Red catfish Antsistrus is one of the favorite fish of aquarists. This is due to the fact that any aquarium catfish is not just a decorative creation, but also a living filter, which brings great benefits to the aquarium and its inhabitants. And if it is a catfish of saturated red color, then it becomes also the main decoration of a home reservoir. In order for Antsistrus to please the owner for a long time, it is important to observe simple conditions of care and maintenance.
Description
The homeland of the Antsistruses is considered freshwater reservoirs of South America. The body of the fish is dense, teardrop-shaped, bone plates are observed on it. These creatures have abdominal and pectoral paired fins, miniature adipose and anal fins, and a massive dorsal fin. The anticistrus mouth has a rounded shape, it has narrow lips and horn-shaped suckers. A plaque from the scenery and the walls of the aquarium, this fish scrapes the horny tubercles located near the oral suckers. One can distinguish a male from a female by the presence of distinct bushy leather processes on the head.
One of the most beautiful red species is considered to be Antsistrus Super Red Veil. It has a bright orange or scarlet body color and fins, translucent with an orange tint. The size of ancistrus is super red - compact, only 3-6 cm.
The fins on the abdominal and pectoral parts have an unusual shape - they are thinner and wider, in shape resemble a veil. The only disadvantage in the content of this species is that aquarists emphasize its high price: this aesthetic type of fish is really expensive.
Care and maintenance
Red ancistruses adapt well to various conditions of detention, for example, they are not particularly demanding on water temperature.They also quickly get used to the composition of the water, but in nature they prefer to settle in weakly acidic and soft oxygen-rich reservoirs. The most suitable temperature limits are 20-25 degrees, acidity is 6.5-7.5 pH, hardness is 20-25. In order to bring water as close as possible to the natural environment for a catfish, equip the aquarium with aeration systems so that oxygen enters the artificial reservoir.
Daylight hours are divided into daytime and nighttime, as catfish are active at dusk. Between the two phases, a twilight light period should be created with an interval of 30-40 minutes. Antsistruses feel comfortable in the shade, therefore in the tank you need to lavishly plant vegetation, put the grotto, stones, driftwood and other decorations that will serve as a shelter for the pet.
Super Red Antcistruses love to feast on both living and plant foods, but the latter give more preference. Soft algae covering the walls of the aquarium may be included in their diet. Catfish will not refuse from food fragments that other inhabitants of the aquarium have not eaten. If the owner noticed that Antsistrus leans on the aquarium vegetation and gradually destroys it, it can be assumed that the pet lacks fiber.
To avoid a deficiency of this component, It is recommended to feed the Antsistrus with ready-made special feeds based on vegetation. Also feed the fish with cabbage and lettuce, nettle, dandelion.
Often these pets, kept at home, are prone to disease. For example, abdominal distention may occur with illiterate care. This phenomenon can be provoked by chemical poisoning, which is contained in poorly prepared water, poor-quality animal feed, and gases that have entered the stomach. Sometimes catfish are infected by infections or parasites, this can happen with poor handling of aquarium attributes.
Typically, the volume of the aquarium for ancistrus is selected at the rate of 200 liters per two individuals. Experienced breeders do not recommend keeping several males together. Under the right conditions, aquarium catfish super red will live 5-6 years.
Compatibility
Minors, tetras, thorns, neons, guppies, mollieses, pecilia, and swordsmen can be good neighbors for ancistruses. A good union will turn out for a catfish with cockerels, gourams, barbs, zebrafish, cardinals, and some other catfish, for example, golden or speckled. It is not recommended to hook aggressive large fish, such as territorial cichlids or plecostomuses, to ancistruses.
It is also better to avoid proximity to inhibited dispersed aquarium inhabitants, such as goldfish. Conflicts will also arise with the content of Antsistrus along with scaleless fish, as these species can cause injury to fragile catfish.
Breeding
When crossing catfish super ed, it is necessary to use only producers of one species. This variety cannot be “mixed” with other ancistruses, otherwise the cubs will turn ugly and will resemble ordinary outbred catfishes that are not of aquarium value. Therefore, the line of the breed is important to strictly observe.
Female and male individuals are placed in spawning grounds, they begin to generously fatten with protein animal food, increase the temperature of the water, and carefully maintain the cleanliness of the artificial reservoir. A male prepares a nest for masonry. He searches for a suitable site and cleans it with his suction cup. A female swims in a ready-made nest, where it lays about 30-100 yellow or orange eggs. Further, the male protects his offspring, he is in a state of hunger and stress and sometimes can even kill the female or eat clutch. To prevent this from happening, some breeders plant their parents after spawning.
Approximately on the 5th day, fry hatch. If the parents are not left behind, the male continues to guard them until they swim on their own - usually this happens after 1-2 days.
Spirulina tablets may be the starting food for the young, gradually chopped vegetables are introduced into the diet: cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, raw potatoes. The menu should contain cellulose, its source may be bottom driftwood, which the growing baby will gnaw at.
You can look at Antsistrus Super Red further.
