Aquarium fish killer whale. Asian catfish, striped mystus (Mystus tengara), shifter killer whale (Mystus leucophasis, Heterobagrus leucophasis)
Black bagrus (lat. Mystus leucophasis or Heterobagrus leucophasis), which is also called black killer whale, changeling killer whale, black mystus, is an interesting, but rarely found on sale catfish.
Outwardly he looks classic representative catfish - four pairs of whiskers reaching the length of almost half the body, a long dorsal fin, a body shape typical of a predator.
A peculiarity of the black bargus is that, like synodontis, it often turns over and swims upside down, for which English language called Asian upside down catfish.
The black mistus lives in Myanmar, in largest river The Irrawaddy and its tributaries. Typical river catfish, active at night.
Description
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Black bagus catfish can grow up to 30 cm, although in aquariums it is smaller, usually less than 20 cm.
The body color is black; when viewed from a distance, up close you can see silvery spots running along the body.
As the fish grows, the spots also increase, and over time it looks like it has been dusted with flour.
At first it is active only at night, but as it adapts, it begins to swim during the day. Since the black bargus swims very actively, it is not suitable for an aquarium with big amount plants, as they will be broken and dug up.
It is also not suitable for community aquariums, neighbors need to be selected very carefully. Ideally, this is a fish for species-specific keeping, separately in an aquarium.
The shapeshifting killer whale is only suitable for experienced aquarists and is not recommended for beginners.
Water parameters are not too important, but ideal would be: water temperature 23-27°C, pH: 6.0-8.0, hardness 5-20°H. They love strong currents, like all river inhabitants.
They jump well, so the aquarium needs to be covered. Considering the rather large size of adult catfish, it is advisable to keep an aquarium of 400 liters or more
A large number of They spend time in an upside-down position, so when buying them they are often confused with the catfish-shifter. However, black bugrus is a different color (it’s easy to guess which one), larger, and most importantly, much less suitable for general aquariums.
Feeding
Unpretentious in feeding, black bagus eats live, frozen and artificial food. Maybe have small fish.
Compatibility
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They can be territorial and aggressive, depending on the nature of the individual. He eats small fish with pleasure, and bothers slow and leisurely neighbors, constantly feeling them with his whiskers (to see if the object will fit into his mouth or not).
However, it can get along with fast and big fish, for example, with the bream barb, large cichlids, even with African mbuna (as long as the size of the fish does not allow it to be swallowed).
Usually they cannot tolerate their relatives; it is better to keep one black mystus or several in an aquarium, but in a very spacious one.
Sex differences
Mature females are larger and have a more rounded abdomen than males.
Breeding
They periodically spawn in the aquarium, but there is no sufficiently complete data. The bulk is bred on farms in Asia or imported from nature.
Post navigationSiamese killer whale or Leiocassis Siamensis - detailed description, photos, videos, features of keeping and breeding in a home aquarium
Description of the genus “Leiocassis”
Order: Cypriniformes
Suborder: Catfish (Siluroidei)
Family: Orcas (Bagridae)
Siamese killer whale: keeping and breeding fish.
Size up to 12 cm.
Lives in reservoirs of Thailand and Kampuchea.
The male is smaller and slimmer than the female.
Leads a twilight lifestyle, likes to hide in cracks and shelters, especially in brightly lit aquariums. Takes any live and dry food. Can be kept with small fish species.
Water for maintenance: dH up to 15°; pH 6.5-7.5; t 2 1-25 °C.
Water for dilution: dH up to 10°; pH 7.0; t 26-28 °C Carbonate hardness is minimal.
The spawning tank is equipped as for the previous type, but with a capacity of 100 liters or more. Dilution only by pituitary injection method.
Starter food for fry- rotifer. The female lays up to 500 eggs.
Video
11 & 12cm Asian Bumblebee Catfish (Leiocassis Siamensis) Fish
Orca catfish fighting
catfish-killer whales.avi
Mystus striped is a non-aggressive and active fish. It has another name - Indian som-killer whale. In nature, this playful representative water world lives in fresh waters Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, but it may be suitable for keeping in an aquarium with other fish. If you organize proper care, the pet will delight others with its cheerful disposition and activity for 5-6 years.
Mystus striped is a non-aggressive catfish that lives in warm waters
general description
The correct Latin name for the species is mistus tenggara. It was studied and described back in early XIX century. Representatives of the species grow up to 45 cm in natural conditions and up to 16-25 cm in captivity. In addition to transparent dorsal fin they have another one - fatty. The fins on the chest and abdomen are small and the tail is long.
On a big head with large bulging eyes There are three pairs of whiskers. One pair grows upper lip, and the other two, shorter ones, extend from the bottom. Thanks to these organs of touch, the fish feels great in the dark or thickets.
The spindle-shaped body of an adult representative is slightly flattened on the sides, has a pinkish-yellow color with tints of blue-violet. There are dark stripes on the body that merge with the main color during times of stress in the fish, and on gill covers there are black spots. In fry, this coloring does not appear immediately; at first they are uniformly silver, which is why they are easily confused with other species of the genus Mystus. But even representatives that have recently emerged from eggs have an interesting distinguishing feature- they can creak, creating sound with their pectoral fins.
The sex of catfish can be easily determined when the fish reach three months of age. Females grow larger and thicker, they have a clearly defined white belly, but the color is not very contrasting. Males are distinguished by their slenderness and a special process called the urogenital papilla.The character of catfish is changeable. During the day he is calm, spends his time hiding in grottoes and eating young leaves. aquatic plants, can float on the surface with its belly up. For this reason it is also called the catfish-shifter. At night he becomes cocky and plays games with other inhabitants of the aquarium, which can sometimes develop into a fight. To prevent the fish from injuring each other, the mystus's neighbors need to be selected carefully, giving preference to calm representatives underwater world. But small fish are not suitable, as the catfish will begin to hunt them.
Its health, life expectancy and behavior depend on how comfortable a pet is in captivity. In a suitable environment, the Indian catfish feels great and shows the best traits of its character, in unfavorable conditions- suffers and becomes withdrawn and aggressive.
In order for mystus to be healthy and active, you need to equip the aquarium with decorations for games (for example, grottoes for hide and seek) and devices that maintain the necessary conditions for life, feed the pet properly and keep it together with other inhabitants of the underwater world.
Choosing an aquarium
An adult, fully formed mystus needs space for active swimming, so it will need a wide, low aquarium with a volume of 120-150 liters or even more. The container must be equipped with a lid, otherwise its inhabitants will jump out. To make the fish comfortable in their new place of residence, you need to put stones and driftwood on the bottom, and plant plants in the ground. To prevent the resident from completely destroying the green leaves by gnawing them, it is necessary to sometimes feed him with plant food.
Although in nature mystus sometimes swims into sea bays and feels great in a brackish environment, the water in the aquarium should be fresh and settled , and also meet the following requirements:
- temperature - from 22 °C to 28 °C;
- pH - from 6.0 to 7.4;
- hardness - from 5 to 25 dH.
The water should be changed weekly by draining a quarter of the volume and compensating for it with fresh liquid. You can also drain the water completely and rinse the aquarium once every two weeks. This is a very important requirement for caring for mystus, since it likes to be at the bottom of its home, where nitrogenous pollution accumulates. If you do not change the fish’s habitat in time, it may develop health problems.
Changing the water regularly is very important when keeping catfish.
Optional equipment
Mistuses are not very difficult to keep at home, however, some optional equipment they will need it. First of all, you will have to purchase the following designs:
An oxygen compressor is absolutely necessary, since the fish are quite large and without a special installation they will not have enough oxygen dissolved in the water. Since the aquarium for mistuses needs a volumetric one, and the device must have a power of 60-75 W, it can be placed inside the container and decorated with plants. But you should remember 2 rules:
- the device must be located so as not to create cramped conditions for fish;
- it cannot be turned off at night, since it is at this time of day that the lack of oxygen is felt most acutely.
The filter system must be chosen external. Firstly, it will not take up space in the aquarium, since such structures are located outside the tank. And secondly, it will create a flow of water similar to the natural flow of a river.
If the quality of filtered water is not completely satisfactory, you can install an additional internal device. The main thing is that the equipment comes with replaceable filters, since passing water through contaminated and expired fillers is dangerous to the health of the fish.
The water heater must maintain the heat required for comfortable life fish This is especially important if the owner wants to start breeding aquarium inhabitants, for which it is necessary to maintain the temperature at within strict limits accurate to the nearest degree. The device is equipped with a thermostat, which turns on heating when there is insufficient warm water and turns off when the set value is reached.
Nevertheless, the operation of even the highest quality and most expensive heater needs to be checked from time to time using a thermometer purchased separately. If the device fails, the water turns out to be too hot or cold, it can cost your pets not only their health, but also their lives.
Lighting will be needed not only for mistuses, but also aquarium plants. When choosing lamps, you should give preference to lighting devices that provide a color temperature in the range from 5.5 to 6.5 thousand Kelvin.
It is important to check the water temperature in the aquarium from time to time
Proper feeding
A complete and varied diet is the key to the health of living beings. If they don't get enough nutrients, their immunity will decrease, and the body will begin to deplete. In nature, mystus hunts all living creatures that it can swallow. IN aquarium conditions the pet should be given live, frozen or dry food, nutritional tablets for bottom fish, herbal ingredients and healthy supplements.
When choosing food, you need to pay attention to its expiration dates and storage conditions. The food is kept in a closed container in a dark place. It is better not to take the product by weight, since no one can guarantee that it has not expired and was stored correctly.
It also doesn’t hurt to purchase vitamin supplements at the pet store. The most useful substances for fish are the following:
- Vitamin A for cell growth and stress reduction in captivity;
- group B to support metabolism;
- C and D for the formation and development of the skeletal system;
- E to normalize reproductive function;
- H for cell development;
- K to support the circulatory system;
- M to improve coloring.
Supplements may also contain useful minerals eg magnesium and iodine.
Vitamins in liquid form are added to water or food at the rate of 6 drops per individual. It is especially important to use drugs during pet illness and immediately after their recovery, during transportation and relocation, during fish breeding and fry growth, and when changing seasons.
From time to time, fish should be pampered with salad, oatmeal and worms. But all portions should be small, since the catfish tends to eat every last crumb and pick up leftover food from other aquarium inhabitants. Overeating can lead to bloating and constipation, so you need to remember the rule of the ideal portion: it should be completely eaten by the fish within 3-5 minutes.
Feeding should be done once a day. During the week you need to alternate between dry and live food; the latter would be brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, coretra, tubifex, rotifer or gammarus. It is important not to introduce pathogenic bacteria or viruses along with living organisms. To do this, fish food must be thoroughly washed or soaked in methylene blue.
There is no need to give catfish too much food, as they are prone to gluttony.
Compatibility with other fish
The Indian catfish cannot feel at ease alone. He becomes either fearful or aggressive. But settling different types fish in one container, you need to take into account their compatibility. Mystus striped feels best in the company of 3-5 relatives, since this species is a gregarious species. If you plan to keep other fish in the same aquarium, it is worth remembering that the catfish quite aggressively guards its territory, so its neighbors must be comparable or larger so that it does not injure them. Cichlids, astronotuses and macrognaths are suitable for him.
So popular aquarium inhabitants, like rasboras, guppies, danios or neons, will not get along with largemouth catfish, which will quickly swallow them. Decorative fish with veil fins and tails will also not be able to exist in the same place with mystus, since it will chase them, plucking the fluttering swimming organs.
Cichlids are suitable as aquarium neighbors for catfish
Breeding rules
Having grown halfway, the catfish already becomes sexually mature. But breeding mystus in aquarium conditions is not an easy task, since in captivity the male and female are practically not interested in each other. Reproduction can be stimulated only with the help of pituitary injections.
In addition, you need to set up a special 100-liter spawning tank with a substrate in the form of a sponge or moss. Water parameters must differ from those maintained under standard conditions. The requirements for them are:
- temperature strictly 26 °C;
- pH 6.0;
- hardness 4 dH.
You can put one female and several males or just a couple of fish in the tank. They need to be provided with enhanced and varied nutrition and active aeration in the aquarium. If everything is done correctly, the female will collect eggs, after which all producers need to be injected with a mixture of human chorionic gonadotropin and bream pituitary gland. IN best case scenario the female will be able to lay up to 500 eggs, from which in 30 hours the fry will develop, feeding not only on microplankton, but also on each other. To avoid this, catfish striped mystus need to be sorted by size and fed with Artemia nauplii.
Mystuses themselves practically do not reproduce in captivity
This entire procedure can only be carried out by professionals in specialized nurseries, from where the bred fish are sold. The difficulty is that in addition to the specific conditions that need to be created for breeding, very complex manipulations may be needed in case of difficulties, for example, expressing eggs from a female or bringing the water to a normal state when it is clouded with milk.
The striped catfish is unusual in appearance, interesting in behavior and an aquarium inhabitant that interacts with other fish. It adapts well to living conditions in captivity and actively responds to changes environment, has the rudiments of intelligence and can recognize the owner. At night, it swims with its belly to the surface, allowing itself to be petted, and when the light is turned on, it quickly hides in shelters at the bottom.
Aquarists love catfish for their unusual appearance, the ability of some species to grow to impressive sizes, as well as decorativeness. There are incredibly many species of aquarium catfish, some of them even vaguely resemble catfish. There are species that completely change our understanding of catfish, and some that can truly rival any goldfish in the aquarium.
Types of aquarium catfish
- representative of the armored ones. Almost all of this family of fish have a calm disposition. The marbled aquarium catfish is compatible with any other species; it prefers to live in schools and in aquariums with sandy soil.
- Red-tailed aquarium catfish also applies to decorative types. This particular species is growing by leaps and bounds. And at the same time, the fish grow to very impressive sizes. Therefore, it is worth keeping them as young individuals. Most often you can find this inhabitant at the bottom of the aquarium, where he prefers to rest.
- Aquarium sucker catfish got its name due to unusual structure mouth Their correct name is ancitrus. These fish are also the orderlies of your aquarium and are completely unpretentious. This one also loves life at the bottom of the aquarium, is peaceful and will not get along except with cichlids. The cichlids will begin to gnaw the fins of the catfish and thereby harm them.
- Aquarium catfish killer whale a representative of the inhabitants of South Asia, will grow no longer than 12 cm in an aquarium. Such a fish needs space, therefore for it an aquarium will do not less than 100 liters. The aquarium catfish of this species prefers life in the water column, but activity occurs during dark time days. This fish cares sufficient quantity all sorts of decorations and driftwood at the bottom.
- Tiger aquarium catfish also called tiger pseudoplatistoma. When getting these fish, be prepared for their timid nature, which sweeps away everything in its path. The fish will grow big, so it needs to immediately large aquarium, so for an adult couple you need about 1000 liters. According to the size, it is advisable to cover the bottom with large stones or pebbles. If possible, do not introduce timid creatures of similar disposition to this species, as this will only increase the fear.
- Aquarium catfish Its name alone arouses the interest of any aquarist. They got their name from their cute and mustachioed face. Unpretentious this type in food, but the quality of water plays a role important role. Therefore, constant filtration, aeration and water replacement are mandatory conditions.
- Aquarium striped catfish or the so-called singing catfish. Along the entire body of the fish there are wide bright stripes of white and black colors. This representative of the armored carp boasts incredibly strong armor in the form of bone growths on the body. In addition to their strength, these growths have small spikes, which gives the fish excellent protection.
- Spotted aquarium catfish or cuckoo catfish- representative of the inhabitants of Africa. The species got its name for a reason: after spawning, the fish act exactly like the well-known bird. The fish are incredibly active and can chase each other in the water for hours.
- It quite rightly received its name, since it looks like a killer whale, but only in miniature. Pangasius, the second name for the aquarium shark catfish, has a flat head shape, as well as two pairs of whiskers and fins that are very reminiscent of sharks. The fish is quite nimble, but also very shy. For content aquarium catfish you will need an aquarium of at least 300 liters. It is very good if the bottom is decorated with a lot of all kinds of snags and shelters for fish.
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Siamese Orca (Pseudomystus siamensis, leiocassis siamensis), and not killer whale, as most searches suggest, a member of the killer whale catfish family, which is found exclusively in freshwater bodies of South Asia.
In an aquarium it reaches a maximum of 12cm, in nature it can grow up to 20cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed; it is possible to distinguish a male from a female only by its smaller and more slender body.
The lifespan of the Siamese killer whale catfish (correctly Orca) is about 5-6 years.
Conditions
This kind aquarium fish loves space – the aquarium is selected from 100 liters, while long length height is preferred. In a large, spacious tank, the number of fights between males is reduced to a minimum, which allows breeding larger number these catfish. The aquarium should also come with a filter, a compressor and a lid (orcas are very active, playful and jumping).
The water must be clean and fresh (no salt!), its parameters: temperature 20-25°C, hardness up to 15°dH and acidity 6.5-7.5pH. Change the water once a week, about a third of the total volume.
Soil - coarse sand, pebbles, gravel, no coral or marble chips, they are suitable only for cichlids, as they increase rigidity. Lighting is moderate, diffused, the Siamese killer whale (a killer whale is a bird, a swallow) does not like bright light and tries to hide from it in all sorts of crevices. Decorations - grottoes, broken pots, tubes in which you can hide (not too narrow or small, otherwise your pets have a good chance of getting stuck there).
This type of catfish prefers to swim in the water column in its active phase (which begins with the arrival of twilight). The fish can sometimes be seen hanging upright among thickets of plants, so a small number of them (Vallisneria works well) will be quite appropriate.
Feeding
Siamese killer whales do not overeat their food; they eat dry, frozen, and, of course, live food. The killer whale catfish (orca) loves to eat bloodworms. Since this catfish is a nocturnal creature, it is advisable to feed it in the late afternoon or at night.
Compatibility with other fish
Killer whale fish rarely exhibit their predatory instincts and, as a rule, coexist peacefully with most calm species of similar sizes. However, in order to avoid problems, it is better to exclude too small representatives of the aquatic world from the aquarium. Killer whales can also pose a danger to fry.
The catfish itself can only be threatened by large and predatory fish.
Reproduction
Breed in a home aquarium Siamese killer whale Unfortunately, it will not be possible for an amateur aquarist. Despite the conditions that are quite accessible to create (spawning tank - 100 liters or more, water with a temperature of 26-28 ° C and hardness up to 10 ° dH, spawning substrate, plants, imitation of the rainy season to stimulate spawning - daily replacement of part of the water with fresh water), these fish refuse to spawn without additional stimulation in the form of hormone injections.
However, even when using injections, eggs from females and milt from males have to be squeezed out manually, after which fertilization is carried out independently. The amount of caviar obtained in this way is 500-800 eggs. They ripen in an incubator at the bottom, without additional aeration, for two to three days.
The juveniles are quite large and are fed by rotifers and small plankton. Adults are considered to be individuals over the age of one year.
Video: Siamese killer whale