Types of aquarium catfish

An aquarium in the interior is a great way to diversify and revitalize the interior. When choosing its inhabitants, they are usually guided by the size of the fish. If they must be extremely small, then the choice usually falls on such representatives of the aquamir as guppies, swordtails, gourami, cyclides.

These fish live both in their natural habitat and in artificially created ones - including in aquariums. The assortment of the latter includes dozens of species, which allows you to find the most suitable individuals for yourself. In addition, they have many useful features, which we will discuss below.

For people who are not privy to the intricacies of the aquarium world, all fish are similar to each other and differ only in color, and their main purpose is to delight the owner and decorate the environment... In fact, they not only serve as interior decoration, but also perform different roles.

In total, there are more than 1.5 thousand species of catfish, the sizes of which range from 2 cm to 5 m... Aquarium individuals make up a small part of this community, it numbers only a few dozen, but various specimens are found inside it.

Few know that these friendly fish are predators... During the day they prefer to be at the bottom, which means that comfortable conditions for living there must be created. And you will also have to take care of a suitable neighborhood for these fish so that they are not eaten and can comfortably coexist in the same territory.

Instead of scales, catfish have a kind of lamellar cover. Their mouth is like a suction cup. With this anatomical feature, catfish are able to perfectly clean the aquarium. Breeders love these fish for the following qualities:

• peacefulness;
• no stringent requirements for water hardness and temperature;
• can live in water of medium acidity.

Catfish are characterized by intestinal respiration. The fish periodically rises to the surface to swallow air, and then sinks back and converts it into oxygen. These fish are happy to hide in the thickets of algae, behind snags and other structures used in aquariums. Because of the species diversity, it is difficult not to get confused with the names, but true fans of their craft can reproduce even the most intricate "names" of their favorite fish.

Due to the natural tendency to a nocturnal lifestyle, it is better to feed these pets at a later time. In addition to the eyes, which are small, catfish have chemoreceptors throughout the body for spatial orientation. They give them the opportunity to catch the smells that are in the water, to touch objects. Because of the thorns of these inhabitants of the waters, it can be dangerous to pick up, especially if they are poisonous individuals.

This group includes 630 different types of catfish. Moreover, their gradation is complicated by the fact that it has not yet been possible to study all the representatives. In addition, there are loricaria catfish, which are difficult to clearly identify.

The variety of loricaria catfish suggests different colors and sizes, but they are united by the presence of a powerful sucker-mouth, which helps them to stay in place even with strong currents. The smallest of them ototsinkluses grow a little more than 2 centimeters, and pterygoplichts grow up to 50 cm in length. Let's tell you more about the outstanding representatives of the group.

Otozinklus perfectly cleans the aquarium and is an ideal inhabitant for a vessel with numerous algae. Fish can be from 2.5 to 5 cm in length. If your aquarium has a capacity of about 50 liters, then 5 such fish will be enough for him.

It belongs to pterygoplichts. This "pet" can eat vegetation with pleasure; it coexists well with many other inhabitants of the aquarium. With all the love for algae, sometimes at night their predatory nature wakes up in them, they begin to eat up the scales of slow fish. True, his needs for housing are immodest - a pair of such catfish will need a vessel of 400 liters. A snag laid on the bottom will become a source for the appearance of growths that the fish will eat.

These individuals are larger than the previous ones, ancistrus grow up to 10-14 centimeters. A characteristic distinguishing feature is the growth of skin on the facial area in males. A pair of ancistrus requires a vessel with a volume of 80 liters or more. They do not require special conditions, therefore suitable as first fish for beginners... In turn, this group is subdivided into many subspecies.

It is a pretty yellow fish with red eyes. They also distinguish it from the usual yellow ancistrus. The immunity of this catfish species is somewhat weakened due to the peculiarities of the recessive color.

His body has a darker color, which is also strewn with white dots, forming a pattern of "starry sky". The body length of this beautiful subspecies is about 9 cm.

On its half-meter body there is a gorgeous dorsal fin up to 15 centimeters. Such fish can afford to contain only if you have a very large aquarium.

He loves to eat animal food. The variety of hypancistrus is great, but only six subspecies were officially named. Some of the most popular Hypancistrus are inspector (dark with light spots and dark edging on the fins) and contradence (the same "star" color, but with monochromatic fins). The fish grow up to a maximum of 10 cm.

Individuals of this group are also called armored; in total, it has about 150 species. The most common representatives of this species are the corridor and the hoplosternum littoralis.

WITHIt means to cover the vessel with small pebbles so that the catfish can dig into it for their own pleasure. At the same time, it must be supplemented with algae with a powerful root system so that the fish do not tear them off during their games. To ensure that the plants are not torn out, they need to be planted in special pots and disguised in the aquarium with decor. Their natural range is the waters of South America. At home, 20 species of such catfish live. Various types of corridors are widespread in Russia.

This beautiful aquarium fish was brought to the countries of the Old World from the Amazon, and on the territory of our country it came to the 60s of the last century. The body of this corridor has a very attractive coloration. Yellow small spots and stripes are visible on the head. The gills of the catfish are cast green, the areas behind the eyes are marked with the same color. The light yellow or olive body has a dark stripe on the back. The fins are practically uncolored, with the exception of the upper one, which has black blotches.

It can be called Kalikhta, but this is wrong, since there is another variety with the same name, which is officially assigned to it. The fish live in Brazil and, like their brethren, gradually "conquered" Europe and Russia. The body length of females is 8 cm, and that of males is 4–5 cm. The body of fish has a curved back and a relatively flat abdomen.

The optimal conditions for keeping can be called water from +15 to +20 degrees, while they tolerate a decrease in it by several degrees and an increase to +30 degrees. They don't like salt in water, so they shouldn't be treated this way. To induce them to reproduce, it is necessary to increase the oxygen content in the water.

This African group with beautiful whiskers is subdivided into 150 species of fish. They have a body slightly resembling a triangle, spiny fins, three pairs of antennae, two of which resemble a fringe. Many varieties are united by the name of synodonts. They can feel comfortable even in stagnant bodies of water such as swamps.

Their unusual way of lying on their backs makes them easy to distinguish from others. They prefer animal food more and should not keep them near injured fish, as they will begin to eat their insides. Females are larger than males and have a denser constitution.

It prefers rivers without turbulent currents, so its main habitat is the calm branches of the Congo River.Small individuals 5 cm long have a beautiful color - a light cream body and dark spots with mother-of-pearl, the color darkens downward, and the belly is almost black. It is convenient for him to hunt on his back - he just grabs insects flying by or eats appetizing parts of water lilies.

Usually his fellows have a light belly and a dark top, while his color is distributed in the opposite direction: a dark belly makes him invisible from a height for carnivorous birds, and dangerous fish do not see his light back from under the water column - it is lost against the background of floating plants ... It actively eats moth pupae.

Its body length reaches 12 centimeters. The popularity of this spotted subspecies among aquarists is very high. It can take root well in a 40 liter aquarium. This beautiful synodontis, like the Dalmatian, is strewn with black dots that contrast noticeably with its light body. For this distinctive property, some call it that. They are also called cuckoos, as they can throw eggs into other people's clutches. Besides, they are characterized by kleptoparasitism - these fish love to steal someone else's food or elements of shelter.

This species has light yellow dots on a dark background that resemble stars, as well as a very beautiful light fin on its back. It comes from the waters of Congo, Zaire and Cameroon, which has a size large for aquarium fish - 18 cm. He is considered one of the most beautiful representatives of the fringed, but he also needs "royal" conditions - an aquarium that can hold 200 liters of water.

The armored group includes about 90 species of catfish. The grinding of their fins is quite loud. The dorsal and pectoral fins are serrated, and the scales are tough. If the water in the reservoir or aquarium is not of very high quality, then the fish can get dropsy. It is treated with salt and methyl blue. They thrive in the Amazon basins, during climate fluctuations, including dry periods. These catfish adapt perfectly to the new environment and have a good survival rate.

A hard fin on the chest helps them to leave a dried-up area for a more fertile one. And they are also able to bury themselves in the ground in order to wait for the reservoir to re-fill with moisture. So the fish are able to live up to two months, being in a state of slowed down metabolism. The scales of such a catfish, like the armor of a knight, protect it from the encroachments of enemies. Poison can come out of the fins, which is not too dangerous, but can scare away predators. The slime of these fish is also poisonous.

Due to the squeaky sounds they make, these catfish are nicknamed speaking. They coexist with other fish calmly. However, they cannot be called popular among aquarists, since their color is not as attractive as that of some of their counterparts. Also, these fish can poison other inhabitants of the aquarium, as in a stressful situation, for example, when cleaning the aquarium, they can emit toxins.

Its second name is singing catfish. It is very popular with aquarium fish breeders. Its dimensions are quite impressive - up to 20 cm in length. He can destroy snails, and he will be especially active in doing this in a flock of his own kind.

It is often found among breeders. It is in demand for its pretty dark coloration with light stars. Peru is not the largest representative of the group, its body length can reach 14 cm. Like its relatives, it prefers to live in the company of other catfish.

One or another types of catfish come into fashion, and sometimes not just domesticated, but well-forgotten old varieties become popular. But catfish at all times have been popular with both amateurs and experts in the aquarium business. Some breeders acquire new individuals simply by walking around the zoo market and stumbled upon an interesting specimen that is not yet in his collection. This is not the most correct approach, because ignorance of the characteristics of a particular subspecies can lead to unfortunate consequences.

Buying a "pig in a poke", you can miss your favorite old fish in the morning or see that a freshly bought catfish does not feel well in a new habitat.

Corridors and synodontis are very popular among the aquarists of our country. But it is important to know to what size the fish you bought will grow... So, the length of some synodontis reaches 30 cm, and this already suggests the need for a rather large vessel for its maintenance. There are a few basic things to consider when buying a new catfish.

If we consider the behavior of some subspecies, then it can be compared with a cataclysm. If you are adding catfish to an already stocked aquarium, you need to be especially careful when choosing it. In addition, some subspecies can be easily confused with each other. Thus, the synodontis S. congica and S. Notata have a very similar appearance - a gray color with dark spots - but at the same time with completely different temperaments.

The first fish behaves absolutely calmly and, most likely, will get along with the new company, but the second will terrorize its neighbors.

The importance of predatory tendencies should not be underestimated. For example, a very young red-tailed catfish 9 cm long can easily attack a fourteen-centimeter loricaria. Of course, he will not eat it quickly, but in a few days he will manage it completely.

Usually, small catfish are kept at home, or those that reach a maximum size of 30 cm in length. But it is impossible to assess growth prospects solely by the appearance of a young fish.

If the seller behaves in bad faith, and the buyer's own knowledge is not enough, then over time he will receive an almost one and a half meter fish. It is unlikely that you will be able to hand it over to the zoo, then the fate of the fish will be very sad.

Having noticed signs of weakness, soreness in the behavior of the proposed catfish, it is better not to make a purchase. Such cases are not uncommon, because resellers often work in poultry markets, who have taken fish from breeders or even received them from abroad. In the latter case the risk of "crushing" the health of the catfish is very high, since the transportation conditions may not meet the requirements.

Most catfish have antennae and should be of a standard length and not bleed. Sometimes they may not exist at all, and if the breed provides for them, then this specimen is clearly damaged somewhere. Or the antennae have deteriorated due to improper conditions of detention: when bulk diluted, harmful nitrates and ammonia can be added to the water in excessive quantities.

Today, special plastic bags with a large supply of oxygen are provided for fish. As for the catfish specifically, they need to be transported in double packages, and in the case of large-sized individuals, even in triple ones. The reason for this is their sharp fins, which are capable of piercing thin plastic.The most reliable will be a plastic container - it is more likely to survive if catfish gets into it.

Catfish is a popular fish among amateur and professional breeders. He becomes not just a pet, but also a real orderly of the aquarium - he cleans it from the remnants of uneaten food and waste products of all its inhabitants.

Use all possible sources when choosing this "mustachioed pet" - this will allow you to avoid common mistakes and make the right choice.

In the next video, you can watch how a catfish hunts for fish when placed in an aquarium without considering the compatibility of individuals.