Antsistruses are ray-finned fish, which are the most popular aquarium inhabitants. They are unpretentious and behave quite peacefully, coexisting with the vast majority of inhabitants. The structure of the oral cavity in them is specific, resembles a suction cup with a scraper. It is precisely because of this that they are called “sticks” and “cleaners”. Fish can really stick to the walls of the aquarium and remove the growing unwanted vegetation.
History of appearance and domestication
Antcistruses were first discovered in America. As far back as the middle of the 19th century, domestication of these fish was begun. By 2005, there were already more than 50 species. Some of them can become a real decoration of your aquarium. In Russia, they began to breed only in the 70s of the last century. Today we’ll talk about the reproduction of these fish and the rearing of young animals. Even an experienced aquarist does not always know how to feed the fry of ancistruses.
Advantages and disadvantages
If you are interested in these bright fish, then sooner or later young animals will appear in your aquarium. You need to prepare for this event in advance. Knowing how to feed Antsistrus fry at home, you will avoid popular mistakes and the death of fish. Experienced aquarists note the pros and cons of breeding these fish:
- The pluses include the ease of breeding and care, the original appearance.
- But there are certain disadvantages that you also need to know. They eat a lot. That is, you will have to clean the aquarium very often, and the filter needs to be taken quite seriously. Another drawback is that these fish are hard to catch from the aquarium. They instantly raise the fins and get tangled in the net.
Catfish Feeding
As a rule, amateurs do not care too much about what these entertaining fish will eat. It is believed that they will completely manage the remnants of the feast of other fish. Because of this, catfish get sick and do not grow to their normal size.
- In small quantities, ancistrus need animal feed. But if you overfeed them with a bloodworm, the fish will suffer from bloating and may die.
- Sliced carrots and broccoli. They can be chopped into forks and put into the aquarium. Then they will not emerge and will be eaten by fish.
- Up to 80% of the diet should consist of plant foods.
Diet before spawning
If you decide to seriously engage in the breeding of catfish, then you need to know what fish eat during the breeding season, as well as what to feed the fry of ancistrus. Individuals who are preparing for spawning should be sent to a separate aquarium. It is necessary to increase the protein part of the diet to 50%. It is preferable to feed the fish with frozen live food. The plant diet should include bell pepper, cucumber and asparagus, pumpkin and zucchini. A good result is the introduction of marine fish in the diet. If you first decided to start breeding, then you need to study in advance the question of how to feed the fry of ancistrus, so as not to destroy the babies.
Spawning
The success of breeding depends largely on the choice of producers. An aquarist should pick them up so that the female is larger than the male. This ensures the success of the entire event. Transplanted into spawning grounds, they begin to equip the place. Moreover, the male is busy with this for the most part. He carefully cleans the selected place and is nearby. Soon, a female swims into the maternity hospital , and its walls are decorated with orange eggs.
Then the male does all the work. He fertilizes eggs and guards the clutch. From this moment, the female needs to be removed, because the male can kill her. At this stage, he creates a flow of water by the rhythmic movements of the fins. He removes dead eggs from the nest, monitors the general condition of the masonry and protects it from any encroachment. At this time, it is necessary to minimize all interventions in the life of the underwater world. While you remove the remains of vegetables, the suspicious male will get very stressed, worrying about his offspring.
The appearance of fry
From the first day you need to think about how to feed the fry of ancistrus. Not far off is the day when the tiny catfish begin to eat on their own. Their masonry is relatively small, it can have from 20 to 100 eggs. After about a week, the larvae appear, and after another 48 hours, the crumbs are already beginning to scrape off the food. From this moment begins their conscious life. The male fulfilled his role, he is caught and sent to a common aquarium. Now, high-quality feeding is the key to good growth of young animals.
Starter feed
Usually, it is at this stage that novice aquarists begin to call more experienced colleagues and ask how to feed the fry of ancistrus catfish. The first few days they will not swim to food. Dry fish food and fresh vegetables will be the starting food for young animals. Usually on the third or fourth day, tiny creatures become interested in cucumber. This is the biggest treat for them.
Feeding the fry of ancistrus is quite simple. On a fork you need to chop a piece of vegetable and lower it into the aquarium. As you grow older, it is very important to move the fry into more spacious apartments. An important step is the placement of snags in the aquarium. The cellulose that the fish scrapes from them is very important for intestinal activity.
When catfish grow up
If you want the fish to grow up healthy and live long, it is best to pay attention to professional feed. Tettra and Sera fodder for Antcistrus fry allows you to provide the body with everything you need. These companies have for many years been at the top of the level of quality food for animals and offer super-premium feed.
In addition, you can feed the fry of ancistrus with frozen artemia. Try not to overfeed. They will eat food as much as they see. If you give artemia to other inhabitants, calculate the amount so that there are very few catfish left.
And finally, vegetables. They must be in the diet constantly. Food leftovers should not be allowed to rot at the bottom. Therefore, you need to regularly clean the vegetables and replace them with fresh ones. Feed the fry of Antsistrus must be crushed. Sliced carrots and broccoli are hard enough and do not create turbidity, but the kids will not be able to eat them. Spinach, lettuce, zucchini and white cabbage will be very useful. Fry perfectly eat pumpkin, it is quite soft and contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
Instead of a conclusion
Feeding the fry of ancistrus should be regular, complete and varied. The smaller the fish, the better you need to chop the food so that they can eat it. As you grow, you can abandon this need. It will be enough to drop a piece of vegetable - and catfish will scrape it with their scraper. Feeding the fry is an exciting sight. Surely you will be interested in this and will spend time near the aquarium with great pleasure.