Keeping and caring for aquarium catfish

Among aquatic inhabitants, the catfish family is the most numerous, it has more than 2000 species, half of which are suitable for keeping in an aquarium. Their popularity is due not only to their interesting and unusual appearance, but also to the benefits for the ecosystem of the home reservoir. Catfish are good cleaners of the bottom space, they eat all the uneaten food that falls to the bottom, not allowing it to rot and spoil the water. We will talk about some species and how to properly maintain and care for them in this article.

Catfish species are very diverse and unlike others. It is impossible to bring all varieties to one single description. Catfish of different species have a lot of differences: some individuals look cute and friendly, others in their appearance do not in any way resemble the catfish we are used to. Seeing a fish of a very interesting appearance in a pet store, it is not always possible to understand that it is a catfish, such as the "shark pangasius", which looks like a shark.

Thus, before purchasing a certain type of catfish, you need to take care of neighbors of equal size.

In the aquarium hobby, there is such a thing as "compatibility". If one type of fish is compatible with another (for example, the sucker catfish ancistrus is compatible with neon), this suggests that such a neighborhood will be calm, without surprises and conflicts between them, but large cichlids that build nests at the bottom of the aquarium,may regard the approach of ancistrus as an encroachment on their territory and attack.

There are a huge number of types of aquarium catfish, different in appearance, conditions of detention, food supply. Let's take a closer look at the most popular varieties that can be found in every pet store.

The most popular aquarium catfish today. It has earned its popularity and relevance due to its unpretentious content, strong immunity, and practical properties. Such a fish is suitable for a novice aquarist. For its unusual mouth, it is often called:

• catfish-sticking;
• catfish sucker;
• catfish cleaner.

There are many varieties of this catfish:

• albinos;
• star-shaped;
• red;
• yellow and many others.

Such a catfish grows up to 10-12 cm, and sometimes up to 15 cm. Despite its small size, a pair of ancistrus will need an aquarium of 80 liters or more.

Filtration and aeration are required.

The average lifespan of ancistrus is 6–8 years, but there are also long-livers. With decent care, the fish can live for 12 years. In nature, this "pet" hides under stones and among the snags, so in the aquarium it will be necessary to organize a large number of shelters in which the catfish will hide. Suitable:

• ceramic pots;
• coconut shell;
• various decorations.

The second fatal mistake for them is in convincing the owner that these catfish feed on the excrement of other fish, and they are sincerely surprised when this does not happen.

Ancistrus is a very voracious fish. The main diet is plant-based, namely spirulina-based food. Sometimes you can pamper vegetables, which the fish love very much, slices of zucchini and cucumbers. It is important to remove uneaten vegetables on time to avoid rotting and water spoilage. For normal digestion, catfish must consume lignin, so the presence of snags in the aquarium is mandatory. The temperature for the content is from 20 to 28 degrees.

A large and unpretentious catfish native to South America, it is not found anywhere else and prefers shallow water. Like the ancistrus, it has a suction cup. With its help, the catfish can stick so strongly to the surface or to other fish that it will be impossible to tear it off without harm to it and other fish. They have not only gill but also intestinal respiration, which helps to survive the dry season, burrowing into the silt.

The size of the catfish depends on the parameters of the aquarium. The larger the home reservoir, the larger the fish will grow in it. In spacious dwellings, these underwater inhabitants can reach 35–40 cm, and in nature - more than 50 cm.

It is necessary to equip the aquarium with a powerful filter.

At a young age, it is very similar to ancistrus, so it is unknowingly bought under the guise of a small catfish, and when it outgrows a 100-liter aquarium, the owners do not know what to do with them. That is why there are so many in the network who want to give or sell their Pterygoplicht for symbolic money. The optimum water temperature for them is from 23-27 degrees.

This animal is a carnivore, although it belongs to peace-loving fish, therefore it is impossible to settle in the same aquarium with ancistrus: the pterygoplicht will kill it on the very first night. With age, it may begin to eat small fish sleeping at the bottom.

In Latin it sounds like "Toracatum". Peace-loving and unpretentious representative of the aquatic world comes from the reservoir of Guiana and the Amazon River basin. Very calm and easy to get along with other fish. Spends most of the time at the bottom, preferring to hide behind snags, plants, grottoes. Grows up to 15 cm. He loves to bury himself in the ground, so there should be no sharp stones at the bottom, and if there is such a pet in the aquarium, it is better to plant plants in pots.

The best condition for keeping will be a common aquarium with dense thickets of plants and many shelters. The lifespan is about 10 years. Almost omnivorous. Any food for catfish is suitable, as well as live food: bloodworms and tubifex. Compatible with all peaceful fish, does not get along with large cyclides. Comfortable water temperature - from 20 to 27 degrees.

This is a real underwater hunter native to stagnant water bodies of Iran, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries of Southeast Asia, sometimes found in water areas with a slight current, even less often in brackish water. Its appearance and mode of movement is a bit like an eel, and the structure of the muzzle is slightly similar to that of a giraffe catfish.

As with any fish, the size is influenced by the conditions of detention and the volume of the tank. On the sides along the whole body there are leather bags, into which the catfish draws air, and in drought - water, which allows it to do without water for a long time, buried in the silt. For this way of breathing, this catfish got its name. The fish is rather shy. Suitable water temperatures for this catfish are between 21 and 27 degrees.

The homeland of this fish is Thailand, or rather, the Chao Phraya River. In 1966, this fish was classified as an extinct species. Catching a huge number of individuals for sale, disrupting the possibility of immigration during the rainy season, industrial pollution of habitats - all this led to the disappearance of this fish from sight for many years. It was only in 2011 that a small colony was discovered in the Chao Phraya River. In 2014, this species was no longer considered extinct, but it was still listed in the Red Book.

It has a dark green, sometimes brownish or bronze tint and a bright red tail. There are albinos with a light body, red eyes and a caudal fin. The fish are active and territorial.

Keeping several of these catfish in one aquarium will be difficult. Of any number of individuals, the strongest will appear, and he will chase others, preventing them from developing normally.

The main diet is vegetable. It eats up algal growths a little, but it will not keep the aquarium clean, such as ancistrus. Anyone can consume dry food; bottom tablets for catfish, as well as live food, are well suited. Temperature - from 22 to 26 degrees.

The common Girinoheilus has a natural gray-green color, but there is another variety of this fish that has a golden hue. The conditions of detention are the same for both. Girinoheilus is sometimes called the Chinese algae eater.

To keep such a fish, you will need a container of at least 60 liters per individual, in which good filtration and aeration will be organized. The water temperature should be from 25 to 26 degrees, when the temperature drops, the catfish becomes lethargic and can get sick. They do not tolerate transplanting into a new unbalanced aquarium. It is obligatory to have a cover on the tank. Eats algal fouling and any food for catfish. At a young age, it is very similar in behavior to the Pygmy catfish.

For aquarium catfish, see below.