Catfish cleaner. Fish that clean the aquarium Aquarium fish cleaners

Catfish in the aquarium play the role of cleaners, picking up leftover food from the bottom and cleaning the walls of algae. Any experienced aquarist must keep these fish. Catfish ancistrus (Ancistrum) is a well-known representative of chain catfish. It is often called sticky or sucker. Today this aquarium workaholic is kept all over the world and is loved for its unpretentiousness and livability.

Catfish in the aquarium play the role of cleaners, picking up leftover food from the bottom and cleaning the walls of algae.

Description and varieties

The size of the ancistrus catfish in the aquarium does not exceed 15 cm in length, while the females grow larger than the males. In males, as they grow older, peculiar mustaches are formed, which can be up to 2 cm long. The fish have a flattened head shape and the same front part of the body. The sides are covered with bony lamellar outgrowths. The dorsal fin is high, there are a pair of pectoral and ventral fins.

The mouth is rounded, and there are horn-shaped suckers on the lips, which give the ancistrus a funny and slightly intimidating look. They can keep it on the rocky bottom of fast-flowing rivers. The oral sucker resembles a grater in structure and serves to scrape algae from plants and other objects. It is various fouling that serve as food for ancistrus in nature.

Ancistrus aquarium catfish can have a different color:

The common dark variety is sometimes referred to as blue ancistrus. In nature, these fish prefer streams and fast rivers of South America, but they can also be found in small swamps and ditches in the same area. When kept in an aquarium, they can live up to 7 years if they are provided with suitable conditions.

Some people think that since these fish are not large, a very small aquarium is enough for them, but this is not so. Ancistrus are active at night., and during the day they prefer to sit in shelter. It is better if their dwelling is from 80 liters. The exception is red ancistrus, they need a 50-liter aquarium for one pair. A mixture of sand and fine gravel is ideal as a soil.

Blue catfish ancisters require the following water parameters:

• temperature - 20−28°C;
• hardness - up to 20 ° dH;
• acidity - 6-7.5 pH.

An aquarium for these fish must be equipped with a powerful filter and aeration. As shelters, snags and other elements of aqua design can be provided. The fish are considered non-aggressive, however, fights are possible between males, so it is important for catfish to have a place where they can hide. It is great if the snag is natural, not ceramic. Wood serves as a source of cellulose for ancistrus which improves their digestion.

Given the fact that catfish love to dig up the ground, plants are best planted in pots, but you should not completely abandon them. Fish can use greens as an additive to their main food. In addition, living plants produce oxygen in the aquarium and participate in the formation of the correct balance of the aquatic system by absorbing nitrates. Lighting for ancistrus does not play any role because of the nocturnal lifestyle, in this matter you need to focus on the needs of their neighbors.

Catfish love clean water. Water changes should be weekly, 1/5 of the total volume is updated at a time. At the same time, it is necessary to siphon the soil with a special device, clearing it of excrement. Once a year, it is advisable to do a general cleaning in the aquarium. with a complete washing of the soil, decorations and plants. Large aquatic systems can be left undisturbed for several years.

Compatibility with other fish

Ancistrus themselves are peaceful fish, but they can become a victim of aggressive neighbors. It is best not to keep them with cichlids and other large fish. Due to the special structure of its mouth, ancistrus can stick to scaleless fish or slow "scrofula" and harm their skin. Intraspecific aggression will manifest itself only in a small aquarium with an insufficient number of shelters.

Ancistrus feeding

Catfish are fed in the evening before the lights are turned off. Considering that these are bottom fish, special tablets are bought for their nutrition. The food sinks to the bottom, the ancistrus finds it and eats it. Although this catfish prefers plant foods, its diet should include 20% protein. It can be frozen bloodworm or coretra. The larvae are pre-thawed and thrown into the aquarium in small portions.

As plant food, catfish can be offered slices of zucchini and cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce. Pieces of carrots or pumpkins are pre-scalded with boiling water to make them softer. The remains of uneaten vegetables from the aquarium should be removed the next day so that they do not spoil the water. At the top, the ancistrus may simply not see the food. Aquarists recommend piercing a cucumber or zucchini with a fork and lowering it to the bottom in this form so that the vegetable is held there.

Breeding in an aquarium

Spawning of sticky catfish should take place in a separate aquarium. Ancistrus, like some other types of fish, have an interesting feature. In the absence of a male, one of the females can change her sex to male in order to be able to reproduce offspring. Sometimes ancistrus lay eggs in the general aquarium, if the area allows and conditions suit. For this, the female uses a high stump or snag. In the spawning ground, they install a tube specially designed for this.

In natural reservoirs, the beginning of the rainy season becomes a signal for spawning for ancistrus. In an aquarium, these conditions can be mimicked by increased aeration and more frequent water changes. When a couple chooses a place for spawning, the male cleans it with his sucker and the female begins to spawn.

In natural reservoirs, the beginning of the rainy season becomes a signal for spawning for ancistrus.

Each of the eggs has a diameter of about 2-3 mm and is bright orange in color. The male fertilizes the clutch and begins to care for her. After spawning, the female should be transferred from the spawning ground back to the general aquarium.

The role of the male is reduced to protecting the masonry and fanning the eggs with their fins. Thus, the father catfish increases aeration to provide the eggs with more oxygen. The fry hatch after 5-6 days and immediately hide in a shelter. When they begin to swim out of there, you should start feeding them and remove the male from the spawning ground.

Juveniles are fed special food for fry three times a day. To keep the water clean, daily replacements of 1/5 of the volume of water are necessary. In such conditions, small fish will begin to grow and develop rapidly. Ancistrus can produce offspring up to 6 times a year.

Everyone likes clean aquariums with crystal-clear walls, bright, smooth and shiny plant leaves and water that resembles mountain stream jets. But this idyllic picture is constantly striving to break the algae. They cover the glass with a brownish-green film, form a vile fringe on the plants, and give the water the color and smell of a swamp. And the aquarist has to deal with them. It's good that in this fight he has allies - algae-eating fish.

Seaweed

Algae are lower, relatively simply arranged unicellular or multicellular plants that live in an aquatic environment. They can float in water or settle on underwater objects and attach to them, forming plaque, films, threads, fluff and so on on them. They have different colors. Representatives of several departments of algae can live in an aquarium:

1. Green. They form a green coating on glass, soil, underwater objects or a cloudy green suspension in water.
2. Red - Vietnamese or black beard. Brown or black tassels, tufts or fringe on glass, plant leaves.
3. diatoms. Single-celled, form a brownish-brown slimy coating in insufficiently lit parts of the aquarium.
4. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. They form slimy, bubbling, fetid films of aquamarine color on plant leaves and underwater objects. (Let's say right away: an outbreak of these algae is a catastrophe that must be urgently eliminated by completely turning off the light, massive cleaning of the aquarium and antibiotics, no biological control methods work here).

Algae is always present in any aquarium, but a sharp increase in their number occurs only when the biological balance is disturbed.

Therefore, to combat them, first of all, it is necessary to normalize the quality of aquarium water: optimize the lighting and carbon dioxide supply, reduce the amount of nitrates and dead organic matter, and plant more plants. And already with the remnants of the enemy army, algae-eating fish will fight.

Types of aquarium cleaners

There are several dozen aquarium fish that can eat algae with varying degrees of enthusiasm. This includes Ancistrus and Pterygoplicht catfish, viviparous platies and mollies, labeo cyprinids and many others, and we do not count shrimps and snails. However, only a few species are recognized as professional aquarium cleaners: otocinclus catfish, Siamese algae eaters and girinocheilus.

Otocinclus

Otocinclus (usually Otocinclus affinis) - a representative of the family of chain-mail (lokary) catfish, small - up to 5 cm - catfish with big sad eyes. A favorite of the famous Takashi Amano, who recommends adding him to an aquarium with plants at the start.

Otocinclus specializes in the extermination of diatoms, outbreaks of which are often observed in new aquariums.

And later, when the biological balance is already established, otocinclus will not hurt. He does not touch anyone, does not harm plants at all, and with the tenacity of a professional gardener, scrupulously cleans their leaves from diatoms and green algae. Cleaning glass, soil, underwater objects usually interests him less. If there are few algae in the aquarium, otocincluss are fed with vegetable food, best of all, lightly boiled zucchini, which is attached to a snag or stone with an elastic band or clip and left for two days. In an aquarium with otocincluss, there should be clean water (nitrate level no more than 10 mg / l).

Siamese algae eaters

The Latin name for this species is Crossochelius siamensis(synonym Epalzeorhynchus siamensis), they are often referred to by the abbreviation SAE (from the English Siamese Algae Eater), sometimes affectionately as Arctic Sailings or Arctic Sailings. Cute, peaceful schooling fish up to 10-12 cm long. Their mouth is adapted for eating algae growing in the form of fluff, tassels or fringes.

Siamese algae eaters are the only ones who are able to rid the aquarium of red algae - flip flops and black beard, which are very difficult to remove in other ways.

In addition to red ones, filamentous green algae are eaten with pleasure. Plants are practically not damaged, the exception is Javanese moss, adult fish are often not indifferent to it. The SAE has a poorly developed swim bladder, so they cannot swim for a long time in the middle layers of water, often lying on the bottom. At the same time, they are quite jumpy, so the aquarium with these fish must be closed. It has not yet been possible to achieve their reproduction in the conditions of an aquarium, therefore all specimens for sale are wild, imported. And here lies the problem.

The fact is that in the same rivers and streams where SAE is caught, there are several more very similar related fish species. They are caught along with Siamese algae eaters and then sold together in pet stores. Therefore, there are Thai or false algae eaters ( Epalzeorhynchus sp. or Garra taeniata), another name for them is Siamese flying foxes; Indonesian algae eaters or red-finned epalceorhynchus ( Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus); Indian algae eaters Crossocheilus latius) and other representatives of the genera Epalceorhynchus, Crossocheilus and Garra. All of them are outwardly almost indistinguishable, but differ from each other in character and efficiency as cleaners - the Siamese flying fox, for example, is quite aggressive fish, but it is reluctant to destroy algae. Therefore, if the goal is to acquire a peaceful and hardworking StrAU, you should pay attention to the following signs:

• fins are transparent, without yellow and orange shades;
• a black stripe on the side of the fish runs from the nose to the tip of the tail;
• the upper edge of this strip is zigzag;
• on the sides of the fish there is a mesh pattern (the edges of the scales are dark);
• at the tip of the muzzle there is one pair of dark antennae;
• when the fish is resting on the bottom, rocks or plant leaves, it rests on the caudal and ventral fins, not on the pectorals.

Gyrinocheilus

Girinocheilus, or Chinese algae eater ( Gyrinocheilus aymonieri or less common Gyrinocheilus pennocki), like CAE, refers to carp fish. Its mouth apparatus is arranged in the form of a sucker.

Gyrinocheilus is the best specialist for the destruction of green algae, which often appears in herbal aquariums with powerful lighting.

They reach a length of 15 cm, the color is gray-brown with a dark stripe or, more often, light golden albino. Adult fish show pronounced territoriality, attacking other fish, which they consider their competitors. The disadvantage of gyrinocheilus is their tendency to damage the soft leaves of higher plants. It cannot be said that they eat the plants clean, but they can leave small scratches and scuffs. Therefore, it is important to ensure that they have enough food. To do this, you need to observe the density of their planting - for each individual at least 40-50 liters of water. If there are few algae in the aquarium, it is recommended to feed Girinocheilus with plant foods: cucumber, cabbage, lettuce and dandelion.

Why do algae eaters stop eating algae? Quite often there is evidence that CAE, as well as girinocheilus, are engaged in diligent cleaning of the aquarium only at a young age, and when they grow up, they completely lose interest in algae and switch to dry food. Indeed, this happens, but only when they have plenty to choose from. If there is no excess dry food in the aquarium, then algae eaters have no choice but to do their direct duties. Therefore, the recommendations here are as follows: feed the fish only in the evening, if there is little algae, try to feed the fish not with dry food, but only with vegetable food, or, even better, specially grow algae in other aquariums or simply in jars of water installed in bright places.

It should be noted that there are no such complaints about the otocinclus, he is engaged in cleaning the aquarium from algae, not paying attention to dry food.

Girinocheilus example

Aquarium Algae Eater Compatibility

Since the life of algae eaters directly depends on the size of their pasture, the issue of competition for food resources is very acute for them, and the behavioral characteristics of these fish have been formed under its influence. Many of them have a pronounced territoriality, the manifestations of which complicate the life of their neighbors and the aquarist.

The only compatible algae eaters are Otocinclus and CAE. Since they have a different structure of the oral apparatus and, accordingly, different food preferences, they will not compete. In addition, both species are quite peaceful. No other types of algae eaters can be housed together.

Girinocheilus and SAE will be irreconcilably at enmity with each other, as well as with Ancistrus and Labeo. If the aquarium is small and there are few shelters, then adult Siamese algae eaters will also sort things out with individuals of their own species, and girinocheilus will fight to the death. Some authors indicate that gyrinocheilus are aggressive towards all the fish around them. I can say that this is not the case, or at least not always the case - in my aquarium, the gyrinocheilus does not pay any attention to peaceful neighbors, unless they swim close to the site on which it is currently grazing.

It is also not recommended to keep algae eaters with predatory cichlids. The only exceptions are the aggressive counterparts of the SAE - Siamese flying foxes. They are bigger and can stand up for themselves.

Thus, non-predatory peaceful fish of small or medium size, not interested in algae, can become good neighbors for the heroes of this article.

Algae-eating fish can become indispensable helpers in the fight for the cleanliness of the aquarium. Having dealt with their species, food preferences and behavioral characteristics, each aquarist decides for himself which of them will bring the greatest benefit to his glass pond, making it healthier and more beautiful.

Video of how otocincluss work in an aquarium:

Aquarium orderlies - fish, shrimps, snails fighting algae

A clean and well-maintained aquarium is not only beauty, but also a guarantee of a long and healthy life for its inhabitants. But sometimes, despite the efforts of the owner and even the work of high-tech equipment, the home reservoir is covered from the inside with a brown or dark green coating, tassels, fringe or threads. This is algae. If this problem overtook you, then do not rush to immediately grab the chemicals. Try to host algae eaters, for whom eating such "garbage" is one of the natural physiological processes. About which orderlies of the aquarium are known and against which algae they are most effective, read in our article.

Fish fighting algae

Most often in aquariums of amateurs there are these "cleanliness workers"

catfish

Especially good "cleaners" are considered

• pterygoplicht (brocade catfish),
• ancistrus vulgaris,
• and otocinclus (pygmy catfish), which prefers diatoms.

With their suction cup, they thoroughly clean everything (bacterial film, algae growth, other polluting organic matter), starting from the walls of the aquarium, soil, stones and ending with snags and large leaves of plants. At the same time, they themselves are quite unpretentious, which is a definite plus.

Of the minuses, it is worth canceling the large size and bad character of some of the catfish.

• For example, an adult pterygoplicht can grow up to 40-45 cm and begin to behave aggressively towards other inhabitants.
• Sometimes catfish, overly enthusiastic about cleaning, damage young tender tops of plants or make holes in young leaves.
• And some individuals with age begin to be lazy and perform their "duties" poorly.

The dwarf catfish is an algae-eater from the family of chain catfish that copes best with brown diatoms. A flock of five fish can easily keep a 100 liter aquarium clean. "Dwarf" is unpretentious, peaceful, able to get along even with large predators.

Pretty good in terms of cleaning and armored catfish-corridor, only he greatly troubles the water and tends to eat other fish.

And here is the “janitor”, which can be seen less often, but this does not make it worse: the royal panak, belonging to the family of chain catfish. Large fish, for which you need a 200-liter (at least) aquarium. Young individuals are calm, but with age their character noticeably deteriorates. They get along well with peaceful haracins. Best of all, panak cleans driftwood.

Girinocheilaceae

This family includes only three types of fish, the most popular of which are girinocheilus.

Their lips are like a sucker with folds on the inside. These bends form a kind of "grater".

Thanks to this design, fish can stay on the rocks even in strong currents, while at the same time scraping algae from their surface.

This food is not very nutritious, so the Girinoheylus have to “scrape” a lot.

All filamentous algae, such as filamentous algae and blackbeard, they cannot eat.

The negative points are

• damage to the leaves, on which furrows and holes may remain after “harvesting”;
• a small number of fish is not enough to keep the aquarium clean;
• in large numbers, they are aggressive and constantly attack their own kind, as they are territorial.

It is very difficult to achieve peace among them. Neighbors also need to be carefully selected, it is absolutely impossible to take slow fish. Girinocheilus take them for inanimate objects, they can “clean” and severely damage the scales.

viviparous

Many of them have a strongly developed lower jaw, which resembles a scraper that easily removes plaque from the walls, soil and plants.

The most popular live-bearer cleaners are guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails. Some breeders claim that these fish can survive even without additional food, eating only green thread.

The disadvantages of this group include the fact that they need to be kept in a large flock (at least 10 pieces), but even in such an amount they will not provide complete order in the aquarium. They are good only as assistants to other algae eaters.

In addition, these fish are not very spectacular, and for the beautiful ones there may simply not be enough space left in the aquarium. And crowding, as we know, will lead to conflicts.

Carp

The most tireless fighter against algae from this family is the Siamese algae eater (aka Crossoheil Siamese, or Crossohelius Siamese, or Siamese epalceorhynchus).

His strong point is green algae and the so-called "flip flops" or "black beard" (these are growths in the form of dark tassels on stones, plant leaves and other places).

It also copes well with other algae in the form of a fluff, since its mouth is most adapted for this. To keep a 100-liter aquarium perfectly clean, it is enough to have only two (even the smallest) Siamese algae eaters.

The advantages of these fish are also activity, mobility, a rather peaceful disposition, a small volume of the vessel for a normal existence and modest care.

It was not without its shortcomings. After the length of the fish becomes more than 4 centimeters, they can begin to eat Javanese moss, if it grows in an aquarium, and much more willingly than algae.

The way out of this situation is to plant larger mosses such as fissidens.

Another couple of "cleaners" from this family are two-color labeo (bicolor) and green (frenatus). Their mouthparts are facing down. Of course, they eat algae and fouling, but not as well as the previous ones. It's more of a hobby, so to speak. Their big minus is the increased aggressiveness and territoriality in relation to both other fish and their own kind.

Shrimp fighting algae

These arthropods are deservedly called champions of cleanliness. Especially good are freshwater shrimp, whose bodies are equipped with special "fans".

These outgrowths filter the water and extract from it uneaten food, feces, plant particles and what is left of the dead inhabitants. Males loosen the soil and filter the dregs that have risen at the same time. Females clean dirt from the bottom surface.

In addition to filtering water, these creatures remove fleecy algae from plant leaves and all other surfaces, and much more successfully than fish.

The reason is simple - shrimp, especially cherry ones, can get into the smallest nooks and crannies of the aquarium.

Negative points:

• a small shrimp can only handle a small amount of work;
• to make the aquarium really clean, you will need a lot of shrimp (one individual per liter);
• they are very defenseless and can be eaten by fish, as a result of which neighbors must be selected especially carefully, plus a lot of reliable shelters should be created.

In addition to cherries, amano shrimp are good at fighting algae. Perfectly keep balls of kladorfs clean, eat thread.

Important! The efficiency of "work" is affected by their size. The larger the shrimp, the tougher strings of algae it can eat. Four-centimeter arthropods are considered the best.

Enough 5 of these pieces for 200 liters. Three-centimeter will need 1 individual for every 10 liters of water. Small ones need even more (1-2 for each liter). The last option is the most unproductive and the most expensive. It is also worth noting that these shrimp do not eat xenococus and other green algae in the form of plaque. Black beard is also used reluctantly.

Another species is neocaridina. They are most common among hobbyists, as they are very easy to breed. They are small, only 1-2 cm long, so a lot of “combat units” will be required (one individual per liter). Preference is given to soft filamentous algae such as Rhizoclinium. Neocaridins are the best choice for planted aquariums. They are also indispensable in a newly launched aquarium, as they help to establish balance. In maturity, they maintain balance.

Snails fighting algae

Although mollusks are not so successful as orderlies, their strength is the ability to consume almost all pollution (leftover food, excrement of living and dead inhabitants, rotten plants, mucus and plaque on all surfaces, a film from the surface of the water).

And the well-being and behavior of some species serves as a kind of indicator of the purity of the soil and water.

The bad thing is that the number of snails is almost impossible to control, and they multiply very quickly.

Then their large army begins to "harm", eating plants and flooding everything around with their mucus.

Here are the cleaner snails most commonly found in home aquariums:

Neretina zebra(tiger snail), Neretina hedgehog, Neretina black ear. They remove plaque from glass, stones, snags, decor and large leaves without damaging them. It seems that they never get tired. Minus - they leave unaesthetic laying of caviar on the glass of the aquarium.

This crumb (1-1.5 cm) is able to crawl into the most inaccessible places and clean them to a shine. Works great with diatoms.

Septaria or turtle snail with a flat shell. It is very slow, but despite this, it copes well with algal fouling and Vietnamese. Plants are not damaged. The disadvantage is characteristic - caviar, hung on the scenery.

corbicula. This is a three-centimeter snail. It is also called the yellow Javanese ball or the golden bivalve. Helps to cope with water turbidity, suspension and flowering, as it is a filter. This means that the mollusk passes water through itself (up to 5 liters per hour!), Eating the microorganisms contained in it. Interestingly, in aquariums with carbicles, fish do not suffer from ichthyophorosis, as they somehow trap their cysts. For an aquarium of 100 liters, you need from 1 to 3 of these snails. The negative points include plowing the soil and digging up plants with weak roots.

ampoule. Pretty large lungfish. It picks up the remains of food, dead fish and other snails, actively eats fouling from the walls of the aquarium.

Helena called the killer snail. This miniature predator is considered a carrion orderly. However, she is able to eat not only a forgotten piece of food or a dead fish, but also a completely live small shrimp or snail (for example, a coil or melania).

Theodoxus. These are small beautiful freshwater snails. There are several types. They can live in both freshwater and saltwater home waters. They feed only on fouling, preferring brown and green algae. They even compete with gerinocheilus for superiority in the effectiveness of the fight against xenococus. But they don't like the "beard". Plants don't spoil.

In conclusion, let us say that the aquarium biosystem can successfully exist only with the help of man. Competent selection and adjustment of equipment and lighting, proper start-up of the aquarium, regular monitoring of water parameters and the condition of the inhabitants are very important. Fish, shrimps and snails are helpers in solving the problem of algae control, not the main characters. Of course, here we have only briefly described only some representatives of aquarium orderlies, since in one article it is impossible to talk about everything in detail. We will be grateful for interesting additions.

Catfish - aquarium cleaners

For those who like to buy and breed aquarium fish, sooner or later the question arises of how to keep the container constantly clean. After all, the fish leave a lot of dirt and waste products, and in addition, the cleanliness of the aquarium is violated by algae, which, in case of any violation of the thermal regime, begin to actively spread throughout the aquarium. Even with periodic cleaning of the aquarium and changing the water, a plaque of small plants and dirt appears on the walls of the aquarium.

It is in this case that very useful and unpretentious "helpers" come to the rescue - aquarium catfish. Their main advantage is that the fish do not require special food. They feed on the remains of the food of other sea creatures, and also eat small mosses and algae.

That is why it is very convenient to start a cleaner catfish in the aquarium. As a rule, these fish are not aggressive and can be safely kept with other inhabitants of the aquarium. But still there are different types of catfish.

The most calm and conflict-free catfish are sticky, which have a spotted color and a flattened body. When they appear in the aquarium, they immediately stick to the walls of the vessel and gradually begin to eat away the plaque.

Thus, catfish-cleaners are very helpful to the aquarist. Thanks to their efforts, a vessel with fish can be kept clean and tidy much easier.

Like other fish, they need water of the right temperature, constant oxygen and light. Some types of catfish prefer dark places and hiding places, but sticky catfish are not among them.

In addition, for its comfortable maintenance, a sufficient amount of algae is necessary so that the fish has something to eat. But, as a rule, this problem never arises. Indeed, even in the cleanest aquarium, algae and microorganisms settle, with which the cleaner catfish does an excellent job.

Otocinclus: content, catfish compatibility, reproduction, photo and video review

OTOCINCLUS
useful catfish for our aquariums

Many aquarists, even those who do not keep live aquarium plants, know such fish as algae eaters. These fish are tireless workers and orderlies of the aquarium - they eat algae around the clock and effectively cope even with such a topical problem as Blackbeard.

However, few people know that there are other fish that can help us cope with aquarium adversity. One of these indispensable helpers is the chain catfish - OTOCINKYUS. Let's see what kind of catfish it is and how it is useful!

Latin name: Otocinclus.
Russian name: Otocinclus, Otik, Oto.

Detachment, family: Chain catfish.
Comfortable water temperature: 22-25 degrees Celsius.
"Acidity" Ph: 5-7,5.
Aggressiveness: non-aggressive (peaceful).
Hardness dH: 2-15.
Content Difficulty: light. Compatibility: compatible with all peaceful fish. Difficulties can arise only when combining otocinclus with cichlids, especially large individuals. But, it is worth noting that, as a rule, aquariums with cichlids are not decorated with live aquarium plants and the presence of otocinclus in such aquariums is rare.

At the same time, there is evidence in Runet that otocincluss "stick" to the angelfish and discus, feeding on their integumentary mucus.

How many live: these catfish have an average life expectancy, they live about 4-6 years. You can find out how long other fish live HERE!

Minimum aquarium volume: there are various varieties of otocincluss, the smallest of the genus Otocinclus mariae is 2.5 cm in size, the largest Otocinclus flexilis is 5.5 cm. Therefore, when choosing the number of catfish, of course, one must proceed from the size of one or another type of otocinclus. The general recommendation is up to 7 catfish per 50 liters of aquarium water.

For information on how many other fish can be kept in an X aquarium, see HERE(at the bottom of the article there are links to aquariums of all sizes).

Requirements for care and conditions of detention:

Otocincluss are clean and love clean water. For their maintenance, aeration and filtration are necessary, as well as weekly replacement of aquarium water with fresh water, approximately 1/3 - ? parts.

Otocincluss, in addition to gill breathing, also have intestinal breathing. But, unlike corridors, which constantly use both breaths, otocincluses breathe through the intestines, only as needed. If they often capture air from the surface of the water, then the aeration you have installed is not enough.

Please note that otocincluss need to be very carefully transplanted into a new aquarium, adhering to all the rules for moving and transporting fish, otiki are very epileptic and do not like changing water parameters.

Feeding and diet:

In otocinclus, the mouthparts are shaped like suction cups, with the help of which they are naturally held downstream, and also scrape algae and bacterial growth from stones, snags and everything else that is in the river.

This amazing ability of otocincluss is their highlight!!! As well as in their natural habitat, these catfish and in the aquarium clean the walls and decorations from the ill-fated, lower - diatoms!

Feeding aquarium fish should be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotus. Article How and how much to feed aquarium fish talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regimen for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous, the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include food in its diet either with the highest protein content or vice versa with herbal ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, are dry food. For example, all the time and everywhere you can find on the aquarium counters the food of the Tetra company - the leader of the Russian market, in fact, the range of food of this company is amazing. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes individual food for a certain type of fish: for goldfish, for cichlids, for loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowans, discus, etc. Also, Tetra has developed specialized feeds, for example, to enhance color, fortified or for feeding fry. You can find detailed information about all Tetra feeds on the official website of the company - here.

It should be noted that when buying any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy feed by weight, and also store food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

These catfish are indispensable helpers in all Amanovsky, Dutch aquariums, which have earned 100% respect from aquascapers around the world. Sen-sei - Takashi Amano contains them in the amount of 6 individuals / aquarium 90 cm. + shrimps.

It should be noted that, unlike ancistrus, otocinclus are much more mobile. Like algae eaters, they work tirelessly to keep the aquarium clean. They eat brown algae not only from the decor and walls of the aquarium, but also directly from plants, which Ancistrus do not do!

Despite the fact that otocincluss are able to feed themselves, they should still be fed with branded plant foods. You can also offer them scalded lettuce, spinach or fresh cucumber as a delicacy.

photo of otocinclus on cucumber

In nature live: rivers and lakes of central and northern South America. Amazon basins in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

Types of otocinclus

There are a lot of varieties of these catfish! The most popular are Otocinclus. mariae, Otocinclus affinis, Otocinclus macrospilus and Otocinclus vittatus.

Description: All representatives of this genus are similar, differing only in size and variable colors. All otocinclus have a gray or black, continuous or broken stripe on the side. On the front of the tail there is a large spot of variable shape.

Breeding and reproduction of otocincluss very simple. In fact, it happens on its own, and sometimes it is not even noticeable to the aquarist, who only after a month notices the “replenishment in the ranks” of otocincluss.

Good housing conditions and stimulation: feeding protein food, increased aeration, frequent water changes ... that's all that is needed for the spawning of otocinclus. Sex differences are weakly expressed. Females are larger and thicker than males.

In the photo laying eggs of otocinclus

Otocinclus spawn several times during the summer; as a rule, wide leaves of plants act as a substrate for spawning. After mating games, the female lays a clutch of 100 - 150 eggs. The incubation period of eggs is 3-6 days. After that, larvae appear, which on the third day turn into fry. Food for juveniles - living dust, small, frayed food.

The cost of otocinclouses corresponds to their "usefulness" and is relatively high - 150 rubles.

Interesting video with otocincluss

AQUARIUM CLEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

How to properly clean an aquarium

General cleaning of the aquarium should be done depending on the type of fish. For some, the best option is a one-time monthly cleaning, for others - weekly. Remember that fish do not like to be disturbed, they change their habitat even for a short time. General cleaning is always stressful for any kind of fish. That is why during cleaning, do not frighten your fish with sudden movements. Are you planning to rearrange the aquarium, replace the plants? Then this procedure is best combined with cleaning and cleaning. Remember: the use of any kind of chemical cleaners in the aquarium is strictly prohibited! In specialized stores, you can buy a special siphon for cleaning the aquarium. You can also use improvised materials available in the house. The walls of the aquarium should be cleaned with a scraper, washcloth, kitchen sponge. After all, microorganisms constantly settle on them, making visibility difficult and creating an untidy, sloppy look to the aquarium. After cleaning the glass, you can start cleaning the bottom of your aquarium. The soil must be cleaned from the remnants of food and excrement of fish. All this accumulates below. But how do you know that such a cleaning is needed? Take a stick and stir the soil, stir it. If bubbles begin to rise from the bottom, then cleaning is necessary. This procedure will be facilitated by a special soil cleaner. This is a flexible hose with a glass or metal tip, which should be driven along the bottom, pressing it deep into. Water with impurities will drain through the tip. It is important to control the amount of drained water. The volume of this water should not exceed one fifth of the total water volume of the aquarium. This amount of water you need to then add to the container. You should be careful with the roots of plants when cleaning, do not damage them. After all, the main thing in cleaning is the preservation of all living things and the support of the natural habitat. Water purification helps to refresh the aquarium, remove accumulated harmful substances. In order to alleviate stress for the fish due to water changes, it is necessary to replace it partially. You need to do this once every 2 weeks. Water for this purpose should be defended for several days. Is your aquarium not covered from above? Then a film may appear on the surface of the water. You can eliminate it with a sheet of paper, the size of which is equal to the size of the aquarium. This sheet must be held by the edges, lowered into the water and slowly lifted along with the harmful film. If necessary, the procedure is done several times. When general cleaning of the aquarium, one should not forget about the filter for cleaning. Usually its elements are made of foam rubber. Therefore, to thoroughly clean them, you just need to rinse them under a strong stream of water. The filter mechanism is usually cleaned with a simple toothbrush. General cleaning of the aquarium, its competent cleaning will prolong the life of your swimming pets, maintain a normal level of the aquatic habitat. After all, cleanliness and order are necessary for all living beings. Support them, control them, watch the changes. And then your healthy pets will please the eye with their active movements!

Step-by-step cleaning of the aquarium at home: instructions

1. Clean the aquarium with a siphon.

It is not so difficult to properly clean the aquarium with a siphon, it is enough to do it once, and then you can do it with your eyes closed. Aquarium siphons come in a variety of designs, but no matter what they are, an aquarium bottom siphon will always be built on the same principles.

With this procedure, it is necessary to begin the procedure for cleaning any aquarium with fish. You should siphon both the surface of the ground and a little from the depth. As a rule, the main waste accumulates on the surface. It is necessary to siphon off such a volume that you are going to pour back in the form of settled water. It is not difficult to calculate this amount, the main thing is not to forget to do this, but if you have water with a margin, then you have nothing to worry about.

2. We clean the glass.

In fact, we want to say from our own experience - the most problems arise with glasses, simply because it is too lazy to clean them ... This is the hardest work - you have to work with a scraper, go through all the growths. If you do not do this when the first growths appear, then in the future it will be very difficult to cope with them, and even more so, not a single cleaner fish can cope with the growths of many months.

3. Filter cleaning.

Cleaning the filter is third on the list, because for this we need water from the aquarium so that we can wash the filter parts in it, rinse the sponges. It is better if it is the water that you siphon last, so that it contains as little turbidity and sediment as possible. After washing the filter in this water, you collect it and install it back.

4. Pouring settled water into the aquarium.

When all the so-called dirty work of properly cleaning the fish tank is done, there is only a little left for us - to fill in clean water. This should be water that you have defended for a week in a special container. Only after the water is filled, you can turn on the filter, as well as lighting.

5. Add vitamins.

Also, if required, you can add some fish vitamins to the aquarium. It can also be water products, as well as algae control. In general, it is better to fill in such products either together with new settled water, so that they immediately spread throughout the volume, or fill them in the area where water is released from the filter.

1. Be sure to plan ahead for when you need to clean. Do it the day before so you don't have to wait until the last minute. For the sake of such a case, we advise you to tune in at least a little to a small half-hour work with the aquarium in advance - it will be easier to do everything, and at the same time not be lazy.
2. If you suddenly forgot to defend the water (and this happens to busy people who have large aquariums), then it is better to skip cleaning than to siphon and fill in unprepared (not settled) water.
3. If you are completely lazy, then in small aquariums you can clean less often, for example, once every 2 weeks (for aquariums up to 30-40 liters). But here it all depends on the pollution of the aquarium, filter power, etc.
4. Try to move the siphon in the aquarium without sudden movements. This must be done in order not to frighten the fish once again, especially if these fish are large and shy.
5. Do not siphon deep into the soil, which is located right next to large plants. This soil contains nutrients for plants (of course, if the dirt comes through the stones, then it is necessary to siphon even there, in the depths). In addition, it is not worth disturbing the root system of plants once again, as this is stress for them - plants do not like transplants and movements around the aquarium.

   orderly fish

   There are fish species that not only delight the eye with their bright colors and peaceful disposition, but also bring undoubted benefits - these are aquarium cleaners. These include swordtails, guppies, mollies and platies. They have a special structure of the mouth - a developed lower jaw resembles a scraper, with which the fish can remove plaque from the walls or bottom of the aquarium, as well as clean the leaves of plants.

   Ancistrus and armored catfish are very interesting - their mouth apparatus is very reminiscent of a suction cup, with its help these creatures can move along the walls of the aquarium. In addition, organic plaque removed from the glass walls is part of their diet. These types of fish will become real helpers when cleaning the aquarium and will greatly facilitate this procedure.

   Means for cleaning.

   Not all detergents and cleaners can be used in cleaning the aquarium. There are even some types of chemistry that are categorically not recommended for use. Cleaning tools are the simplest, there are few of them. There are only a few items that are required without fail.

   You definitely need a scraper to clean the glass of the aquarium with high quality. There are two varieties of it: on a magnet and with a long handle. The first option is specifically designed for aquariums. It is designed in such a way that you simply lower it into the water and control its movements from the other side of the glass. That is, you do not even have to put your hands in the water.

   The second necessary item is a tube (siphon), with which the soil at the bottom of the aquarium is cleaned. She is inexpensive. In addition, you can make it yourself with a small piece of hose.

   And the last important device is a water filter. Its advantage is that it works all the time. That is, the water is filtered non-stop. There is a constant cleaning process going on. Moreover, the filter absorbs and retains foreign dirty particles. Consequently, both the soil and the walls of the aquarium get dirty less quickly. The filter also protects plants from unwanted plaque.

Which fish are the best aquarium cleaners?

Natalya A.

Siamese Algae Eater

pterygoplicht

ancistrus

corridor

ANCISTRUS - SOM
Fish are peaceful inhabitants of the soil, they love shelters, their activity increases with the onset of twilight or a drop in atmospheric pressure. They love clean, oxygen-rich water. It can be kept in a common aquarium, in which there should be thickets in some places, a sufficient number of caves and always a snag, which the fish scrape off, getting the cellulose they need. Large stones should lie at the bottom of the aquarium, because if they lie on the ground, then the fish undermining under them can be crushed. Males defend the territory around the chosen shelter.

Food: 60% vegetable, the rest is live, substitutes are possible. The fish feed on growths of some types of short and soft algae.

Spawning both in general and in the spawning aquarium. A ceramic or plastic tube 3-4 cm long, 20 cm long is placed at the bottom (spawning can also occur in a cave).

Dilution water: 20-26°C, dH up to 10°, KH up to 2°, pH 6-7.3.

A pair or 2 males and 4-6 females are planted, in the latter case 2 tubes are placed at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other to avoid a fight between males over territory. The stimulus for spawning is the change of 1/3 of the volume of water to fresh water, aeration and a decrease in temperature. The female lays 50-300 eggs in a tube, which are guarded by the male. In the spawning aquarium, the female is removed, and from the common tube, together with the male, they are transferred to a nursery aquarium with the same water parameters. The incubation period is 4-9 days. After 4-12 days, the fry leave the tube and take food: live dust and finely ground vegetable food. In a growing aquarium, it is advisable to put a snag, which the fry will peel off. Sexual maturity at 7-12 months.

Few would argue with the statement that an aquarium is one of the brightest and most memorable decorations in any room. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that more and more people are beginning to get involved in aquarium and place beautifully decorated artificial reservoirs in their homes. But thinking about the placement of such beauty, almost no one thinks about the difficulties associated with maintaining both cleanliness in the aquarium and its beautiful appearance.

This truth is confirmed by the well-known proverb, which says that without even a small effort, it becomes impossible to achieve any result. The same applies to an aquarium that requires constant care, water changes, quality control and, of course, cleaning.

Why you need to clean your aquarium

Everyone who is engaged in aquarism is familiar with such a problem as the appearance of algae inside an artificial reservoir, which not only restricts the access of the sun's rays, but can also cause many diseases that cause irreparable harm to all living inhabitants in the aquarium. As a rule, many methods have been developed to combat unwanted vegetation, including the use of chemicals, changing water parameters, and water ozonation.

But the biological method is considered the most effective and safe, in which the so-called cleaner fish are used, which eat algae and thereby rid the artificial reservoir of their presence. Let us consider in more detail which fish can be considered a kind of aquarium orderlies.

The Siamese algae eater feels comfortable at a water temperature of 24-26 degrees and a hardness of 6.5-8.0. It is also worth noting that representatives of this species may show some aggression towards relatives, while remaining friendly to other types of fish.

This catfish from the chain mail squad has already gained high popularity among both experienced and beginner aquarists. And the point here is not the ease of their maintenance and peaceful nature, but to a greater extent because of their tireless work aimed at cleaning the aquarium from "biological" garbage.

They destroy algae not only from the walls of an artificial reservoir, its decorative elements, but also directly from the vegetation itself, which, for example, not every catfish from ancistrus does. As for nutrition, although they can feed themselves, it is still recommended to feed them with vegetable food with the addition of delicacies in the form of:

• spinach;
• scalded lettuce leaves;
• fresh cucumbers.

Ancistrus or catfish sucker

It is probably difficult to find at least one artificial reservoir where there would not be a catfish of this species from the chain mail family. These fish deservedly gained such high popularity due to their “sanitary” activities, unpretentiousness in maintenance and, of course, their unique mouth structure, resembling a sucker. By the way, it is precisely because of this distinctive feature that stands out noticeably from the entire family of catfish that this fish is sometimes called sucker catfish.

In addition, if we talk about the appearance, then the Ancistrus catfish is probably one of the strangest aquarium fish. The original mouth apparatus, growths on the muzzle that are somewhat reminiscent of warts and a dark color, together with a hidden lifestyle, really create a certain halo of mystery for Ancistrus. This catfish feels most comfortable at water temperatures from 20 to 28 degrees.

Also, as mentioned above, having a peaceful nature, they get along well with almost any kind of fish. The only danger to them, especially during spawning, is represented by large territorial czehlids.

An interesting fact is that when creating optimal conditions, this catfish can live for more than 7 years.

Pterygoplicht or brocade catfish

Quite beautiful and in high demand among many aquarists, this fish was first discovered back in 1854 in the shallows of the Amazon River in South America. It has a rather impressive dorsal fin, brown body color and protruding nostrils. The maximum size of an adult is 550 mm. Average life expectancy is 15-20 years.

Due to their peaceful nature, these aquarium cleaners get along well with almost any kind of fish. But it is worth noting that they can eat the scales of slow fish. For example, scalar.

As for the content, this catfish feels great in a spacious artificial pond with a volume of at least 400 liters. It is also recommended to place 2 snags at the bottom of the vessel. This is necessary in order for these fish to be able to scrape off various foulings from them, which are one of the main sources of their food.

Important! It is necessary to feed the brocade catfish at night or a few minutes before turning off the lights.

Panak or king catfish

As a rule, this catfish has a rather bright color and is a representative of the Loricaria family. This fish, unlike other representatives of catfish, is rather hostile to encroachments on its territory. That is why, the only option when settling a panak in a vessel is to pre-equip the bottom with all kinds of shelters, one of which later becomes his house.

Remember that panaki love to spend most of their time moving in various shelters, often getting stuck in them, which can lead to their premature death if the fish is not removed from it in time.

As for nutrition, these catfish are omnivores. But as delicacies for them, you can use scalded lettuce or other greens. They get along well with peaceful haracins.

Mollies Poecilia

These viviparous fish actively cope with green filamentous algae. In order to feel comfortable in an artificial reservoir, she needs free space and areas with dense vegetation. But also we should not forget that these fish can destroy not only unwanted algae, but in some cases even shoots of young vegetation. But this happens, as a rule, only with insufficient feeding with vegetarian food.

Ancistrus, or, as it is popularly called, sucker catfish, lives in the Amazon River, which is located in South America. These catfish are common aquarium fish.

They are popular not because of their appearance, but rather because of their original behavior. They move in jumps and, with the help of a sucker mouth, are attached to the glass of the aquarium, stones and plants.

Ancitruses have horn-shaped scrapers in their mouths, with the help of which the fish scrape off various formations from the glasses and underwater objects of the aquarium, thereby cleaning it. In nature, they live in stagnant ponds and fast-flowing rivers.

Description of ancistrus

The shape of the body is drop-shaped. From above it is covered with a shell of keratinized plates.

Adult ancistrus in an aquarium grow up to 10 cm. The maximum body length depends on the temperature of the content than it the higher, the smaller the size of the ancistrus.

In addition to the common ancistrus, there is a veiled form, a distinctive feature of which is a long tail and enlarged fins. As always there are albinos. Also bred star ancistrus with well-defined white dots on a dark body.

As a rule, ancistrus are not kept alone, they are planted in several individuals in an aquarium as cleaners. Keeping these catfish is quite simple. These are peaceful fish that get along well with almost all fish that are kept in tropical freshwater aquariums.

In an aquarium with catfish, suckers maintain the temperature in the range of 22-26 degrees. But they are able to withstand temperature fluctuations from 18 to 33 degrees. Catfish have adapted to live in aquariums with almost any composition of water, although under natural conditions they prefer slightly acidic water. Ancistrus love clean water with a high oxygen content, so intensive aeration is recommended.

Plants should grow quite densely in the aquarium. Also, for ancistrus, it is necessary to equip various shelters in which catfish like to hide. It is desirable to have stones and snags that ancistrus will be happy to scrape off.

On the oral sucker there are keratinized tubercles, like a grater, designed to scrape and eat plant and animal "growths" on the surface of various objects.

Males show territorial behavior and actively defend their chosen shelters. The peak of activity in ancistrus is observed in the evening. They eat a variety of fouling from numerous aquarium surfaces. If there is not enough food, catfish can begin to spoil plants, especially young shoots. Partially, they eat the remnants of food that remain from other inhabitants of the aquarium.

If a group of catfish is kept, or they live in small aquariums, pets need additional feeding with plant foods. As such food, they can be given cabbage or lettuce scalded with boiling water. You can also use ready-made feed for herbivorous fish in the form of tablets.

Ancistrus breeding

Breeding these sucker catfish is quite simple. Males can be distinguished by the presence of horns on their heads - leathery processes. Females do not have such horns at all or they are poorly developed.

In addition, the physique of males is more slender. Under favorable conditions, ancistrus lay eggs even in common aquariums, in secluded shelters. But fry in the general aquarium is almost impossible to survive. If there is a specific task - to breed ancistrus, then group or pair spawning is used.

If catfish are kept in a group, then there should be 2 males and 4-6 females. The aquarium is taken with a volume of more than 40 liters. Be sure to have shelters in it. Bamboo or ceramic pipes work well for this purpose, but you can also put driftwood and stones in the aquarium.

The spawning process is stimulated by replacing one-third of the water, lowering the temperature and increasing aeration. When the female is ready to spawn, she becomes fatter. If spawning does not occur, then right in the spawning ground they are fed with plant food. Be sure to remove the leftover food, as they will rot.

As a rule, spawning in ancistrus occurs in the dark. The male chooses a place suitable for laying and carefully clean it, his chosen one lays 40-200 eggs there. The masonry has the appearance of a bunch of pink. After spawning, the female should be removed from the spawning ground, and the male should be left to guard the offspring. It will clean the eggs and create a stream of water.

Caviar maturation occurs after about a week, depending on what water temperature is maintained. During this time, the catfish does not eat.

If the eggs were laid in a common aquarium, then you can try to catch them. Caviar, together with the object to which it is attached, is transferred to a new aquarium. If the caviar is attached to the glass, they try to carefully separate it.

The larvae hatch and initially feed on the contents of the yolk sac. When the bags dissolve and the larvae begin to swim around the aquarium, the male is planted. From now on, the fry are given food. You can feed them ready-made fry food. Tablets for catfish are well suited, you can also give them finely ground food or live dust.

The larvae are fed regularly 3 times a day. The cleanliness of the aquarium will have to be well monitored and replaced every day with a fifth. Under such conditions, the fry develop rapidly. At 10 months, young individuals are already capable of producing offspring themselves.

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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 is 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.