish aquarium fish live at the bottom of the vessel. They do not need bright lighting. On the contrary, they need a dim light or the presence of many shelters in the form of snags, plants and stones. In this case, the catfish will float freely during daylight hours.
Design
In an aquarium with catfish, you need to pick up large plants with good roots. If the catfish species is herbivorous, all small plants will be eaten by them. Gravel and sharp stones cannot be used as soil, since they can injure the fish’s abdomen and mustache, which will lead to infection and loss of taste buds.
Somics love to hide, so they need to do some kind of shelter. It can be castles, houses, thick plants, stones, bowls or driftwood. In this case, the catfish will feel comfortable.
Neighborhood
Catfish aquarium fish are peaceful in nature. They usually do not fight with other fish. But sometimes individuals of different sizes can conflict with each other.
When choosing catfish in an aquarium, it is necessary to take into account the nature of the remaining inhabitants. If these are small fish, then it is better to purchase herbivorous catfish. If the rest of the fish are large and aggressive, it is better to plant powerful catfish, predatory ones that could stand up for themselves.
The proximity of catfish to crayfish and crabs should be avoided.
Disease
The cause of catfish diseases can be improper maintenance. In this case, the situation can easily be corrected: more often change the water, observe the temperature regime, take into account the features of their content. In addition, diseases can be introduced with other fish, snails, plants, live food. In this case, you can not do without medications. It should be remembered that drugs that include sodium chloride and copper sulfate are not suitable for catfish.
Sometimes these fish can react to stress by changing color - they turn pale, they appear bright spots. But after they calm down, the color takes on its original form. For digestive problems, catfish are put driftwood in the aquarium. In general, the treatment of these fish is practically no different from the treatment of any others living in captivity.
Beginning aquarists should remember that catfish are aquarium fish, the care of which should be correct. This will save you from unnecessary trouble and problems.
Breeding
Breeding in catfish is simple. If there are no other fish in the aquarium, you can not transfer them to another reservoir. In the case when the inhabitants of the aquarium are of different species, for spawning, you need to transplant three or four males with one female into another container with a volume of 30 to 70 liters. Water should be clean, soil should be soft, and vegetation should be dense. To speed up the process of reproduction, it is necessary to change the water temperature within 17-25 degrees and do aeration within a few days. Spawning usually begins in the early morning. When caviar is laid, it is recommended to darken the place where it is located. The fry are fast growing. They can be fed with powdered dry food, ciliates. After a week, you can add finely chopped bloodworm and tubule.
Popular types of catfish
The name and photo of catfish aquarium fish give an idea of the diversity of the squad. Some of them are surprising for their bizarre shape and unusual appearance. Photos and descriptions of catfish aquarium fish will help beginner aquarists choose the right specimens for their aquarium. When choosing, it is recommended to be guided not only by the appearance of individuals, but also by simplicity in content. Here will be presented the most popular species with photos of catfish aquarium fish.
Corridoras speckled
The most popular name for this aquarium is speckled catfish. This is the most common catfish of the entire genus. The body length of these fish is up to 6.5 cm in males and up to 7.5 cm in females. The body itself is covered with bone plates, has a pale olive color with a blue or green shine. Two pairs of mustaches located on the upper jaw are designed to search for food at the bottom of the aquarium.
The life expectancy of these catfish depends on the temperature of the water and averages 3-5 years. With increasing water temperature, this period decreases.
Speckled catfish, like other corridors, rise to the surface of the water for breathing atmospheric oxygen. These fish are very peaceful and quite active. But sometimes they can sit in one place for a long time and look out for food.
Speckled catfish are preferably kept in flocks of 3 to 5 individuals, so they feel comfortable. For their ideal neighbors are barbs, zebrafish, viviparous, dwarf cichlids, tetras. These catfish love cool water, so they can not be kept with warm-water fish, including discus fish. It is also necessary to avoid the proximity to aggressive and large species.
Golden catfish
These bottom fish belong to the corridor family. Their name is due to an unusual golden color.
Golden catfish are peaceful, so they can coexist in the aquarium with any species. Their body is protected by bone plates. For this reason, they are invulnerable to aggressive individuals.
These catfishes feed from the bottom of the food that other species have not eaten. Thus, the food at the bottom does not remain. They eat both dry and live food. In his search, they stir up the water, so a filter is needed in the aquarium.
The golden catfish leads an active lifestyle in the dark when looking for food. In the afternoon he sits in secluded places, on stones and snags.
Antsistrus
These catfish are very popular among aquarists, as they are very industrious. They clean the dirty surface of the aquarium in a short time. In addition, these fish are unpretentious in maintenance, outstanding behavior, it is very interesting to watch them.
The body of ancistrus has a drop-shaped shape, covered with bone plates. Color varies from gray to black. The catfish has a wide head, round eyes, a mouth in the form of a sucker with horn-shaped scrapers. Thanks to this structure, it can clean the walls of the aquarium, the surface of snags.
Antsistruses feel comfortable in clean water, saturated with oxygen as much as possible. Therefore, aeration is required, as well as filtration of water in the aquarium, which must be replaced weekly with fresh, defended.
When decorating an aquarium, secluded places should be provided for these catfish. For this, castles, caves, grottoes made of stones, driftwood, and also thickets of plants with a good root system are suitable.
Antcistruses are friendly and non-aggressive, they are well adjacent to any species. They are combined with cichlids, cold-loving fish, including a veiltail and a telescope. Neighborhood with large fish with powerful jaws should be avoided.
Glass catfish
The length of these small catfish can be from 4 to 10 cm. It differs in a transparent, pearly, scaly, bodyless surface. Above the upper part of the mouth, these specimens have two antennae. This catfish got the name “glass” because its bones and entrails can be seen through the skin. Photos of glass catfish aquarium fish give an idea of the unusual appearance.
These catfish have very fragile health, so you need to carefully study all the requirements for caring for them. It should be noted that the water in the aquarium should be soft, slightly acidic, with a temperature of 21-26 degrees. For such individuals, only live food is suitable. If they managed to accustom to special feeds, the presence of shrimp, insects or their larvae in the diet is mandatory.
Glass catfish is peaceful. It coexists quietly in the aquarium with other species of fish. These catfishes must be kept in pairs in the aquarium, and even better, several individuals, as they die alone.
Since glass catfish love to hide, you need to provide for them in the aquarium secluded places and thickets of plants. In this case, they will feel safe.
Loricaria
These fish lead a benthic lifestyle. From the description of the aquarium fish of Loricaria catfish, one can get an idea of the unusual appearance.
They are called lizard catfish, as they crawl from one place to another. In an aquarium, the length of loricaria is from 15 to 18 cm. They have an elongated body of red-brown or orange color, turning into a long tail, mouth with suction cups. with which he scrapes algae. Loricaria are the orderlies of the reservoir.
These fish are very calm in nature, easily get along with other species. They live at the bottom of the aquarium. It is better to keep them in a small flock, then they will behave bolder and become more noticeable in the aquarium.
For small flocks of loricaria, an aquarium of at least 70 liters is required. The bottom should be fine soil or sand, as they like to dig into it.
Like other catfishes, loricaria love to hide. Therefore, equipping the aquarium, you should provide for them a variety of shelters. They feel comfortable among a large number of plants and avoid bright lighting.
Water requires clean and oxygenated.