Aquarium shark catfish: description, care and breeding

Recently, the cultivation of ornamental sharks in the aquarium is becoming increasingly popular. These creatures admire and frighten with their appearance. One of the varieties of exotic fish is shark catfish, or pangasius. Read more about its contents in the article.

Pengasianodon Hypophthalmus is a representative of radiant fish. Belongs to the Pangasiev family and the Cod-shaped order. It is worth paying attention that there are several names for this species. So, among the breeders you can hear the names "freshwater shark" and "Siamese catfish", the more common - "shark catfish". Shark-like pangasius prefers to live in the warm waters of Southeast Asia, they especially like freshwater in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand. According to scientists, the largest population is noted in the Chauphray and Mekong rivers. By the way, today shark catfish is a commercial fish, as its meat has a good taste. For this reason, the population of these peaceful sharks is declining.

Pangasius has a rather solid physique. The body is completely covered with smooth skin, no scales. The head is triangular, slightly flattened. The catfish face is similar to the face of an ordinary shark. Another similarity lies in the triangular dorsal fin.

You can also notice the antennae on both sides of the mouth. The eyes of the fish are large, the shape is round. The caudal fin consists of two blades. As for color, individuals of this species are more likely to meet with silver skin. In addition, long stripes are visible on the body. The fins are dark brown; an individual with black fins is extremely rare. Interesting: there are carriers of very fair skin, so scientists called them albinos.

The catfish have an amazing feature - the color of the body changes as they grow older. Thus, an adult can darken significantly, up to black, however, the abdomen always remains silver. As for the fins, in young animals they are rather light gray, almost transparent, while in adults they are gray-blue with a silver border.

Open water dwellers grow to large sizes - up to about 100 cm in length. Decorative sharks reach 50-60 cm. Shark catfish is considered a true long-liver - if properly maintained, it will easily live up to 20 years.

By nature, the fish is calm, peaceful. but neighbors should be taken seriously - do not add aggressive, predatory individuals to them. In addition, shark catfish is a shy creature with low vision.

Freshwater aquarium fish are very popular today. However, breeding of these species requires special conditions. So, for a comfortable living shark catfish, you must create a close to natural atmosphere.

Experts recommend paying attention to several points regarding the proper maintenance of the pangasius at home.

• Since the decorative shark is a fairly large creature, it needs space. Therefore, aquariums with a volume of at least 500 liters should be purchased. In addition, the fish is very active and mobile under water. For a whole flock of catfishes it is better to choose larger tanks - at least not less than 1000 liters.
• Freshwater sharks are thermophilic. Try to maintain the temperature of the water within 22–27 degrees. Hardness indicators - no more than 20 dh, acidity - 7.0–8.0 pH.
• Mandatory installation of the filter - it is better to turn it on immediately at maximum power. Stagnant water negatively affects the well-being of catfish, and also reduces visibility. You should also control the content of nitrates, ammonia, because these substances in excess quantities are harmful to the pet. Helpful Hint: Add filtered water to the tank once a week.
• To design an aquarium, it is better to choose large objects of decor. Objects with sharp corners will not work: during movement, the fish may get hurt about them. Smooth gravel and coarse sand are acceptable as bottom coatings.

The health of an aquarium pet is highly dependent on the quality of its nutrition. It is necessary to correctly compile the daily diet and at the same time follow all the recommendations of specialists or breeders. Poor quality food can lead to illness or growth failure.

So, feeding domestic fish is based on a number of important principles:

• frequency of meals - no more than twice a day, servings should be small;
• an important element in the diet is protein, preferably animal;
• for full growth of the pet, the menu should include shrimp, beef meat, squid, earthworms, frozen and live fish;
• It is recommended to combine live food with vegetable - cucumbers, zucchini and cabbage leaves are suitable;
• the shark-shaped catfish loves porridge very much - you can give rice, buckwheat, millet;
• fasting days are required about once a week - this method will help to avoid obesity of the fish.

In the open sea with reproduction, pangasius does not have any special difficulties. Since females have rather high requirements for spawning grounds, this species of fish often changes its place of residence. When swimming, catfish is looking for the perfect place to spawn.

So, wild animals have a natural process from July to November. The female lays as many as 100 thousand eggs at a time, and the fry appear already on the 4th day. Further, adult fish return to their previous lifestyle.

The mini-shark in the natural environment prefers to keep flocks of relatives. Its peaceful nature allows you to get along with other types of fish. However, it is better not to hook large individuals into the catfish aquarium. And the reason is not that a large individual can eat a small one - the whole thing is due to the fearful nature of the pangasius: it will simply be frightened and clog into a corner. The optimal solution would be to share small fish, which will force the catfish to constantly move for prey.

For decorative sharks, cichlids, a fish-knife, a laboe, large and bream-shaped barbs, gourami, calamites, and commensurate polypteruses will become good neighbors. Experts also advise to irrigate the iris. This is due to the fact that she, dwelling in the lower layers, will pick up the remnants of food, thereby cleaning up the dwelling behind the owner of the aquarium, who prefers to swim in the middle.

Interesting that shark-shaped catfish is very similar to one representative of cichlids - we are talking about striped cichlasoma. This fish has a calm disposition, it is quite accommodating with other individuals. However, experts do not recommend hooking her to a catfish. Why? The cichlazoma is used to spawning at the bottom of the aquarium, and the pangasius will interfere with this process, swimming in the cichlids. As a result, fish can collide and begin to conflict.

Like any pet, shark catfish can get sick. The main reason fish feel unwell is poor nutrition, as well as poor-quality or inappropriate food. According to the breeders, mainly mini-sharks suffer from an upset gastrointestinal tract, in particular poisoning and ulcerative manifestations. Equally important is the emotional state of the animal. As already mentioned, the shark catfish is very shy. Frightened, he can hide in a corner, and even worse, refuse food.

Before buying a marine pet, it is recommended that you consult with a specialist about care and nutrition. It should be remembered that the physical well-being of a home shark is influenced by external factors such as a spacious aquarium, a good filter, and regular cleaning of the tank. If it seems that the waste and troubles are too great, it is better to look at other types of ornamental fish, which are characterized by an unpretentious nature.

Shark catfish, or pangasius, is a calm and peaceful aquarium fish. Breeding at home requires special attention for the pet. First of all, you need to purchase a spacious aquarium, fill it with clean fresh water.

In the next video you will find interesting information about this amazing fish.