An aquarium is not only an excellent decoration for an apartment, but also an opportunity to observe the life of its inhabitants. Bright mobile fish can cheer you up even on the most rainy day. Among the inhabitants of modern aquariums, a fairly large group is made up of catfish. They live at the very bottom, are interested in pebbles or shards lying at the bottom, and differ in complex and interesting behavior.
Why are they loved?
Catfish are perhaps the most popular inhabitants of aquariums. Even novice aquarists start them, since such fish are very easy to get, and maintenance is not too difficult. Somiks are sold in almost all pet stores, they are often found in the markets. In addition to the availability of catfish, they also perfectly clean the aquarium, picking up from the bottom what other fish have not eaten. True, at the same time they often raise dregs from the bottom, but the owner usually forgives them. Catfish are relatively easy to care for. The first thing to look out for is a good filter. Catfish just love to tinker in the sand, so there is always enough debris in the lower layer of water. It should be borne in mind that these fish love various shelters, so at the bottom there should be thickets, stones, inverted flower pots with holes. It is better if each mustachioed inhabitant of the aquarium has his own house, then conflicts will be avoided.
The only catfish that hardly digs in the sand is glass, it lives in the middle layer of water
How do they live?
Some catfish are active during the day, others are nocturnal. Among them there are those that grow to a hefty size in the wild. As a rule, these are predators. In an aquarium, they usually do not grow very intensively as space is limited. But at the same time they remain predators, so before you add other fish to them, you should think carefully. Small fish are not the most suitable neighbors. Most of the catfish spawn. Their fry are quite large, it is easy to feed them.
Among the aquarium catfish there is a poisonous one – sackgill. It has thorns. The injection is unpleasant, although not fatal
Catfish groups In indoor aquariums you can find catfish such as
– pangasius, or shark catfish; – pimelodic; – agamixis; – synodontis; – pterygoplichta; – bunocephalus. There are also other types of catfish. In nature, they live in different conditions, and accordingly, in captivity, they require different care. For example, pimelodovs need clean water with good blowing, since under natural conditions they usually live in fast rivers. In an aquarium where such fish live, you cannot immediately renew a large volume of water. They need good shelter, but they are not particularly demanding to the stern.
Most Popular
Agamixis are perhaps the most common in aquariums. White-spotted agamixis is especially popular. This is a medium-sized fish, it grows up to 10 cm. Among aquarium fish, white-spotted agamixis is a real long-liver. If properly cared for, he will live up to 15 years, or even up to 17. In general, agamixis usually behaves quite peacefully, but he needs a large aquarium – from 100 liters. Pay attention to the ground. Coarse river sand is best. Artificial soil will also work. The main thing is that it is coarse. This fish prefers live food, but you can also feed it dry.
Puffy synodontitis
For novice aquarists, this fish is not very suitable, so the synodontis is not as popular as others. By nature, he is shy and careful, during the day, as a rule, he does not get out of hiding. He seems very cute, absolutely not aggressive and not too demanding. It gets along well with other fish, if only the temperature in the aquarium is not lower than 23 ° С and not higher than 27 ° С. He also likes a large aquarium and coarse soil. At the same time, broad-leaved plants at the bottom are also desirable, so that the fish can hide under them during the day. Synodontis eats absolutely everything. But it’s hard to breed him. In nature, this fish behaves in the same way as a cuckoo among birds. Synodontis tosses his caviar. Most often incubating cichlids are hatching its fry.
The largest
Among the aquarium catfish, the largest are pterygoplichts. They can also be considered the most active “orderlies”. In aquariums, you can most often find the brocade pterygoplicht. It is also kept because of its very spectacular appearance. This fish grows up to half a meter and has a bright variegated color. In addition, these catfish know their territory and carefully guard it, so they can only be kept in small numbers and in large aquariums. The inhabitants of the middle and upper layers are treated calmly, they do not pay attention to them. The brocade pterygoplicht feeds on plant food, but a lot of it is needed, otherwise the fish will begin to predate. She enjoys eating cabbage, lettuce and other vegetables. But this catfish also needs animal feed. Brocade pterygoplicht easily adapts to industrial feed, only they need to be selected correctly. Suitable for bottom fish. Pterygoplichts live for a long time. In addition to the usual shelters for catfish, they also need snags. Pterygoplichts gnaw them with the greatest pleasure.
Night predator
Bunocephalus is also quite rare in home aquariums. He is not very fond of because of his overly aggressive nature. This is a medium-sized fish, it grows up to 15 cm in length. It is active mainly at night. Bunocephalus is difficult to notice during the day, because it has a protective coloration. This catfish hunts at night. Lurking at the bottom, the predator waits for its prey. These catfish are rarely kept, mainly because they look spectacular only in the photo, in the aquarium they are almost invisible. Bunocephals live for about six years. Like all tropical inhabitants, they love warm water. They need a good filter and stable aeration.