Otocinclus and other aquarium cleaners. Fishes that clean the aquarium Cleaner fish

Catfish are interesting, beautiful and useful inhabitants home aquarium. Callichthid species establish their own order: they dig the ground, move buildings, helping the owner create a unique design. Chainmail - remove young growth of algae from the walls of the aquarium, plants, snags and buildings. The variety of colors and dissimilarity from other inhabitants have made them favorites of aquarists.

The most popular are catfish with two types of suckers – common ancitrus and star ancitrus. These species belong to the chain catfish, widespread in the Rio Negro river system and streams of Brazil. The main difference is the absence of a swim bladder, the presence of a sucker-shaped mouthparts and a larger number of dorsal fin rays (8-10 instead of 7-8 in most other species). The common ancitrus reaches a length of up to 15 cm, and the star-shaped one up to 8 cm. It is better to keep both species in pairs or harems, where there are several females for one male. Recommended volume of a species aquarium (for one pair of fish) for:

• – 80 l;
• – 60 l.

If the aquarium is common for ancitrus and fish of other species, then the volume must be increased by 20 liters for each type of catfish.

Temperature range for:

• ordinary ancitrus – from 22 to 27°C;
• star ancitrus - from 20 to 28°C.

Ancistrus mouthparts.

Catering for Ancitrus

The nutrition of sucker catfish is based on small-celled algae that form on the walls of the aquarium and on the design components of the artificial reservoir. Thanks to their suction cup mouthparts, fish effectively remove green growth from various elements in the aquarium and plants, which is why they are purchased as.

If there is a lack of food, they begin to eat the soft leaves of plants, leaving gnawed holes in them.

The diet for chain catfish must be selected as for herbivores. Tabletized spirulina works well (the most commonly used), and can also be fed with dry, live and frozen food. As a delicacy, boiled cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, apple, banana and many other vegetables and fruits are used. When feeding natural vegetables and fruits, uneaten fish must be removed from the aquarium after 2-6 hours to prevent water spoilage.

Stellate Ancistrus.

Sexual differences and reproduction of ancitruses

The main difference between a male and a female is:

• difference in size (the male is much larger, the common ancitrus can reach 15 cm);
• Males have bristle-like growths on their snout, while females have only the rudiments of such growths.

For successful and long-term maintenance and breeding of ancitrus, soft water with a pH value of 4.5-6 is required. In special shelters made of wood, clay or slate, or coconut shells, the female lays up to 200 eggs and then leaves the nest. The male guards the clutch and the larvae that appear later until they begin to swim on their own. You can feed the fry with nutritional tablets or plant derivatives.

Male common ancistrus and its processes on the upper jaw.

Brochis catfish

By origin, the Brochis come from South America and represent the calichthaceae family. Six species have been identified in the Brochis genus. The following have gained the greatest popularity among aquarists:

• brochis Britski (the body is pink, the fins are red or light brown, the back is blue-green with a metallic sheen);
• big-nosed (catfish with sharp nose, the main color is greenish-gray, the head is yellowish, the belly is pink);
• emerald (brilliant, emerald, green), has a golden-green metallic sheen, the belly is light, beige-yellow, the dorsal, adipose and caudal fins are brown.

Description of catfish

These catfish are peaceful, unpretentious and stay mainly in the bottom layers of water, looking for food at the bottom in the soil or in plant bushes. They are most active and playful in twilight lighting.

Brochis have a voluminous head with three pairs of whiskers, an elongated mouth opening directed downwards, which makes it possible to conveniently pick up food from the bottom, a high body, compressed on the sides by two rows of bone plates. The adipose fin is equipped with a sharp spine. The main difference between this genus of catfish and other species of the family is the larger number of rays on the dorsal fin - the emerald brochis has 10-12, the nosed and britski have 15 to 18 rays.

Brochis nosy.

Conditions of detention

Brochis catfish are quite large, measuring about 8 cm, and require a spacious aquarium. A species aquarium must be at least 112 liters, and a general aquarium - from 240 liters.

You need to put a lid on the aquarium to prevent catfish from jumping out.

Brochis are a schooling fish, and it is better to keep from 5 to 10 pieces; if the number of fish is less than five, then they will feel insecure and constantly hide in shelters.

Brochis spend all their time searching for food, digging at the bottom, which necessitates good filtration and the choice of fine-grained, rounded soil in the aquarium.

Plants should be chosen with a good root system and floating (they will create some shading in the aquarium).

The water temperature should be maintained at a level of 24 to 26 ° C, with low softness, and up to 30% of the aquarium volume should be replaced weekly.

Good aeration and a slight flow will be useful when setting up an aquarium.

Snags, large stones, grottoes or other shelters will be excellent shelters, without which brochis are uncomfortable in the aquarium.

For feeding, it is better to use: tubifex, bloodworms, etc. Brochis are very gluttonous and require plenty of food, but are not picky about food.

Emerald Brochis.

Sexual differences and reproduction

Female brochis are much larger and rounder than males. Depending on the state of health and age, the female can lay from 300 to 600 eggs with a diameter of 1 mm. Eggs are deposited throughout the aquarium. The ripening period is five days, after which the larvae appear. After four days they begin to feed on small live food.

The fry go through three distinct developmental phases before they acquire their permanent emerald color. Initially they are speckled with a reddish dorsal fin, then other color changes occur until the color is fully developed.

They become sexually mature at the age of 1.5 to 2 years. They are not the easiest to breed, and they spawn extremely rarely in amateur aquariums.

Features of the view

Features include:

• very close view;
• cannot tolerate salty water;
• when using intestinal respiration, brochis rise to the surface and take in air, sometimes emerging with their whole body;
• fearful and irritable.

Aquarium catfish

Armored (dorado), armored or side-scaled catfishes are a separate family of catfish, distinguished by the presence of large bony plates that cover the entire body of the catfish, except for the abdominal region. Along the entire body, on the sides, there is a line of bone spines. Some fins also have hard bony rays.

When danger arises, catfish spread their fins and secrete toxic mucus, which, when pricked by a thorn, causes pain and also prevents the wound from regenerating for a long time.

This family is also interesting for its ability to produce various sounds, due to which some species are called singing.

Description of side-scaled catfish

Bronyaki live in the swampy areas of South America in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. This family has about 100 species, and is represented by aquarium and commercial catfish with sizes ranging from 5 to 120 cm. Large species They grow very quickly and aquariums become unsuitable for keeping them. The most common types of aquarium armor are:

• white-spotted agamixis;
• Acanthodoras stellata;
• chocolate acanthadoras;
• Amblydoras Hancock;
• doras Eigenmann;
• Platydoras striped.

Armored soldiers lead night look life and, accordingly, do not like bright light. All daytime they try to spend it in shelters. To do this, the aquarium must be equipped with a grotto, driftwood or piles of large stones with abundant vegetation.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that catfish grow, and there should be no impenetrable tubes or hollow stumps as shelters.

The soil should be selected from rounded stones of various fractions, preferably dark in color, and coarse river sand can also be used.

Due to the fact that catfish secrete a large number of waste products, it is necessary to ensure good filtration of water and replace up to 25% of the water weekly (with tap water separated from chlorine or specially filtered).

When it comes to feeding, they are omnivorous and willingly eat live, frozen and dry food (worms, bloodworms, tubifex, granulated and tablet food with various additives), and also successfully hunt snails. To avoid various incidents with other inhabitants of the aquarium, you need to remember that catfish eat those fish that they can swallow with their mouthparts.

Popular types of armor

Platidoras striped: maintenance and care

Platidoras (platidora, spiny, grumbling or singing catfish) – peaceful fish, inhabiting the upper reaches of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, is found in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. They are called grumbling or singing because they can make sounds in the water, which allow them to find their own kind. Sounds are played pectoral fins and swim bladder.

Grunting catfish can be in the aquarium either alone or in a group. The size of Platidoras reaches 27 cm and can live in an aquarium for up to 20 years. They are predominantly nocturnal, but are also interesting during the day, as they spend a lot of time exploring the bottom. At night they pose a danger to other fish species, especially those smaller than 5 cm.

They willingly eat dry, live and frozen food, but prefer protein food, i.e. live food. In the first year of life, they turn belly up and eat food from the surface or underside of plant leaves.

Sexual differences and reproduction of Platydoras

Differences between males and females appear in body shape. The male is more graceful and slender, and his coloring is also more pronounced. When in danger, the female's dark brown color clearly appears; only a light stripe of bony spines remains in its color. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of one year.

In captivity, platidoras reproduce very difficult, usually due to the artificial administration of hormones. The spawning tank should have a volume of about 100 liters with a temperature of 25 to 29°C. The male builds a nest from plant leaves up to 10 cm in diameter. The female lays up to 1000 colorless eggs.

At a temperature of 25°C, the fry emerge after 40-45 hours and for the next two days they eat the remains of the yolk sac. After 4-6 days, the young successfully swim and move around in the aquarium, feeding on brine shrimp and rotifers. The fry grow rapidly, and at the age of 2 months they reach 4 cm.

Features of Platidoras

• prone to overeating (floats to the top with the belly);
• When catching, it is necessary to use a container made of glass or plastic (due to sharp spikes, injury is possible).

Agamixis white-spotted: description and content

The white-spotted, speckled or star-shaped, singing and grumbling agamix is ​​a member of the agamyx species of the armored family. It lives in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru in slow-flowing waters. Grunting or singing catfish - agamixes - make loud sounds with their pectoral fins and swim bladder, which allows them to more easily find females during mating season and relatives.

Stealth in behavior and nocturnal lifestyle are the main characteristic features of this squad. It has a dark color and white specks on the body (in catfish under the age of 1 year, these specks shine). In aquariums it grows up to 18 cm and is long-lived (lives up to 20 years). A container of 120 liters or more is suitable for specific keeping, and 160 liters for general keeping.

The water should be soft, the temperature should be from 24 to 29°C.

Artificial shelters, snags and dense vegetation with twilight illumination will provide this catfish with the necessary comfort for living. The contents of the fish are simple and not picky.

Sexual differences and reproduction of agamixes

Sexual maturity of this genus is reached at the age of 2-3 years. Females and males are very similar, but the males are smaller and more graceful, and the female has a shapeless large abdomen. Successful breeding of agamixes occurs in a spawning tank with a volume of 100 liters; it is also worth using hormonal stimulation. The female lays up to 1000 light green eggs with a diameter of 1.2 to 1.5 mm. After 40 hours, the larvae emerge. After two days, the fry begin to move independently around the aquarium. The starting food is brine shrimp, rotifers and other food suitable for the mouthparts.

Video story about keeping ancistrus:

Why whales and cleaner fish are friends

Cleaner fish help. They are excellent healers and specialists preventive medicine: prevent development of diseases.

Cleaners are rarely left without work. To attract a client, they fulfill theirfigurative dance. Before the warm invitation Not a single fish can resist it. She freezes head down, like a mullet, or, standing upvertically, like a parrot fish, straightensfins to make it easier to examine it, opens mouth, raises gillslids, and little cleaners fearlessconfidently rush into the monster’s mouth,confident that they would not be swallowed.

When the client decides it’s time for the procedure to cum, he slams his mouth shut, closingthe gill slits disappear for a few seconds, and then releases the cleaners, shakes himself,and the orderlies working outside finish ut procedure.

From the community of cleaners and fish the benefit is mutual. The orderlies have all their food rai on their bodies, doing colossal work. For a six-hour working day is olda personal orderly manages to serve more than three hundred clients. Tropical fish without chiStylists also can’t get by. Odhope on the reefs Bahamas specThe cialists caught all the orderlies. And what? Most of the fish left this reef, and those that remained have everything on their bodies and fins re appeared wounds, tumors, skin covered fungal colonies.

Comes from South America from the territory of Peru. It is found in the basins of the Ucayali (lower reaches) and Marañon rivers up to the mouth. They live in the main riverbeds and their tributaries, preferring areas with slow flows. They stay close to the shore among dense aquatic vegetation.

Brief information:

• Aquarium volume - from 40 liters.
• Temperature - 21–25°C
• pH value - 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness - soft (2–10 dGH)
• Substrate type - any
• Lighting - moderate
• Brackish water - no
• Water movement is weak
• The size of the fish is about 4 cm.
• Nutrition - only plant foods
• Temperament - peaceful
• Keep a group of at least 6–8 individuals

Description

Adult females reach a length of about 4.5 cm, males are somewhat smaller and rarely exceed 3.5 cm. Otherwise, sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, so determining the sex of fish in a group of different ages is very problematic. They may be approximately equal. The color is silver with a large dark pattern. The fins and tail are translucent with black strokes.

Nutrition

The cleaner catfish is an exceptional vegetarian. Feeds plant products. In the aquarium, you can offer him pieces of vegetables (spinach, zucchini, cucumber, etc.) or special food based on dried algae in the form of sinking flakes or granules. In addition, the catfish will eat algae growing on glass, plant leaves and decoration, thereby cleaning their surface. Safe for most ornamental aquatic plants.

Maintenance and care, design of the aquarium

The minimum aquarium size for a group of 6–8 fish starts from 40 liters. The design should provide for a variety of shelters, for example, in the form of driftwood and other decorative elements, as well as areas with dense vegetation. Objects made of natural wood (roots, branches) will serve not only as a natural decoration, but also as a basis for the growth of algae - an additional source of food.
Otherwise, a very unpretentious species, provided that it is kept in stable water conditions and regular maintenance of the aquarium (water changes and removal of organic waste).

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm peaceful fish, compatible with other non-aggressive species of similar size. Larger and overly active neighbors will be bad company for such a modest Catfish. It is preferable to keep a group of at least 6–8 individuals.

Fish diseases

The main cause of most diseases is unsuitable living conditions and poor quality food. If the first symptoms are detected, you should check the water parameters and the presence of high concentrations hazardous substances(ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.), if necessary, bring the indicators back to normal and only then begin treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatment methods in the section "

D O C L A D

BY GEOGRAPHY

Student of 6th grade

high school N 8

Snytko Nikolai

2007

Cleaner fish help the whales. They are excellent healers and specialists in preventive medicine: they prevent the development of diseases.

They heal wounds by eating away dead or rotten tissue, removing skin tumors and areas affected by fungus. Cleaners live in all tropical seas.

Cleaner fish are undoubtedly one of the key elements of the reef ecosystem. The very existence of reef fish communities largely depends on their function. And many species would not be able to exist at all without their constant processing by cleaners.

Cleaner fish usually have bright colors, which serve as a kind of “advertising” signaling their “profession.” Most often they are painted with bright blue and white longitudinal stripes, clearly visible from afar.

Among the most common types of “doctor fish” is the neon goby. These small bright fish are ubiquitous in coral reefs. On the reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans The most common are cleaner wrasses.

Cleaners are rarely left without work. To attract a client, they perform a kind of dance. No fish can resist a warm invitation. She freezes head down, like a mullet, or, standing upright, like a parrot fish, spreads her fins to make it easier to examine, opens her mouth, lifts her gill covers, and the little cleaners fearlessly rush into the monster’s mouth, confident that they will not be swallowed . When the client decides that it is time to end the procedure, he sharply closes his mouth, closes the gill slits for a few seconds, and then releases the cleaners, shakes himself, and the orderlies working outside finish the procedure.

The essential role of cleaners in maintaining the health of reef fish populations has been confirmed by scientists. When all the fish and shrimp that acted as cleaners were caught on a small reef off the Bahamas, it was noticed that after a few days the number of fish on the reef began to decrease. After 2 weeks almost everything large fish left this reef. Among those remaining, the number of fish with sores, ulcers and deformed fins has sharply increased.

The beauty of an aquarium is largely determined by the cleanliness of its glass walls, the transparency of the water, and the shiny surface of the plant leaves. However, for beginners (and not only) a real misfortune can be the dominance of the aquarium by lower plants - algae. As a biological method of combating the increase of most types of algae, adding fish to the aquarium for which lower plants are natural food is used. Their mouthparts are adapted to scrape off fouling on stones, plants, and the walls of the aquarium.

Like other cleaner catfish from the chainmail family, nature equipped Otocinclus with a mouth special structure- in the form of a powerful suction cup. Rough inner surface mouth and powerful jaw muscles help him easily scrape algae from any surface.

The merits of this small, modest and slightly timid fish were highly appreciated by the “guru” of all aquarists, Takashi Amano. It is she who recommends placing it in a new aquarium with plants immediately upon startup, since outbreaks of an increase in the number of diatoms are very often observed there. If proper measures are not taken, all surfaces in the aquarium will soon be covered with a slimy brown-brown mass.

But otocinclus does not need better food - they selflessly eat diatoms from surfaces and do not disdain green algae. True, these sucker catfish have a peculiarity - they often choose plant leaves for food and avoid the walls of the aquarium.

Description of the fish and contents

Otocinclus are literally small representatives of the large and varied in size family of chainmails, their length rarely reaches more than 6 cm. They do not have a particularly remarkable coloring - a dark back and a light belly, transparent fins, an elongated body and, of course, they have a mustache - like a real catfish. Of the 20 species of otocinclus, aquarists are most fond of affinis, negros, macrospilus, arnoldi, and coma.

Cleaner catfish are nocturnal fish; they prefer diffused light; during the daytime they stay near the bottom, near shelters (you should worry about their arrangement in advance). We should not forget that otocinclus are animals; they need at least a minimum “company” of 5–7 individuals. Such a flock can keep a 100-liter aquarium clean.

Otocinclus are peaceful creatures; they can become good neighbors for and other peaceful small fish.

These aquarium orderlies love cleanliness, daily water changes of about a third, filtration and aeration - required condition for them. It is also necessary to monitor the level of nitrates (no more than 10.0 mg/l). Otherwise, the requirements for the conditions of keeping fish are not strict.

In a clean aquarium, cleaners are fed artificial food based on algae, scalded spinach, lettuce, and blanched zucchini.

Siamese algae eater

This is another small and at first glance inconspicuous fish, which is an implacable enemy of algae in the aquarium. Its peculiarity is the fact that the fish eats even those algae that are too tough for other cleaners, including the notorious “”, or, as it is also called, “black beard”.

Like otocinclus, does not damage ornamental plants in an aquarium, unlike other cleaner fish. The exception is that it is often a treat for adults.

It is worth noting that only young individuals of the Siamese algae eater actively eat algae. Adult fish often lose interest in them and switch to artificial or live food, especially when kept together with other types of fish.

Description of the fish and contents

This is a small, cute fish with a light body and longitudinal dark stripes on the sides. The stripes continue on the caudal fin and have a jagged pattern. This feature distinguishes them from their close relatives - the more aggressive false algae eaters, or Siamese flying foxes, which are also considered good cleaners.

The average size is about 7 cm, but adults under proper conditions can reach 15 cm. Despite their considerable size, Siamese algae eaters are absolutely non-confrontational and do not show aggression even towards small fish. An exception may be - like the main food competitors (only lazier), and fish with veil-shaped fins - Siamese simply bite them.

In nature, algae eaters live in streams and small rivers, so it is advisable to install a pump in the aquarium to create a flow familiar to the fish. Algae eaters are not picky about their conditions of detention, pure water neutral acidity or slightly acidified is the main condition for them.

Despite the fact that Siamese algae eaters stay near the bottom or in the middle layers of the aquarium, they are capable of jumping to considerable heights, which means that open aquariums are not suitable for them.

Siamese algae eaters are schooling fish, but they feel quite good with three or five of them. This amount is enough to maintain a 150-liter aquarium. A flock of lively Siamese greatly enlivens the leisurely aquarium life.

- an aquarium chain-mail catfish that is capable of cleaning growths from all surfaces of the aquarium. He is tireless in this activity. For a 200-300 liter aquarium, just a couple of individuals are enough to keep the algae levels to a minimum. One of the disadvantages of the fish is its gluttony - if there is a lack of nutrition, it can damage the delicate parts of ornamental plants.

Description of the fish and contents

Ancistrus has not only excellent cleaning qualities, but also a remarkable appearance. The most common is its simplest form, but there are also veil forms, albinos, and dark ancistrus are also popular.

In aquariums, ancistrus rarely grow more than 15cm, but due to its activity (mostly caused by nutritional needs), the fish need a fairly spacious aquarium with places for hiding.

From necessary conditions sufficient oxygen can be added powerful system filtration - ancistrus actively feed and produce a lot of waste. And one more thing - to fully digest food, they need lignin; the driftwood at the bottom of the aquarium will become its source for this catfish.

Ancistrus are fed artificial food with spirulina, vegetables, and they can be pampered with bloodworms as a treat.

This representative of the chain-mail catfish family is also called the brocade catfish. It has an extremely strong suction cup - a fish stuck to the wall of the aquarium is very difficult to tear off.

Description of the fish and contents

Glyptoperichthus has an interesting spotted “outfit” and a high dorsal wig in the shape of a sail. This cleaner catfish can reach significant sizes (up to 60 cm), and therefore it simply needs a volume of at least 200 liters.

The fish gets along well with any fish. The only neighbor that a Glyptoperichthus male will not tolerate is another male of the same kind; fights will constantly arise between them.

Otherwise, the conditions of keeping the brocade catfish do not differ from the conditions of keeping other sucker catfish. Like Ancistrus, Glyptoperichtha needs to gnaw snags for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.