If experienced aquarists can choose any fish, even the most exotic and moody in content, then newbies tend to they are afraid to make copies of which they know little. To figure out what kind of beast – taracatum – and how to contain it, you need to study this species in detail. Maybe start to learn the basics Aquariums are worth it with this fish.
Content
- 1 Brief History of the Taracatum
- 2 Description of appearance
- 2.1 Sex differences
- 3 Options for a comfortable living environment
- 4 Feeding Rules
- 5 Compatible with other fish
- 5.1 Characteristic
- 5.1.1 Video: playful cockroach and its neighbors
- 5.1 Characteristic
- 6 Reproduction and breeding
- 6.1 Video: spawning of cockroaches
- 6.2 Video: catfish fry sank to the bottom
- 7 Taracatum diseases and treatment methods
- 7.1 Video: behavior of a catfish suffering from ichthyophthyroidism
- 7.2 What to do if the mustache has fallen
- 8 Video: All About Catfish Taracatum
- 9 Owner Reviews
A brief history of taracatum
The common taracatum is a heat-loving catfish. In latin sounds like a hoplosternum thoracatum but modern aquarists more often they write the name of a catfish as they hear it, a taracatum.
In 1997, Hoplosternum was explored by Roberto Reis. is he Separately described several species of this genus. Tarakatumov whom now contain aquarists, he called Megalechis thoracata. So several popular names were attached to the catfish: tarakatum, spotted catfish, hop, bubble nest, etc. Translated the name of this fish as a shell – the front of the catfish body is covered strong bone plates. The homeland of tarakatum is South America – the Amazon River, Orinoco, Paraguay. Also catfish populate some of the Florida rivers where they were entered by chance. Tarakatums live in large flocks, lead a bottom image of life. Their life expectancy in the wild is around 12-13 years old, and in the aquarium, subject to competent maintenance, it can reach 20 years.
Description of appearance
Somik has a light brown color. All over his body including fins and tail, there are dark spots that appear in adolescence and remain for life. As Growing up the overall color becomes darker. The belly of the fish is light, whitish, but in males during spawning acquires bluish shade. The taracatum boasts two pairs of luxurious mustaches – one of them sticks out in different directions and is directed upwards, the second – down and forward.
A distinctive feature of the view is the location and direction mustache, as well as a bright orange spike on the pectoral fin
Gender differences
You can distinguish a female from a male with the naked eye thanks to pectoral fins: in females they are rounded, smooth, in the male – more large and triangular in shape, with the first fin beam resembles a needle and turns orange during spawning.
The male taracatum (on the right), unlike the female (on the left), has more powerful fins equipped with spikes to protect their territory from strangers
More experienced aquarists can distinguish between females and males by plates covering the breast of the fish. In males, the plates are covered speckled and arranged in the form of the letter “V”, and in females this form more blurry, not so clear.
Comfort environment parameters
This catfish catfish is unpretentious. In the wild, they can live in both soft and hard water, which should be fresh, but also in brackish spotted catfish survive. Aquarium should be roomy (100-150 liters). Water temperature, comfortable for catfish, is 24–28 ° C, and pH is about 6–8.
Since catfish can grow large (up to 15 centimeters), individuals this species should be no more than 6, and the male – only one. Individuals males will fight for leadership and the dominant can cripple the weaker (especially during the spawning period).
A spacious aquarium is not only a decoration at home, but also one thing of the mandatory conditions for the maintenance of som
The shellfish is adapted to river conditions, therefore, when Using the aerator, you can organize a small movement of water. Ground lifestyle does not mean a comfortable stay in dirty water – a filter should be installed. In addition, you need to replace the aquarium water – 25% of the total volume of water per week. Somiki eat a lot, because There will be a lot of organic waste. Bottom can be periodically clean with a syringe. Catfish are unpretentious to the light, therefore lighting can be arranged in accordance with the rules for the content of other fish.
Taracatums have features. Fish intestine an additional respiratory organ, so it is able to absorb oxygen air floating to the surface of the water. Due to severity Soma bodies have to accelerate. Sometimes he does not calculate correctly own strength, jumps out of the aquarium and dies. To protect the fish, the aquarium must be installed with a lid. If the covers it wasn’t complete with the aquarium, you can just cover the tank, leaving a small hole for air flow.
The aquarium should have coarse-grained soil – gravel, artificial stones, driftwood, grottoes and seaweed. The need for a large substrate due to the fact that catfish love to swarm at the bottom and “stir up” the water, and grottoes are needed in as a shelter and for overgrowing with small algae. If there are no shelters, you need to make sure that the algae are broadleaf – so the fish can hide in the shade of leaves. Usually catfish hide during the day, and stay awake at night.
Feeding rules
Cockroaches eat live and dry food. Catfish have a brutal appetite, even though they seem indifferent to what is happening. Soms need varied food. These fish are real gluttons. IN You can use live feed (bloodworm, earthworms and even meat, such as shrimp), however some individuals like vegetarian cuisine more therefore, taste preferences must be considered individually. Some manufacturers of dry feed combine plant and animal in their products components.
It is better to buy dry food in packaged packages (not by weight). Opened packaging must be stored in a tightly closed container, otherwise it pathogenic flora can begin to multiply, which is unfavorable affect the health of fish.
Cockroaches are unpretentious to eat, but the wrong diet can lead to the development of diseases
Colonies of algae, which driftwood and surfaces of decorative elements are overgrown. Such refreshment promotes proper digestion and color brightness. It’s better to feed the catfish slowly. Having given the bulk of the feed to the inhabitants aquarium, you need to make sure that everyone ate. And then add more food – especially for catfish. Even if he doesn’t eat his supplement immediately, the food will fall to the bottom, and at night he will pick it up. If you observe after the catfish at night, you can see how it is activated and in search of food floats on the bottom, feeling the ground with a mustache.
Compatible with other fish
Tarakatums are peaceful and accommodating fish. But there are two main rules for the selection of neighbors. First, fish must be proportionate som, because even a peaceful catfish, if he is very hungry, can eat a little fish. This does not mean aggression, and such behavior – an exception. And secondly, you can not settle catfish and predatory fish together. Undesirable neighbors are, for example, cichlids. Large predatory fish will bully a sleepy cockroach. Conflict may go into a real battle, the consequences of which will be injuries both sides. Smaller but more aggressive fish (e.g. labeos) catfish can also be lifted up: between males of two species can begin struggle for territorial leadership.
The catfish will not cause trouble to quiet and rather big fish – he friendly and patient, and almost always hides during the day, giving the rest to move freely
Females become ideal neighbors for cockroaches of the same kind – their characters and daily routine will coincide, but the reasons there is no conflict. In addition, fish of the same species easier to maintain.
Character feature
Quite often in jokes and ironic sayings we hear the phrase “memory like a fish”. This means that the fish is not capable to remember. Even if the owner will change every day, she this won’t notice. But catfish is an exception to the rule, especially if he lived with one owner all his life.
In the evening, swims to the glass and looks. Begins to fidget, move mustache, as if sniffing through glass. May pop up, swallow air, return to the place, and looking at me, exhale this a bubble.
Video: playful cockroach and its neighbors
Breeding and breeding
Some aquarists specifically start these catfish because of unusual spawning process. When the female and male are ready to spawn, and conditions allow it, the male begins to build a nest. In nature catfish collects pieces of algae and other materials and builds Of all this, the nest is up to 3 centimeters high. For this he uses a wide sheet on the surface of the water. For nesting the taracatum will swim upside down and pump foam. Foam formed from bubbles that catfish spit out. No bubbles burst because they are smeared with special mucus.
A female with a rounded belly will try to snuggle up in a cozy place, but the male will drive her out. When the nest is ready, he himself will invite. After that, the female catfish folds the ventral fins into “palms”, lays several eggs and carries them to the foam the nest. The male inseminates the eggs with milk and pumps more foam, so that they do not move away from the nest. This process is repeated until until all the eggs are in the nest (up to 1000 eggs). Then a tired female needs to be transplanted, and another male should be allowed if there is. When the nest is filled and replaced properly, the male begins to guard him. He will drive away any moving object – butterfly net, other fish, human hand, etc.
Video: spawning of cockroaches
Until the caviar ripens, the catfish will not eat, so you can not worry about feeding him. He will be busy with the nest all the time: correct, lather, return fallen eggs. If the egg sink to the bottom, then nothing bad will happen – it will hatch at the bottom. At optimal water temperature (27–28 ° C) caviar hatch in about 4-5 days. As soon as appears the first batch of fry, the male is placed in a separate aquarium and fed – for several days of diet, catfish are pretty hungry and can eat caviar. The first couple of days (sometimes a day) fry can “fuss” at the nest, but then gradually sink to the bottom. Across a couple of days fry can be fed, for example, artemia (species crustaceans) or chopped food for adult catfish. Malek from he will not die of hunger – when he descends to the bottom, he will find his first the food.
Young growth is growing very rapidly. For two months, fry can grow up to 4 centimeters – with this size they can start feeding adult food, increase filtration and change water more often. Kids will grow up with different speed, so you need to install several aquariums and sort them by size.
Video: catfish fry sank to the bottom
Taracatum diseases and treatment methods
Most often, aquarists care about external catfish sores (loss flakes, molting, the appearance of purulent vesicles, etc.). IN in such cases, the sick fish urgently need to be put in a separate capacity, examine its relatives, clean and hold the aquarium water analysis.
Tests for harmful substances in aquarium water can be bought at the pet store, but it’s better to stock up on them in advance so that they always were at hand.
An ill catfish must be shown to a specialist – most likely he will need antibiotics and other drugs drugs.
Catfish almost always lead a bottom, nocturnal lifestyle. Consequently, they are most at risk due to water pollution, and to identify a problem in their health is quite difficult – this is why it is so important to monitor the purity of water and conditions content.
In no case should thread be allowed to enter the water and other strong fibers. Catfish love picking plants, and if If they find a thread there, they will surely get confused. Notice it will be difficult, and the attached catfish will not be able to float behind the air. So he may die of hypoxia.
If you can independently diagnose the disease, then You can try and treatment. One of the most contagious sores in catfish is ichthyophthyroidism (“semolina”).
Sometimes it happens that a catfish for no apparent reason lies on its side or floats in the same position. If tests are excluded If there are any deficiencies in water quality, then two problems remain: ichthyophthyroidism or overfeeding.
Sick fish need to immediately put off. As a medicine, usually prescribe the drug Malachite green or Aquamed. But with any medication is important to understand that the appearance of white points – a symptom of the disease.
If you are afraid to use malachite green in the fight against “semolina”, you can try Sera Costapur. Before use increase the power of all devices, including the filter and aerator, replace 20% of water. The drug is poured overnight, no sick fish fed. If there are adsorbents in the aquarium devices (e.g. coal in the filter), they need to be removed. All porous device sponges rinse thoroughly daily. You need to remember that catfish are difficult take any medication, so the drug must be given in shares 1/2 of the specified in the instructions.
Another common sore in fish is fungus. Light spots appear on the fish’s body first, and then they are overgrown with cotton. Get sick with fungal diseases only immunocompromised fish. The fungus develops in places open wounds, so you can not put sharp stones in the aquarium. Sick individuals are weak, do not eat and breathe heavily. Around “wool” appears red spots. Sick fish need to put in quarantine tank, and add a weak solution to the water potassium permanganate. The procedure can be repeated again.
Video: behavior of a catfish suffering from ichthyophthyroidism
What to do if the mustache has fallen away
Often there are situations when the catfish looks healthy, but his mustache fell away. This can happen symmetrically (pair) or asymmetrically (one mustache). Cockroaches love to rummage in the ground, and if the substrate is not suitable for the properties and characteristics, the fish may get hurt. Catfish can get into a small wound on the face of a catfish bacteria – they contribute to the loss of mustache. In such cases the diseased individual needs to be deposited and provide enhanced aeration and filtering. Separately, you can make a bath with tripaflavin-ultra (e.g. in a bowl).
Video: all about catfish-tarakatum
Owner reviews
He grew to a decent size, became so plump and important. When it rises to the top of the aquarium, you just want to scratch it. white belly. Since it is the largest resident in size aquarium, or maybe it’s like that on its own, it’s on the rest in general does not pay attention. Especially during feeding, it repels everyone (even a scalar) and eats himself. Nobody is a hindrance to him, he believes King himself). But most of the time he sits in the grass in the castle or behind the filter, where there is less light and fuss. He likes loneliness. It’s unpretentious in food, but we still feed it special tablets for crustaceans. Eating them with pleasure.
Som tarakatum is a very intelligent and beautiful aquarium dweller. The most common from catfish in novice aquarists taracatum, and this is not surprising, because he is very tenacious and unpretentious. He loves calm and measured way of life. With other fish is excellent getting along.
For example, I often do not sleep at night, and before I had a lot work seven days a week, so the time to communicate with your home there were no animals at all during the day. Soma in this regard is what need: they are ready to chat all night. But in the afternoon they are not so active, often sleep, so the aquarium looks empty. If you don’t suitable, you can hook on them any (adults, not fry) fish, which swim in the upper and middle layers of the water and conduct daytime lifestyle – cockroaches will not offend anyone!
Friendly, calm, unpretentious and omnivorous catfish tarakatum – The perfect choice for beginner aquarists. To owners and neighbors through the aquarium, he will not cause any trouble, but if properly care and comfortable conditions will long delight all households their unobtrusive society.
