Antsistrus is an aquarium cleaner. He leads a secretive lifestyle. Lives at the bottom, hiding in shelters. Watching a fish is almost impossible. Aquarium catfish Antsistrus is not a decoration of an aquarium, but its necessity. Read all the details in the article.
Origin
The birthplace of Antsistrus is South America. Fish can survive both in flowing rivers and in stagnant water bodies. For her, the presence of shelters and plant food is fundamental. Everything else, catfish Antsistrus (in the photo is ordinary, the most common) is easily adapted.
Appearance
Antcistrus does not shine with special beauty. As a rule, its main color is brown with spots throughout the body. Males have small horns on their heads. "Men" catfish are much larger than females.
The body of the fish is elongated, and the head and front are flattened. The entire body, except for the belly, is covered with bone plates.
A large suction cup helps fish cleanse the aquarium of dirt. There are many horn-shaped scrapers in the mouth. Antsistrus sticks to the glass, removing green plaque from it. Also eats vegetation at the bottom of the aquarium.
It has a large dorsal fin. Its shape is flag-shaped, and fish, for some reason, often presses it against the body. The remaining fins are quite wide.
Antsistrus is a small catfish. Its dimensions barely reach 15 centimeters. In the aquarium, ancestrus catfish are completely invisible.
Life span
Cleaner fish live for about 6-8 years. Although there are cases when the underwater inhabitant reaches the age of ten. It is a rarity.
Content
What is necessary for the content of catfish-ancistrus? First of all, the aquarium is medium in size. For a couple of fish you need a 100-liter capacity. Although catfish is small, it is very mobile. He needs a lot of free space.
For successful breeding of catfish-ancistrus you will need:
Good filter. If the volume of the aquarium varies from 100 to 300 liters, an internal filter can be purchased. If the capacity is more than 300 liters, choose an external one.
Heater. You can’t do without it in the aquarium. A heater is necessary not only for som, but also for other water inhabitants.
Thermometer. The cleaner requires temperature conditions. Comfortable conditions for him - from 23 to 26 degrees.
Sandy bottom. Catfish love to bury themselves in the sand. And if the bottom is stone, the fish may get hurt.
Shelters. These include snags, various caves and grottoes. Very often a coconut shelter is placed in an aquarium with ancistruses. It is conveniently shaped, the fish fits comfortably there, and there is no fear that the catfish will get stuck in a shelter when it comes out of it or swims inside.
Plants with strong roots. Keep in mind, ancistruses are capable of undermining plants. Therefore, it is preferable to plant them directly in pots. Less likely to land a landing.
Take care of the feed with spirulina. Our catfish are mostly vegetarians. They need protein food only when it comes to the reproduction of catfish Antsistrus. On other days, he eats special dry feeds, which are available in tablet form.
Care
How to care for these aquarium inhabitants? No serious care for the inhabitants of the bottom is required. Regular change of water in the aquarium, cleaning the soil and proper feeding. That's all the care.
What is meant by water change? Once a week, 30% of the total tank volume is replaced. So, if the capacity is designed for 100 liters, then you need to replace 30-35 of them.
How it's done? The displacement necessary for substitution lasts for three days. Or is cleaned with a special conditioner. If you choose the last option, you need to know: after applying the air conditioner, water can be added to the aquarium after two hours.
Dirty water is removed from the tank. This is done using a siphon or hose. Be sure to clean the bottom with a siphon. This will help remove residual feed and fish excrement. Although food is usually eaten up by ancistruses.
After cleaning the bottom, fresh water is added to the aquarium. So simple. And performing these simple manipulations, you will not need to pay special attention to the propagation of anti-cristic catfish.
Feeding
What and how to feed the underwater resident? The fish is rather shy and slow. It must be fed with food in the form of tablets, as mentioned above. This spirulina-based feed immediately settles to the bottom and is very well consumed by catfish.
As an additional plant food, lettuce, zucchini rings are used. Antcistruses eat them with pleasure. For feeding suitable and circles of fresh cucumber.
Food is given twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. It is necessary to make sure that he reaches the ancistrus, and not fall into the rest of the fish. Pills for catfish are now available, which are attached to the aquarium glass. And sticking catfish just sucks them.
Antsistrus needs a substance like Legnin. It helps food to digest more quickly. In order for the fish to receive this substance, put natural driftwood in the aquarium. Somik will scrape wood from it in the amount necessary for the body, thereby satisfying its need for legnin.
Compatibility
Our underwater inhabitant perfectly coexists with all peace-loving fish. He is calm, not aggressive towards other species of aquarium inhabitants. He sits in a shelter, crawling out of it to eat and do his job as a cleaner.
Antcistrus is not planted with predatory fish. Cichlids instantly eat it and do not choke.
Incompatible catfish stuck with goldfish. He sticks to the belly of the latter, and eats their protective mucus. Why do golden fish die.
Breeding
Is it possible to breed anthrax catfish in a common aquarium? Quite, and if there is a sufficient number of shelters, the owner may not notice that the fish decided to become parents.
How does the process of reproduction in aquarium catfish-ancistruses occur? It all starts with the fact that several females and one or two males start. How to distinguish them from "girlfriends", was mentioned above. For all their peacefulness to other fish, between themselves males very aggressively fight for the territory. And if one of them prepares to become a father, guarding the caviar, the rest will try to feast on her.
By the way, in order to stimulate the appearance of offspring, it is necessary to introduce frozen natural feed into the diet of ancistrus. This is bloodworms or corvette. Soma safely refuse from other types of food. Cut a small piece from the frozen "square", defrost and throw into the aquarium. Just make sure that the fish eat the treat themselves, do not share it with other aquarium inhabitants.
Before you start breeding, aquarium catfish-ancistruses clean their shelter. The male fusses around him, carefully gnawing at what can be eaten. After the cleaning is finished, our "groom" begins to beat with his tail, calling the female. She inspects the shelter and decides whether to lay eggs there or if the dwelling is not cleaned enough. If the young lady is satisfied with the cleanliness of the "maternity hospital", she immediately lays eggs. The eggs of the ancistruses are bright orange, very large, and hang in a bunch.
The mission of "mother" is completed. Again, the male takes up the matter. He drives the female away, and he himself begins to guard the eggs. If one of the fish tries to encroach on the future offspring, the enraged "father" will give them a tough rebuff.
This continues for 7-10 days, until fry appear from the eggs. After the small fry first sailed on their own, dad loses interest in children.
Breeding in spawning
For those who wish to observe the reproduction of anthrax catfish in the aquarium, we recommend arranging a separate spawning ground for them.
How it's done? We buy a separate aquarium, 30 liters. We build it the same way as everyday. That is, we install a filter, a heater, lay the ground. Plants can not be planted, but shelters are required. In them, as we said above, the female lays eggs.
We plant the male and his girlfriend. After she lays eggs, we return the lady to the general aquarium. She fulfilled her mission, and intervention in the further care of children is not required.
We leave the male in spawning. We feed him properly. We make sure that "dad" does not lack nutrition. After 10 days, after the fry were born and swam, the male is returned to the general aquarium. We do not touch the “newborns”; they gradually grow stronger and develop into spawning.
How to feed babies
When the fry just hatched, they are motionless for some time. And they feed on what they have accumulated during ripening. Namely, the reserves of the yolk bladder. As soon as the fry have depleted their stocks, they begin to swim in search of food.
Considering the topic of reproduction of catfish-ancistrus in an aquarium or in spawning, you should certainly touch on the nutrition of fry.
In the early days, they can be given special food designed for fry. It is very, very small, resembles dust. If possible, feed with ground ciliates or spirulina. Our catfish are lovers of plant food, do not forget about it.
What else can be offered to fry? Aquarists with experience in breeding ancistrus recommend the following dietary options:
Lettuce, previously scalded with boiling water. Give chopped, twice a week.
The bloodworm is small - three times a week.
Once a week, fry are fed “slices” of fresh cucumber.
The presence of driftwood in the aquarium, which the baby swallows, is simply necessary.
It is interesting
Watching the reproduction of catfish-ancistrus, you can learn a lot of interesting things about the features of these fish. Interesting facts regarding this topic are told by experienced aquarists. For example, a female chooses for herself a “husband" along the length of his antennae on the face. No matter how strange it may sound, it has been proven that the male representatives among the Antsistruses, who have long whiskers, imitate the presence of larvae and juveniles. The longer the mustache, the better the "father" is the male in the eyes of the future "wife."
And a little more interesting. When planting an ancistrus catfish in an aquarium with numerous plants, you must be prepared for him to try to gnaw them. Hungry catfish is a destroyer of all vegetation; therefore, it is necessary to feed it to the full.
Completion
We found out how the reproduction of catfish-ancistrus occurs. This is a fairly unpretentious aquarium resident. In order to stimulate it for the appearance of offspring, it is necessary to properly feed. Soms will do the rest on their own, without the intervention of their owner.