Acantophthalmus: maintenance and care, compatibility and types

Acantophthalmus is a very interesting aquarium fish and attracts the attention of others. Its body has a serpentine shape, and the transverse stripes give the appearance of originality and originality. However, the fish is not among the favorites and is rarely found in amateur aquariums. In this regard, many hobbyists know very little about it and are in no hurry to acquire it as a member of their underwater community.

Acantophthalmus, also known as the wormfish or thorn-eyed loach, belongs to the carp order, the loach family, and has been known in scientific circles since the end of the 19th century. The first description of the fish was made in 1846, while it was brought to the USSR only in 1973.

At first, the popularity of the outlandish fish was great; aquarists were actively breeding it and sharing their observations with each other. However, over time, interest in acanthophthalmus began to wane, and at present the fish can be seen only among true aquarium lovers.

The species belongs to the category of natural and is quite widely found in the wild. Southeast Asia and India are considered the distribution area of ​​acanthophthalmus. There, fish live in reservoirs with a weak current and an abundance of snags and tree roots.

Representatives of this species have a very uncommon appearance: they have a worm-like body, slightly flattened on the sides, without a lateral line and with small scales. The head is small, the eyes are protected by a transparent leathery film, the mouth is set rather low and surrounded by several pairs of sensitive whiskers. With their help, acanthophthalmus probes obstacles and finds food. The fins are quite small - they do not take any part in the movement of the fish.

Good maneuverability and streamlining of acanthophthalmus is also facilitated by their skin, which has a very smooth texture and is covered with the finest scales. The size of the fish is not very impressive - adult females barely reach 12-13 cm. Males are slightly smaller than females: their body length is only 10 cm. the average is 12-17 pieces.

The fish prefers bottom life and is very active at night. The species does not belong to the category of schooling fish, however, in open reservoirs, acanthophthalmus flock into small groups of up to ten individuals.

As for the nature of acanthophthalmus, they behave quite peacefully in the conditions of the aquarium. Unlike some other types of aquarium fish, these individuals tolerate loneliness well. This property allows you to keep only one individual in the aquarium, while not causing any damage to it in terms of mood and health. But more often they are lodged in small companies of 5-6 copies. This makes them more active and interesting to observe from the outside.

Today, the most popular among aquarists are three types of acanthophthalmus.

• Acanthophthalmus Myersi is a small fish with an elongated, worm-like and round body in cross-section. The length of an adult does not exceed 8 cm, and Thailand is considered the birthplace of the species. The fish is distinguished by a small head, a blunt snout and small, inconspicuous scales. Around the mouth there are three pairs of mustaches, and under each of the eyes there is a pointed spike, which, when frightened or excited, stands perpendicular to the head.

The eyes of fish are small in size, capable of being tightened with a transparent leathery film when it is buried in the bottom soil. Acanthophthalmus of this species have a bright yellow beautiful color with brown stripes closing on the abdomen in a ring, the number of which reaches 12-13 pieces. Males, unlike females, have sharper pectoral fins and look much slimmer.

• Acanthophthalmus Kuhli are natives of the islands of Sumatra and Java. They got their name in honor of the zoologist from Germany Heinrich Kuehl (1797-1821), who discovered and first described a previously unknown species. Fish have a serpentine plastic body, painted in pink-yellow colors. Dark brown, almost black stripes are arranged vertically and are decorated with longitudinal stripes of the same color as the main background.

The number of stripes in this species varies from 12 to 17 pieces, depending on the sex of the fish. Males are traditionally smaller than females and barely grow up to 10 cm (females often reach 12-13 cm). Fish lead a bottom nocturnal lifestyle and, with proper care and good conditions, live up to 10 years.

• Acanthophthalmus Semicinctus is a native of the Malacca Peninsula and the Sunda Islands, which are located in southeast Asia. Fish have a cigar-like body, a slender snout and a downward-directed mouth, surrounded by three pairs of whiskers. The body is painted in sand tones and has 12-16 black non-adjoining stripes. Only four of them form a ring - three near the head and one near the tail.

Acanthophthalmus are quite non-conflict fish and are compatible with most calm species. They can be kept along with tetras, zebrafish, Asian loaches, gouras, scalars, apistograms and even shrimps. These species are not prone to territorial behavior and get along well with each other.

Some of these species are prone to protecting their territory and will not allow neighbors to swim on it, others are too large for proximity to miniature representatives of loaches. Also acanthophthalmus it is not recommended to settle with overly mobile and annoying fish, which will prevent them from relaxing on the ground in the daytime.

Acantophthalmus are natural species and, when kept in aquarium, need to create conditions close to natural.

In this regard, special requirements are imposed on the equipment of the aquarium, which are very important to comply with.

• Due to the bottom life of fish, the tank should be purchased in a square or rectangular shape. Round models, due to the small usable bottom area, are not suitable for acanthophthalmus. The volume of the vessel must be selected taking into account the number of adults: it should not be less than 70 liters for 5-7 fish.
• Coarse sand is used as soil, pre-calcined in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 150 degrees. Its layer should be at least 5 cm, which is due to the tendency of the fish to burrow into the ground. For the same reason, the use of gravel and pebbles is not recommended, since fish will often be injured by sharp stones and will not be able to lead their usual near-bottom lifestyle. At the bottom of the tank there are various decorative elements in the form of driftwood, grottoes and caves.
• It is advisable to plant thick algae, which will shade the aquarium during the day. You can plant greenery for acanthophthalmus with the help of Javanese moss, Thai fern, or tiger water lilies.
• A glass lid or mesh must be present on top of the aquarium, since acanthophthalmos can jump out of the water. However, this is by no means connected with the violent temperament of the fish. The fact is that with a decrease in atmospheric pressure, acanthophthalmuses become too excitable and begin to randomly move along the walls of the reservoir. As a result of such activity, especially nimble fish jump out of the aquarium and die on the floor near the reservoir, if the owner does not notice such a misfortune.
• When installing the compressor, place it as low as possible, so that air bubbles go from the bottom to the top layer of water. It is recommended to use a bottom filter or an ordinary internal medium power filter as a filtering system. Fish prefer a weak current, and therefore it is better not to use powerful models.
• As for the water, its temperature should be in the range of 22-28 degrees, acidity should be 6.5-7.2 pH, and hardness should not exceed 5-6 dH.If one of these indicators does not meet the standards, then acanthophthalmus will immediately signal this to the owner, floating up from the bottom to the surface.
• With regard to illumination, we can say the following: acanthophthalmus does not like bright light and in the natural environment prefers to be in reservoirs with natural shading. The same conditions should be created in the aquarium: it must be placed in the shaded part of the room, and if this is not possible, then create an artificial shade.

The diet of acanthophthalmus is not much different from the menu of other aquarium fish and consists of plant and animal food. They really like small snails, tubifex, bloodworms, carriage, enchitrea and cyclops, as well as any plant fibers and spirulina. They are given food in dry, live and frozen form.

Gives very good results feeding acanthophthalmus with specialized feeds with a high content of carotenoids of natural origin. Such formulations contain a full set of essential substances that are properly balanced and are in acceptable combinations.

As for feeding fish with live food, then in this case you need to be very responsible. and do not be lazy to soak it for half an hour in a solution of the drug "Ichtifor". This requirement is due to the high risk of contracting infectious diseases, which are often carried by living organisms. As an alternative to live food, frozen cubes that have been properly processed and ready to use can be used.

It is recommended to feed acanthophthalmus at night, a couple of hours before dark or turning off the artificial lighting. At the same time, food should sink to the bottom, where it will be immediately picked up and eaten. The portions must be calculated in such a way that so that the food is completely eaten by the fish in 5 minutes. Otherwise, its residues will accumulate at the bottom of the aquarium, begin to rot and lead to clouding of the aquarium water.

Breeding acanthophthalmus requires a certain amount of experience and special knowledge from the aquarist. Spontaneous eggs also occur, but in most cases the eggs remain unfertilized and are eventually devoured.

Therefore, for the planned production of offspring, a number of recommendations should be followed.

• Several strong individuals from the age of one year are selected from the general herd., while the female should have an enlarged abdomen.
• A slightly acidic water is poured into a small aquarium, the bottom is covered with a separate mesh and the temperature is maintained at 26-28 degrees.
• Then water is poured into a 3-liter jar, drip 2-3 drops of novocaine and launch 5 fish there. After 10 minutes, the fish fall into a daze, they are removed and given a hormonal injection. For this, chorionic gonadotropin is used at the rate of 60-150 units. for every fish.
• Then the individuals are planted in a prepared tank and wait for the start of the rut. In 8 hours after the injection, the males begin to hunt for the female: they lean their head against her head and embrace the lady with their pectoral fins. Soon the pair rises to the surface and the female “shoots out” a portion of small greenish eggs. The eggs sink to the bottom and, thanks to the net, become inaccessible to voracious parents.
• After a short time, the “delivery” of caviar occurs over and over again. As a result, up to 800 eggs can be collected in one spawning.
• And within a day, the eggs acquire tails, and after another 4 days, the formation of larvae occurs. Live dust and grindal are used as food for them, and already in a month the fry grow up to 2 cm and begin to eat larger live food.

For the content of acanthophthalmus, see below.