Pygmy corridor: keeping, breeding and compatibility

Aquarium catfish belong to the catfish family and the catfish order. These aquatic inhabitants are considered the oldest representatives of freshwater fauna. They have 150 genera and about 1200 species. Catfish corridors belong to the family of armored catfish. The smallest representatives of this genus are the pygmy corridor, the dwarf corridor and habrosus.

In the wild, the pygmy corridor is found in small tributaries almost throughout South America. These catfish swim in different waters and can change habitats during the rainy and drought seasons. Fish live in flocks on a sandy or gravelly bottom. But they can live in flooded forests, where the bottom is covered with fallen leaves.

Based on the name, it is clear that this catfish is characterized by a very small size. It has an elongated body shape, which is flattened on the sides and painted in a gray-olive color. A black stripe starts from the eyes and reaches the base of the tail, ending in an irregularly shaped spot. The fins are well developed and transparent, the tail is two-lobed. Females reach a length of about 3 cm and have a rounded upper fin, males are smaller - 2-2.5 cm, their upper fin is pointed.

The Pygmy Corridor is a peace-loving aquarium fish. It is recommended to purchase them only in flocks, since they are used to living in a natural environment. Alone, catfish will live much less than in a pack.

In order for the catfish pygmy in the aquarium to live as long as possible, The following content rules must be observed.

• Aquarium volume. When choosing an aquarium, it should be borne in mind that 1 liter of water should account for 3 liters of water. A flock of 6-7 catfish will feel comfortable in a 20-liter capacity. If there are more pygmies, then an aquarium of at least 50 liters is needed.
• Temperature and composition of water. The optimum water temperature for this type of catfish is 22-25 degrees Celsius. Recommended acidity is 6.5-7.5 pH, and hardness is not more than 15. Every week, 1/3 of all water should be changed.
• Lighting. Pygmy corridors prefer soft diffused light. It is desirable that he acted from above.
• Priming. It should be soft (sand or small pebbles) and not have sharp edges. Try to get the soil of a dark color, as against such a background catfish will look more impressive.
• Equipment. Pygmy corridors do not need to install a compressor, since they have intestinal respiration, but there will also be no harm from the unit. But a good filter in such an aquarium is very necessary, because these fish greatly stir up the water, digging the ground.
• Plants. They must be planted so that catfish can move freely. Preferred plants with wide leaves: echinodorus, anubias, cryptocoryne. Pygmies can lie on their large leaves.
• Decor Pygmy corridors in the aquarium require many corners in the form of grottoes, caves, snags, where they can take refuge. Embankments of large smooth stones should also be placed. On such stones, small fish like to relax.
• Feeding. You need to give food 1 time per day. Pygmies can be fed both live (daphnia, tubule, artemia), and dry food in the form of cereals, granules, tablets. It is necessary to feed finely chopped fresh cucumber, lettuce and dandelion leaves, which must be scalded with boiling water and finely chopped.

The beginning of spawning in the corridors of pygmies can be provoked daily change of water having a lower temperature. It is similar to natural conditions during the rainy season. Females and males are kept separate from each other and are intensely fed with live food. For spawning, a capacity of 10 liters is suitable.

At the bottom place special soil for spawning and plant fish. Lighting should be dimmed, one wall can be made brighter and a glass can be installed near it, on which the female will attach the eggs. Parents need to be jailed after spawning.

Larvae appear on the fourth day, and after 4 days they can swim and eat themselves. Fry should be given ciliates, egg yolk, live dust. Gradually they are taught to eat young artemia. Then transferred to a more diverse diet. At 4-8 months, the fish become sexually mature.

In the aquarium, along with the pygmy corridors, it is best to keep small peaceful fish. The most suitable compatibility options are guppies, pecilia, iris, tetra. You can get snails and shrimp. Pygmy corridors are small and very unpretentious catfish. They easy to care and breed, get along well with other peaceful fish. In addition, these catfish are an interesting object for observation, especially for children.

All about the pygmy corridor see below.