Among the aquarium inhabitants there are many species that help the aquarist to keep the aquarium clean. They constantly move along the walls, ground and decorations, cleaning them from algae and food residues. By choosing the right inhabitants in the aquarium, you can greatly facilitate its cleaning.

Goldfish.
Oddly enough, but they can also be attributed, to some extent, to aquarium cleaners. Since it constantly seems to them that they are hungry, they are always in search of food, they dig in the ground all day long, loosening it and raising the suspension. The view, of course, is not very good, but this makes it possible for deposits not to accumulate in the ground, but to be sucked in by the filter.

Corridors.
Most species are benthic and constantly dig in the ground. The lower mouth of the corridors is adapted for grabbing and digging food from the bottom, which the corridors enjoy and do most of the time.

Viviparous.
These include guppies, swordtails, platies, and mollies, which are widespread among aquarists. All these fish, thanks to the special structure of their oral apparatus - a developed lower jaw that works like a scraper, successfully remove plaque from plants, soil and aquarium walls. Of all the viviparous fish, the most herbivorous are mollies. Swordtails older than a year and a half become less active, they remove aquarium fouling worse.

Ancistrus.
A kind of mouth apparatus, which has turned into a sucker, helps the fish to stay on the walls of the aquarium and plants, tightly sticking to them. Moving through plants with the help of horny jaws, the fish remove organic plaque from them and collect algae. IN natural conditions Ancistrus feed mainly on the fouling of the rocky bottom of fast mountain rivers. A pair of adult fish is able to keep a 200-300-liter aquarium completely clean. In an aquarium with a lot of plants, the fish should only be fed occasionally, because if they are fed too much, they stop cleaning the aquarium. If adult ancistrus starve, they can damage the delicate leaves of some plants.

Pterygoplicht (brocade catfish).
It will ensure perfect order and cleanliness. This orderly cleans the bottom and snags well, actively destroys various fouling from any surfaces. Does not like competitors - for an aquarium of 100-500 liters, one individual is enough. If she does not have enough food, she will begin to eat not only algae, but even snags.
Ancistrus and brocade catfish - usually do not touch plants. However, if the Ancistrus or Pterogoplychts are starving, you may find that holes have appeared on the leaves of aquarium plants, which the fish wipe with their sucker mouth. The damage left by them on the leaves can be confused with the death of leaf tissues that appear with a lack of certain trace elements. However, in such cases, not only holes are visible on the leaves, but also brown spots of dying, but not yet rotten leaf tissues.

Labeo.
In nature, they feed on fouling covering pitfalls and snags. The mouthparts of the labeo are perfectly suited for cutting organic fouling and algae. These fish are very suitable for aquariums that contain a lot of plants. They are active throughout the day. They are enemies of Siamese algae eaters and, in particular, Siamese flying foxes. Labeo themselves are more like aquarium orderlies than algae fighters. Despite their huge popularity, these fish do not differ in good disposition. Most often they are the instigators of conflicts.

Kissing gourami.
Due to the peculiar structure of the mouth apparatus, which is able to remove even very dense fouling, they perfectly clean plants and aquarium walls from algae.

Moon gourami.
They are good at removing filamentous algae from plant leaves, but they do it less successfully than the fish mentioned above.

Otocincluss.
The fish are very small in size and even the largest specimens barely reach 5 centimeters, but usually they are no more than 4. In nature, they feed almost exclusively on benthic fouling. Compared with ancistrus, they are more mobile, more actively remove fouling from plant leaves. Otocincluss feed on filamentous algae and fouling, scraping them from the walls of the aquarium, stones and plants. At the same time, they move along the surface of objects with the help of a sucker mouth. They do a great job with diatoms. These last form unsightly brown coatings in the shaded areas of the aquarium. Diatoms are lovers of diffused lighting. Once in suitable conditions for themselves, they are able to deliver a lot of grief to the aquarist. If you do not fight diatoms, they will quickly cover everything in the aquarium with a brown-brown slimy mass. Otocinclus are ready to eat diatoms day and night. Even at night, these hard workers do not stop their very useful work. Otocinclus are so fond of eating algae that they are almost not distracted by falling fish food. They work selflessly: 4 - 6 fish are able to keep a hundred-liter aquarium clean. With the same zeal, they clean both the wide leaves of echinodorus and the small glossostigma that covers the bottom. This last lesson requires a scrupulous approach to business, but otocinclus cope. Black beard otocinclus, unfortunately, do not eat at all.

Girinocheilus.
In an aquarium with live plants, 1-2 girinocheilus can not be fed at all, they will have enough "pasture" food. Her oral apparatus has turned into a sucker, with the help of which she is tightly attached to the stones. Very hard jaws allow it to remove the most stubborn fouling. In addition, girinocheilus have the ability to filter water through their mouthparts. Their gills push water up to 240 times per minute. Gyrinocheilus are almost perfect pond cleaners and are very useful for large decorative aquariums. Large girinocheilus damage the leaves - the damage looks like numerous short translucent lines, part of the leaf tissue is missing in these lines. Fish leave such traces on fairly wide leaves with soft tissues. In nature, girinocheilus very strictly protect their territory from the encroachments of their neighbors. Therefore, it is not worth keeping several adult fish in one aquarium: fights inevitably arise that can end in the death of fish. With a lack of natural food, fish must be fed, otherwise they can turn into predators and attack even large fish. The hard, sharp jaws of gyrinocheilus can inflict serious wounds.

Siamese algae eater.
Known as a tireless fighter against unwanted algae in aquariums. He enthusiastically scrapes unwanted growths of lower algae from rocks, snags, aquarium walls and aquarium plant leaves. The most effective algae eaters are juvenile Siamese algae eaters, which are 5 to 7 cm in body length. While other algae eating aquarium fish, such as redfin epalceorhynchus, neglect tough algae species, the Siamese algae eater happily eats them. In addition, the Siamese algae eater does not disdain algae such as black beard, which are undesirable for the aquarium. But it should be remembered that with age, living in an aquarium in common with other types of fish, the Siamese algae eater may lose interest in algae and switch to traditional dry or live food common to aquarium fish. Siamese algae eaters are naturally schooling fish. But already three fish together feel quite comfortable, and they will be enough to fight algae in an aquarium up to 150 liters.

Siamese flying chanterelles, silver flying chanterelles (Crossocheilus).
These fish, especially when young, also destroy Vietnamese and other types of algae. With age, they become less mobile and eat ready-made fish food with pleasure. If there are not enough plant components in the feed, and there are almost no algae in the aquarium, then sometimes they are mistaken for the leaves of higher plants. If you look closely at the damaged leaves, you can see traces of fish bites. The holes correspond to the size and shape of the mouth of the Siamese chanterelles living in the aquarium. These fish eat the leaves not from hunger, but because of the lack of plant substances they need. The owners feed the fish abundantly with a dry universal food with a low content of plant matter, but these specialized algae eaters also need a sufficient amount of plant food for normal digestion. They grow stronger than Siamese algae eaters and therefore can thrive in aquariums with big fish, for example, with cichlids, where someone also has to fight algae. They are very unpretentious and even a beginner can cope with their content. These fish usually do not show aggression towards other species, with the exception of representatives of the labeo genus. With them, they wage an uncompromising struggle and enter into it much more decisively than the Siamese algae eaters. It is not necessary to keep these fish together.

Indian seaweed.
The well-known German company Aquarium Glaser GmbH announces this species as "the world's best algae eater". With algae, the Indian algae eater cracks down perfectly, especially when he is hungry. It does not offend other fish and does not make holes in the leaves. Perhaps these are the best algae fighters in the world.

Chetostomus Milesi.
The length of an adult reaches 13 cm. It hangs on glass like a doll. It is almost impossible to remove it from a smooth surface - it has a stranglehold. Moving independently on all surfaces of the reservoir, it productively eats all growths and sediments, leaving behind sparkling cleanliness. One pair of fish is enough in a 100 liter aquarium.

Gastromizon, beafortia, sevellia.
The fish feed on single-celled algae that cover glass and decorations with a slimy coating, as well as broad leaves of plants. This feature makes them not only beautiful, but also useful in the aquarium. They do not eat plants or damage them. If there is not enough light in the aquarium or the aquarist diligently cleaned the glass, then the fish will begin to starve.

Parotocinclus.
They mainly feed on algae, scraping them from the surface of plants and glass. Spends most of his time on the substrate, rolling the gravel with his lips and scraping it off. organic matter and green algae.

Snails.
horned snail; Snail Neritina; Snail Maryse; Snail Pagoda; ampoule; Thylomelania; Septaria. Snails feed mainly on various algae and bacterial growths that form in the aquarium. Most aquarium snails prefer to feed on dead or dying plants, which ensures that the water quality is always stable in the aquarium. Physicians crawl near the surface of the water, destroying various films formed on its surface, others (melania) live mainly in sandy soil and loosen it, giving access to oxygen, thereby protecting the soil from decay and the formation of hydrogen sulfide in it.

Amano shrimp.
They are excellent cleaners and orderlies of the aquarium. Of course, they are much inferior to the Siamese and Indian algae eaters, and otocinclus too. Their diligence directly depends on how much and often they are fed. But even hungry shrimp need quite a lot to suppress an outbreak of algae in an aquarium. They eat diatoms and green filamentous algae well. These shrimp are very hardworking. They collect algae even in very hard-to-reach places. The most important thing to determine is the required amount of shrimp. With a lack of algae, they can eat up young leaves and roots of plants. For an aquarium with a volume of 60 liters, you can get 5-10 of these inhabitants and look at their behavior.

Cherry shrimp.
They eat everything they can find - thread algae, organic waste, the corpses of dead fish and snails. There is an opinion that algae are reluctant to eat and that algae does not disappear at all because of their eating by shrimps. For normal growth of algae, they need several conditions, including - relative rest, that is, "they do not like to be disturbed." And the shrimp are constantly trampling on them. But, in any case, fouling becomes less, and from what - what's the difference.

All cleaners need a plant-based diet, whether it be dandelions or lettuce or spirulina tablets, don't forget to supplement them, although they will still feed on various wastes and sediments.
All of the above can greatly help in the fight against algae. Since this struggle is not easy to win, their services should not be neglected in any case. Otocinclus and Siamese algae eaters, as well as Amano shrimp and otocinclus coexist perfectly together. Together they will more effectively destroy algae. In an aquarium with large fish that can offend the above algae fighters, Indian algae eaters, silver chanterelles, Siamese flying chanterelles, girinocheilus, ancistrus and pterygoplichts can be used as such.

Who benefits from the aquarium?

Every aquarist, sooner or later, but such a question arises.
First, we acquire unpretentious fish, easy to keep. Gradually we are interested in more complex fish, more interesting and rare. Often, we choose fish for the beauty of color, shape, behavior.
But, there comes a time when we are looking for useful fish, albeit not so bright and interesting in behavior, but which make it easier for us to take care of our aquarium world, which clean the aquarium, are its orderlies and bring unconditional benefits!

I also had this moment. And I am interested not only in useful fish, but also in healthy shrimp, and shellfish. In my three aquariums, different in terms of parameters and population, they live perfectly different types algae. It was the fight against algae, without the use of aquarium chemicals, that prompted me to this search.

I propose not to evaluate the degree of usefulness of certain inhabitants, but simply to create a list of hydrobionts that bring clear benefits in a freshwater aquarium.
I think this list can be replenished with your help.

A lot has been written about these fish, almost every aquarist has representatives of these species. Their benefits have long been tested and proven!

algae-eating shrimp

These wonderful creatures Lately are becoming increasingly popular with aquarists. Our members of the forum also appreciated the contribution of shrimp to the fight for the cleanliness of the aquarium. In confirmation of this, a number of articles about shrimp appeared on our website.

The cleaners of our aquariums, which are all, without exception, shrimp, eating up food particles, microscopic organisms, rotten leaves of aquarium plants.

Snails algae eaters and orderlies

Straight from the top! Watch an interesting video story about theodoxus - just awesome cleaners, 100% working!

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Some aquarists call it the tiger snail. It is said that it is impossible to find two snails with the same shell ornament. The birthplace of these snails is hot Africa.
The temperature of the content is 25-27 degrees Celsius, pH from 7.
The lid of the aquarium must be tightly closed, because. snails escape from the aquarium. For a short time, this snail can live on land. Frequent attempts to leave the territory of the aquarium may indicate that zebras do not like the water parameters. Zebras live in an aquarium for about 4-5 years, the size of the shell grows up to 2-2.5 cm. This snail does not breed in an aquarium.

Snail Neretina "Hedgehog" "Neritina juttingae"

The shell of this snail is decorated with spiral ribs and spikes. The size of the snail is 2-2.5 cm. Life expectancy in the aquarium is about 4 years. Optimum temperature water 25-28 degrees, pH above 6.5.

Snail Neretina "Black Ear"

Conditions of detention, dimensions are similar to the previous instance, the lower temperature threshold can be 22 degrees.
All Neretins are excellent aquarium cleaners, they tirelessly clean stela, large-leaved plants, stones, driftwood and decor from algae. Moreover, they do not damage aquarium plants at all. The only disadvantage of these snails is the laying of eggs on the glass of the aquarium.

Separately, I want to dwell on a tiny snail -
Horned snail Neritina Clithon

These snails have a fairly wide habitat in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, China, and Indonesia.
The photo shows that there are many color options for horned snails. A common feature is the presence of small horns on the shell of snails.
Life expectancy in an aquarium is up to 5 years. The size of a snail is only 1-1.5 cm. But its capabilities have earned the love of aquarists: snails can crawl even into the most inaccessible places, cleaning them to a shine.
According to the reviews of aquarists: the horned snail perfectly cleans diamond algae from anubias leaves, glass, stones, decorations.
The water temperature must be at least 24°C, pH 7-8. Recommended for 100 liters of 10-15 pieces.
Like all neretins, the horned snail does not breed in fresh water.
This video, in high speed playback, shows how successfully the tiny horned snail copes with algae.

Septaria porcelain (Septaria porcellana)

This extremely slow snail is also called the turtle snail. It belongs to the Neritidae family.
Other names for Septaria porcellana are Green Turtle Snail, Cellana toreuma, Neritia Crepidularia, Bourbon Nerite.
The size of the porcelain septaria is from 1.5 to 3 cm. Conditions of detention: temperature 22-26, pH from 6 to 7.5. Filtration, aeration, water changes are required. The lifespan in an aquarium in the presence of food (algae growth) is about 2 years.
This wonderful snail was first discovered in 1758. The homeland of the snail is Indonesia and the Philippines.
This snail, in addition to its slowness, is also distinguished by an unusually shaped shell - a flat shape. Snails are heterosexual, but only breed in brackish water, therefore, in a fresh aquarium, the reproduction of Septaria china is not possible.
The snail firmly sticks its foot to the surfaces. In no case should you try to tear it off, thereby you can pull out the leg of the snail, which will lead to its death. With rotational movements, very carefully, you can try to peel off the snail from the glass.
Like the previous types of neretins, porcelain septaria is also an aquarium orderly and feeds on algae. Perfectly cleans the aquarium from algae, including Vietnamese. Does not damage plants. Gets along with all peaceful fishes and shrimps. Caution should be kept with tetradonts, crayfish and other predators. I saw these snails in a cichlid. We felt great, and the windows were already shining from cleanliness.
Attention:
- without algae, a snail can die of hunger!
- the snail is not able to move on sandy soil!
Here are the rave reviews from happy owners of these snails:
“This little one has already picked up two bunches of flip flops in an hour, and is clearly not going to stop”, “Not able to move on the sand. Excellent crawling on the ground 1-2mm! Tries to climb on some plants with low and wide leaves. It easily climbs from glass onto leaning snags. Still - along the glass it is buried in the sand, where algae sit between the sand and glass, and happily eats them out of there. I need another septaria”, “in a week in quarantine, they cleaned a 30-liter jar of greenery, the glass is already shining, it’s worth waiting for them, an impossibly overgrown aqua snails are waiting for them.”

Septaria also hangs her caviar on the scenery

And these mollusks are very interested in me !!
And it all started with this photo:

Two aquariums are filled with water from the same reservoir, but in the second aquarium they put freshwater mussels, which are living filters!
They perform the same function in aquariums.

Java snail (Corbicula javanicus)
or Sharovka yellow Javanese or golden bivalve

R one of these mollusks: China, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian countries.
Optimal parameters for keeping: temperature 15-30 ° C, pH 6.4-8.5, gH 10-24.
They are not demanding on the quality of the water in the aquarium, but there must be a good saturation of the water with oxygen, which means aeration in the aquarium is a must. Water changes and filtration in the aquarium are also needed. Corbicula grow up to 3 cm in size. Life expectancy: 4 - 7 years
The recommended soil is sand with a fraction of 1-3 mm, corbiculae burrow almost completely into it. The soil layer should be at least 2-3 cm.
Corbiculae are excellent helpers in the aquarium against water turbidity, as they are filter feeders.
Passing water through themselves, they feed on the microorganisms contained in it.
According to various sources: someone recommends keeping one corbicula per 100 liter aquarium. There is information about the content of two or even three individuals in 20 liters.
Such mollusks are recommended to be kept in spawning grounds, where the need for clean water is especially important. Corbicula passes through itself 5 liters of aquarium water per hour!
In the aquariums where these mollusks live, the water is always crystal clear, does not bloom and does not have suspension and turbidity!

An interesting fact is that in aquariums where corbiculae are kept, ichthyophorosis diseases do not occur, according to aquarists, corbiculae retain ichthyophthirius cysts that float in free flight.
You can keep corbicula with all peaceful fish and shrimps.
Corbiculae are hermaphrodites, there are no problems with reproduction in the aquarium. Corbicula are viviparous, reproduce tiny snails, barely visible to the naked eye. In the aquarium, newborn Corbicula look like a cloudy cloud, then sink to the bottom, where they continue to grow and develop.
If plants with a weak root system grow in your aquarium, then corbicula, plowing the soil, can easily dig them out.

Why whales and cleaner fish are friends

Cleaning fish help. They are excellent doctors and specialists in preventive medicine: prevent development of diseases.

Cleaners rarely go unemployed. To attract a client, they perform theirfigurative dance. Before the welcome invitation not a single fish can resist. 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 are fearlessincessantly rush to the monster in the mouth,sure that they will not be swallowed.

When the client decides that the procedure is time finish, he abruptly shuts his mouth, closingthere are gill slits for a few seconds, and then releases the cleaners, shakes himself,and the orderlies working outside are finishing yut procedure.

From the community of cleaners with fish mutual benefit. orderlies all feed sobi burrow on their bodies, doing a colossal work. For a six-hour working daythe body nurse manages to serve more than three hundred clients. Tropical fish without chistylists also can not do. odonce on the reefs off the Bahamasthe socialists fished out all the orderlies. And what? Most of the fish have left this reef, and those that remained, on the body and fins re appeared wounds, tumors, covered the skin fungal colonies.

The beauty of an aquarium is largely determined by the purity of its glass walls, the transparency of the water, and the shiny surface of 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 in most types of algae, planting fish in the aquarium, for which lower plants are natural food, is used. Their mouthparts are adapted to scrape off growths on rocks, plants, and aquarium walls.

Like other catfish cleaners from the chain mail family, nature provided the otocinclus with a mouth of a special structure - in the form of a powerful sucker. The rough inner surface of the mouth and the powerful muscles of the jaws help it easily scrape algae from any surface.

The advantages of this small, modest and slightly shy fish were highly appreciated by the "guru" of all aquarists Takashi Amano. It is this that he recommends to settle in a new aquarium with plants immediately upon launch, 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 brownish mass.

But for otocincluss, the best food is not needed - they selflessly eat representatives of diatoms from the surfaces, do not disdain green algae. True, these sucker catfish have a peculiarity - for food they often choose the leaves of plants and avoid the walls of the aquarium.

Description of the fish and content

Otocincluss are literally small representatives of a large and diverse family of chain mail, their length rarely exceeds 6 cm. They have a not particularly remarkable coloration - a dark back and a light abdomen, transparent fins, an elongated body and, of course, there are whiskers - like a real catfish. Of the 20 species of otocincluss, aquarists most of all fell in love with affinis, negros, macrospilus, arnoldi, kakoma.

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

Otocincluss are peaceful creatures, they can become good neighbors for, and other peaceful small fish.

These aquarium keepers love cleanliness, daily water changes of about a third, filtration and aeration are a must 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 for keeping fish are not strict.

IN clean aquarium cleaners are fed artificial algae-based feed, scalded spinach, lettuce, 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, it does not damage ornamental plants in the aquarium, unlike other cleaner fish. The exception is, it is often a delicacy for adults.

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

Description of the fish and content

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 serrated pattern. This feature distinguishes them from close relatives - 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 not conflict and do not show aggression even to small fish. An exception may be - as the main food competitors (only lazier), and fish with veil-like fins - the Siamese simply bite them.

In nature, the algae eater lives in streams and small rivers, so it is advisable to install a pump in the aquarium - to create the usual flow for the fish. The algae eater is not picky about the conditions of detention, pure water neutral acidity or slightly acidified - 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 able to jump to a considerable height, which means that open aquariums are not suitable for them.

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

- aquarium chain catfish, which is able to clean off growths from all surfaces of the aquarium. In this occupation, he is tireless. For a 200-300 liter aquarium, just a couple of individuals are enough to keep the amount of algae to a minimum. Among the shortcomings of the fish, its gluttony can be called - with a lack of nutrition, it can damage the delicate parts of ornamental plants.

Description of the fish and content

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

In aquariums, Ancistrus rarely grow more than 15 cm, but because of its activity (mostly caused by food requirements), the fish need a fairly spacious aquarium with places to hide.

Of the necessary conditions, you can add a sufficient amount of oxygen, a powerful filtration system - Ancistrus actively feed and emit a lot of waste. And yet - for the full digestion of food, they need lignin, the wood of the snag at the bottom of the aquarium will become its source for this catfish.

Ancistrus is fed with artificial feed with spirulina, vegetables, as a treat they can be pampered with bloodworms.

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

Description of the fish and content

The glyptoperichthus has an interesting spotted "outfit" and a high dorsal wig in the form of a sail. This cleaner catfish can reach a significant size (up to 60 cm), and therefore it is simply necessary for it - with a volume of at least 200 liters.

The fish gets along well with any fish. The only neighbor that the male glyptopericht will not tolerate is another such male, fights will constantly arise between them.

Otherwise, the conditions for keeping brocade catfish do not differ from the conditions for keeping other sucker catfish. Like ancistrus, glyptoperichthus needs to gnaw on a snag for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

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

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

• - 80 l;
• - 60 l.

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

Temperature range of content for:

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

Ancistrus oral apparatus.

Catering for ancitrus

The diet of sucker catfish is based on small-celled algae that form on the walls of the aquarium and make up the design of an artificial reservoir. Thanks to their sucker mouth apparatus, the fish effectively remove green growth from various elements in the aquarium and plants, so they are purchased as.

With a lack of feeding, 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. Tableted spirulina works well (most commonly used) and can also be fed with dry, live and frozen food. Boiled cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, apple, banana and many other vegetables and fruits are used as treats. When feeding natural vegetables and fruits, uneaten fish must be removed from the aquarium after 2-6 hours to prevent water damage.

Star ancistrus.

Sex differences and reproduction of ancitrus

The main difference between a male and a female is:

• the difference in size (the male is much larger, the common ancitrus can reach 15 cm);
• males have bristle-like growths on the snout, the female has only the beginnings of such growths.

Soft water with a pH value of 4.5-6 is required for successful and long-term keeping and breeding of Ancitrus. In special shelters made of wood, clay or slate, coconut shell, the female lays up to 200 eggs, and then leaves the nest. The male protects 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.

catfish brochis

By origin, brochis come from South America and represent the Calicht family. Six species have been identified in the genus Brochis. The most popular among aquarists have gained the following:

• Britsky's brochis (the body is pink, the fins are red or light brown, the back is blue-green with a metallic sheen);
• nosy (catfish with a sharp nose, the main color is greenish-gray, the head is yellowish, the belly is pinkish);
• emerald (shiny, emerald, green), has a golden-green metallic luster, the abdomen is light, beige-yellow, 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 ground or in plant bushes. The greatest activity and playfulness is shown at twilight lighting.

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

Brochis is nosy.

Conditions of detention

Brochis catfish are quite large, about 8 cm in size, and require a spacious aquarium. The species aquarium should be at least 112 liters, and the general one - from 240 liters.

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

Brochis are 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 hide constantly in shelters.

Brochis spend all their time looking for food, digging on the bottom, which makes it necessary to have good filtration and choose fine-grained rounded substrate in the aquarium.

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

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

Good aeration and a slight current will be useful when arranging an aquarium.

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

For feeding, it is better to use: tubifex, bloodworms, etc. Brochis are very gluttonous and require abundant nutrition, but are not picky in food.

Emerald brochis.

Sex differences and reproduction

Brochis females 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. Caviar is deposited throughout the aquarium. The maturation period is five days, after which the larvae appear. After four days, they begin to eat small live food.

The fry go through three distinct phases of development before they acquire their permanent emerald color. Initially, they are mottled with a reddish dorsal fin, then other color changes occur until the full development of the color.

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

View Features

Features include:

• very close view;
• do not tolerate salting water;
• when using intestinal breathing, brochises rise to the surface and take in air, sometimes emerging with their whole body;
• shy and irritable.

Armored Catfish Aquarium

Armored (sea bream), armored catfish or lateral catfish are a separate family of catfish characterized by the presence of large bone plates that cover the entire body of the catfish, except for the abdominal region. Along the entire body, on the sides, a line of bone spikes stretches. Some fins also have hard bony rays.

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

Also, this family is interesting for its ability to make various sounds, due to which some species are called singing.

Description of lateral catfish

Bronyaki live in the swampy areas of South America in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. This family includes about 100 species, and is represented by aquarium and commercial catfish with sizes from 5 to 120 cm. large species grow very quickly, and aquariums become unsuitable for their maintenance. Most widespread received the following types of aquarium armor:

• agamixis white-spotted;
• acantodoras stellate;
• chocolate acanthadoras;
• amblidoras of Hancock;
• doras Eigenmann;
• striped platidoras.

Bronyaks are nocturnal and, accordingly, do not like bright light. All daytime they try to spend in shelters. To do this, the aquarium must be equipped with a grotto, snags 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 impassable pipes or hollow stumps as shelters.

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

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

In feeding, they are omnivorous and willingly eat live, frozen and dry food (worms, bloodworms, tubifex, granulated and tableted 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 (platidor, prickly, 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 produced by the pectoral fins and swim bladder.

Grunting catfish can be found in an aquarium both alone and in a group. The size of the platidoras reaches 27 cm and can live in an aquarium for up to 20 years. Mostly they are nocturnal, but they are also interesting during the day, because 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, that is, live food. In the first year of life, they turn upside down and eat food from the surface or from the underside of plant leaves.

Sexual differences and reproduction of platydoras

The differences between male and female are manifested in the shape of the body. The male is more graceful and slimmer, and its coloration is also more pronounced. In case of danger, the female has a bright dark brown color, only a light stripe of bone spikes remains in its color. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of one year.

In captivity, Platidoras breed very difficult, usually due to the artificial administration of hormones. Spawning should be about 100 liters in volume with a temperature of 25 to 29 ° C. The male builds a nest from the leaves of plants 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 eat the remains of the yolk sac for the next two days. After 4-6 days, the young successfully swim and move around in the aquarium, feeding on brine shrimp and rotifers. The growth of fry is fast, 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

Agamiks white-spotted, speckled or star-shaped, singing and grumbling is a representative of the agamix species, the armored family. It lives in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru in slow-flowing water bodies. Grunting or singing catfish - agamixes - make loud sounds with their pectoral fins and swim bladder, which makes it easier for them to find females during the mating season and relatives.

Stealth in behavior and nocturnal lifestyle are the main characteristic features of this detachment. 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 a long-liver (lives up to 20 years). For species content, a capacity of 120 liters or more is suitable, and for general content, from 160 liters.

Water should be soft, temperature - from 24 to 29 ° C.

Artificial shelters, snags and dense vegetation with twilight illumination will provide this catfish with the necessary comfort for living. According to the content of the fish are simple and 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 100 l spawning tank, 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 around the aquarium on their own. Starter food is brine shrimp, rotifers and other food corresponding to the mouth apparatus.

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