Popular among amateurs of aquarium shark catfish is a smart miniature alternative to real sea robbers. It is impossible to keep a famous toothy predator that leads to horror in the water spaces, but these fresh-water fish are extremely adaptable to life in an artificial environment.
Shark Pangasius Cat - description
In the nature of our hero can be found in the rivers of Thailand and Laos, various channels, overgrown with algae lakes, warm water reservoirs of artificial origin. The fillet from this catfish is in great demand, therefore it is one of the most profitable fish for reproduction. In the form of an aquarium pet, this fish of moderate size is grown because of its similarity to giant sharks and killer whales. In the Indochina rivers, pangasius grows over a meter, and when kept in rooms in aquariums, it does not exceed 70 cm.
There are several varieties of aquarium pangasius:
- Siamese Pangasius. Pangasius hypophthalmus because of its appearance is known among lovers under the name of catfish shark's highly finely pangasius or aquarium freshwater shark. The body color of the fish is dark gray with a bluish tint, there are a pair of silvery bands on the sides that run from the gills to the fin. Its flattened head, fin and tail makes this creature strikingly similar to killer whales and sharks. The male Pangasius is smaller than the female, the color of his body is much paler. The abdomen is silvery near the room shark, the fins are light gray.
- Aquarium catfish. Pangasius sutchi is a shy fish, it is smaller and can rush in fear at the walls of the aquarium. It is better to keep it in a large elongated container to reduce the risk of injury. Aquarium shark catfish are less aggressive, like to be in the middle layers of the water, they normally live together with many species of aquatic creatures of large and medium size. Pangasiuses of this subspecies get used to the owners, always react to their appearance in the room.
Shum cat pangasius - content
Shark catfish should be kept at a temperature of 24-26 ° C. A mandatory requirement for aquariums is the presence of a powerful filter and a regular fluid substitution of 30%, this procedure should be carried out weekly. Water hardness is set dH 2-20 at Ph from 6.5 to 8.0. Watch out for nitrates, ammonia and nitrites, their presence in the water is bad for pets.
Shark catfish - choose an aquarium
For shark catfish Pangasius, the aquarium needs a large and elongated one. The fish has a solid size and requires space, if you do not have a reservoir for 350 liters, then it is better not to buy it at all. In the design of the container we use decorative snags , many large stones, we take sandy soil. It is desirable to decorate the aquarium under tropical lakes and rivers, where these creatures hide among thickets and underwater branches. Equipment and filters need additional protection, when frightened by a powerful aquarium shark Som is able to break the device.
Shark catfish - compatibility with other fish
When deciding to buy this interesting fish, you need to study well the habits of the shark catfish, find out who it coexists with well, and who can destroy without effort, taking them for everyday food. It is undesirable to breed small aquatic creatures together with pangasius, they simply eat their defenseless neighbors. Somas need partners equal in size, little resembling potential food. Suitable Labeo , large species of cichlids, barbs, iris. You can settle a number of polypters, kalamoicht, gurami, black fish knife.
Aquarium fish shark catfish - care
It is undesirable to buy one specimen of this species home, they feel better in flocks of three or four fish, living in pairs. For the life of pangasius of ordinary shark catfish, the dimensions of capacity and the quality of food are crucial, in a small reservoir they do not grow large. Recently brought from abroad, the creatures in the stagnant water feel bad, spend cleaning the aquarium for them more often, always check the chemical composition of the environment.
Fish shark catfish - breeding
The spawning period in nature for these fish occurs in late spring or early summer. The shark catfish pangasius is a quality spawning ground, it will not be possible to create suitable conditions for this purpose in the apartment. In Asian countries, huge artificial ponds are used on farms, specialized fish farms are equipped with special reagents and equipment. In order to increase productivity, stimulant injections are used for individuals older than 2 years. It's more expedient for amateurs to buy imported fish in an aquarium.
What does the shark eat?
The question is, how to feed a shark catfish in an aquarium is easy. In adolescence, he likes protein foods, aging individuals often switch to vegetable products. They can offer unfrozen food, tableted, live, products in the form of flakes. With mixed nutrition, catfish grows normally, three meals a day with small portions are eaten by fish, which are eaten in a few minutes. As animal products shrimp with bloodworm, small fish, worms, crickets will do. Add salad, pieces of cucumber and zucchini to the diet.
Shark catfish - disease
If you do not produce a high-quality filtration of the aquatic environment, then the animals can be destroyed some organs - antennae, fins. When the fish in the aquarium have noticed a ulcerative lesion they perform a cauterization procedure with the help of potassium permanganate or use a solution of malachite green. Poisoning is treated with starvation, after a time when the shark catfish from the disease goes away, they transfer it to protein foods. Rotting and bacterial problems are removed with Antiback PRO, Tetra ContaIck, Tetra FungiStop, other effective medications.
These omnivores eat a lot and willingly, as a result of overeating often occur in beginners aquarists with wards problems. It is recommended that aquarium shark catfish arrange a couple of fasting days so that they come back to normal. Frequent injuries occur in large pets when kept in small containers. The resulting wounds heal well with qualitative hydrochemistry and the addition of antibacterial agents to the aquarium fluid. In difficult cases it is required to carry out tests in order to reveal the exact cause of the disease.