Striped platidorases: characteristics, nuances of care and reproduction

Currently, many breeds and varieties of fish are bred in aquariums, which are constantly updated with new individuals. Among this list, it is worth highlighting a beautiful and interesting fish - striped platidoras, which is popular not only because of its external attractiveness, but also its ability to “sing”.

Platydoras armatulus is the most popular type of catfish that can be bred at home. This variety stands out among others for its external attractiveness due to the presence of wide contrasting stripes along the body. The picture is most clearly visible in young fish. In the wild, adult catfish can reach a size of 20 centimeters; in a closed environment, striped platidoras grows to a maximum of 15 centimeters.

The fish of this family are quite curious, therefore it is interesting to watch them. Despite the fact that catfish is a nocturnal predator, in the presence of comfortable conditions in the aquarium, its inhabitants will be happy to actively explore their territory. It is this type of catfish that is most often used to breed several varieties of marine and river animals in one tank.

Striped platidoras comes from the Bronyakov family, also this specimen is called bokoshechnikovye catfish. This name is due to the peculiarities of the skin of fish, which is distinguished by its strength, in addition, the representatives of the family have a very developed occipital shield and bone growths along the lateral lines of the body. There are spikes on the shields that provide the fish with good protection.Also, catfish are called "singing", due to this name the sounds that pectoral fins emit when touching the grooves in the shoulder. And drum sounds are formed from the vibrations of the swimming bladder.

Platidoras are quite hardy, individuals have a cylindrical body shape, flat abdomen. Females, like some other fish species, usually have more males. The body can be painted in black and white, dark brown with gold or another shade. The muzzle of individuals and the lower part of the pectoral fins has a lighter color. You can learn about the age of the catfish based on the clarity of color: the more contrast the lines on the body, the more years the fish. He has a large head, eyes and mouth are also expressive, plastidorases have a mustache characteristic of the family, located on both sides of the mouth. The life expectancy of catfish is about 20 years in the natural environment, in captivity, the life cycle may be less.

Experienced breeders of decorative aquarium fish recommend to be guided by the visual differences between male and female representatives of the family to determine their gender. As for platidorases, you should look at the individual you like from above. Mature females will be larger, in addition, they will be thicker than “boys”. This is precisely the main difference between females and males of striped catfish, which should be guided in the first place.

To keep catfish in the aquarium, you should use containers designed for a minimum of 100-120 liters. The fearful night predator prefers to be in tanks with a minimum amount of light. It is recommended to cover the surface of the water with different plants. Soms need shelters, so roots or snags with voids should be placed at the bottom of the aquarium, clay pots can be used. At the bottom of the flora is optional, but in the presence of other fish its presence is allowed. In addition, plants can provide more shaded areas in the tank. The bottom should be covered with sand or fine gravel.

To observe platidoras, you can use red spectrum lamps or use the night illumination options, fish eyes do not respond to red light streams that can be used in the dark. The water in the aquarium should be with a suitable acidity level, the optimal pH values ​​are in the range from 5.8 to 7.5. For catfish, it is important to maintain a constant temperature from +23 to +30 degrees.

In order for the fish to be healthy and to develop correctly, about a third of the total volume of water in the aquarium must be changed once a week. Caring for the “house” of catfish should also be reduced to ensuring good filtration of water. It is necessary to maintain good aeration so that the liquid in the tank is as saturated as possible with oxygen. Plants contained in the aquarium with fish also require care. In order to make swimming comfortable for fish, all vegetation can be shortened, mud sediment can be removed, which can grow on large leaves or shoots. Platidorases do not eat aquarium plants, so they are subject to regular changes, only small algae are suitable for consumption.

The striped “singing” catfish is an omnivorous individual, so even a novice aquarist will be able to provide the right diet for fish. For the maintenance of platidorases it is recommended to use granular dry food of industrial production. It can be in the form of tablets or croquettes.In addition to it, you should buy live or frozen foods that are suitable for feeding predators. It can be bloodworms, various worms, etc. Feeding is carried out in the dark. To grow healthy fish, it is worth remembering that catfish is prone to obesity, so it is not recommended to overfeed it, even before breeding. It is possible to determine that the fish does not need food yet by the rounded abdomen. As soon as the stomach of Platidoras becomes flat, you can safely feed it.

In closed aquariums, breeding of this fish is extremely rare. Natural laying of caviar occurs in decorative tanks only in isolated cases, but for this, the capacity of the aquarium should be large. In nature, females lay eggs in streams and small rivers. In an aquarium, catfish can build peculiar nests using leaves, pieces of bark, etc. In such a nest, one individual takes refuge, and the second swims for fertilization and subsequent breeding of offspring.

The prickly predator reaches puberty closer to two years. Experienced aquarists in order to grow fry, transplant several individuals into a separate container, where there will be minimal access to light, but good aeration. A spawning ground is formed there, in which there will be no sharp corners. The water temperature is maintained in the range of +27 - -27С, while its level should not be more than 20 centimeters. Before spawning, fish are transferred to live food. First, the male is transplanted into the tank, which will be engaged in the construction of the nest. If this did not happen, then the female will be able to lay eggs in the bottom holes in the sand or gravel. The diameter of the nests for masonry usually varies between 3-10 centimeters. For spawning, the pituitary suspension of bream or sterlet is most often used. For female catfish, up to two males can be used for fertilization.

Usually, platidoras females lay about 300 eggs, as soon as this happens, it is recommended that parents of future offspring be removed from the aquarium. The incubation period in fry is 48–72 hours. Already on days 5–6, the fry will be able to swim and eat on their own. At first, they are encouraged to offer live moths, microworms. Small predators develop at a slow pace, so the aquarist will need some time to devote care for the offspring. Once the fish have reached a third of the size of an adult fish, they can be settled in a joint aquarium.

Catfish refers to bottom breeds of fish that are not prone to aggressive behavior towards other aquarium inhabitants. It is these individuals that can be safely reared in multi-species tanks where medium or large sized fish will be present. However, the proximity to small breeds is still worth abandoning, since there is a possibility that they will be perceived as food. Striped platidorases on the body have excellent armor, so they are not afraid of even large aggressive decorative species of sea or river fish. Soma can be added to scalar, kept together with gourami, tetra, with other varieties of catfish, cichlids or cyprinids.

"Singing" fish can be populated in the aquarium in groups or separately, but in the first case, some conflicts are possible regarding the territorial dominance of males. A section of shelters in tanks with catfish can be observed.

In the next video you will find additional information about the content, reproduction, feeding and compatibility of striped platidoras.