Shotgrapfish

It's nice to look at a beautifully arranged aquarium, in which there are flocks of fish. The speckled catfish is very unpretentious, therefore it is very popular among the owners of aquariums. This is the most common type of catfish. This fish comes from South America. In its natural habitat prefers standing freshwater reservoirs, where dense vegetation is enough.

Smoked Somedic: description of species

The fish has a dense, short body, a convex back. The whole body has a pale brown color, covered with small dark spots. Only the abdomen has a pinkish-golden hue. Often on the sides there are lines of frequent dashes. Often among these fish you can meet albinos.

On the upper lip of the catfish there are two pairs of mustaches. The length of the fish does not exceed 4-6 cm. Male and female can be distinguished by the shape of the dorsal fin: females have a rounded shape, males - acute triangular.

This is a very peaceful, but bright fish. He prefers to live in packs. It is not recommended to settle in an aquarium of less than six individuals. The flock is mainly kept in the bottom layer of water. These fish are active all the time, but it is the night time that is the peak of their activity. They get on well with non-aggressive fish species: barbs, discus, molly.

Speckled Catfish: content

The mottled catfish is simple enough, its contents will not cause problems at all. The aquarium should be selected about 90 liters, with fairly long walls - about 60 cm. The ideal temperature for fish is about 25 ° C.

Fish are sensitive enough to the salinity of water. Keep them in salt water or use salt for treatment is impossible. Be sure to purchase a filtration system for the aquarium, do not forget about aeration. Each third of the water should be changed. Provide fish with easy access to the surface of the water. Periodically they will float to the surface. This is because catfish are capable of intestinal breathing, they periodically inhale atmospheric air. If you notice that the fish often pops up, check the quality of the aeration in the aquarium.

As a ground it is possible to use a large sand, a small rutted pebbles. Plant algae along the side walls. These algae should be planted along the back wall. Supplement the composition followed by floating algae. You can decorate the aquarium with various snags, stones, shelters. Lighting should not be too bright.

Somatic speckled uses plant, combined, live food perfectly. As a live food, you can offer bloodworms, tubes. Since fish prefer to keep close to the bottom, the food should be sinking.

Speckled Catfish: Reproduction

It is permissible to breed fish in a common aquarium. But it is more preferable to purchase a separate spawn for 10 liters. The nest is formed in the ratio of one female to two males. Water for spawning of speckled catfish should be very fresh, with a temperature of 20-22 ° C. Before spawning, growers should be seeded and nourished.

Within a few hours, after planting the producers, spawning will begin. It can last from a few hours to three days. The average fecundity of the female can reach 200 eggs. The development of embryos depends on the temperature of the water, can last from 2 to 5 days.

The shell of unfertilized calf begins to whiten in 6-8 hours, the live one retains its transparency. Within 5 days the female is ready for repeated spawning, but with other males. Reproduction of speckled catfish can be started when the female reaches the age of 8 months. The spawning period can last about 3 months, then a breather should be done.