What do they feed a killer whale in an aquarium? Striped catfish – mistus

Mystus striped, Indian killer whale catfish (Mystus vittatus) is a playful representative of the underwater world. Originally from Asian countries, habitat - waters of the rivers of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Prefers fresh waters of streams and lakes, sometimes swims into sea bays.

Mistus is a kind and active fish, which is very pleasant to watch. He literally races with his neighbors in the aquarium, but before you start a Mythus, you should familiarize yourself with the conditions for its adaptation.

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Description

Mistus reaches 20-25 cm in length, has a slightly flattened, elongated body. On the large head with large eyes there are three pairs of cute mustaches. For dorsal fin there is a small adipose fin. The body is colored pinkish-yellow, iridescent with a blue-violet tint. On the sides of the body there are several horizontal stripes of dark color, on gill covers- black spots. The fry are silver in color.

The difference between the female and the male is visible after 3 months of life: the female has a full white abdomen and is larger in itself. The male has a urogenital papilla, a special process that is visible after the third month of life.

Mistus striped is sometimes calm, sometimes cocky. Loves to actively play in the aquarium with other fish, especially at night. Prefers places where there are many grottoes, snags, and plants. Sometimes in pursuit he teases his comrades, sorting things out with them. Mistus is a predator, so small fish he will eat quickly. Also Indian som may nibble young leaves aquarium plants, so you need to start getting acquainted with plant foods as early as possible.

Watch a video on how to keep mistuses.

How to properly keep and feed

At maximum length A 20 cm mystus can swim quickly in water; for a spacious place, an aquarium of about 120-150 liters is needed (length is greater than height). The bottom should be lined with stones, driftwood and plants.

The water temperature is preferably 22-28 o C, pH – 6.0-7.4, water hardness – up to 5-25 dH. Good aeration and moderate-to-strong current are required. Dim lighting is recommended. The water can be changed once every 2 weeks, or 25% of the water can be changed weekly, not forgetting about aeration and filtration. Mistus loves the lower layers of water, so it should be crystal clear. IN favorable conditions mistus lives for five years.

The diet consists of live and frozen dry food, sometimes it eats what other inhabitants of the aquarium have left uneaten. Loves salad oatmeal, worms. It does not leave a single gram of food behind, eating it from the bottom of the aquarium.

Neighbours

Mystuses are characterized by territorially aggressive behavior, so it is better to stock several individuals in the aquarium. Their neighbors may become more large fish. Catfish have very big mouth to swallow small fish such as zebrafish and neons. They will also chase fish with veil fins, plucking their fins.

Look at the striped catfish in the aquarium.

Breeding

Having reached a length of 10-12 cm, mystus becomes sexually mature. IN community aquarium male and female reproduce very rarely, so the appearance of offspring is possible with the help of pituitary injections. Unfortunately, they hardly reproduce in captivity, but there are isolated cases.

Mysthuses easily reproduce in a spawning tank with active aeration (the female can lay up to 500 eggs). The fry develop quickly; from the first days of life, their main food is microplankton. It is advisable to sort them by size so that they do not eat each other.

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.

Terms

This view aquarium fish OK loves space - an 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 in an upright position among the thickets of plants, the poet

A small amount of them (vallisneria is a good choice) would be very appropriate.

Spreading: as the name suggests, these catfish live in freshwater rivers and reservoirs of Thailand and Kampuchea, hence the name “Siamese”.

Description: The Siamese killer whale has an elongated body of a yellow-silver color, darker fins, and covered with spines on the back and chest. On the sides of the body, depending on age, maybe. wide dark stripes. There are whiskers on the lower jaw. They can make creaking sounds from the articulation of their jagged fins. There is another common species of Siamese killer whale - the catfish. It floats belly up, which is why it got its name. These catfish have no scales. This subspecies is more timid, and can only be seen at night, and then it will immediately hide in a shelter. Due to the fact that they do not have scales, these catfish are covered with mucus, which, while performing protective functions, is poisonous.

Dimensions: grow up to 20 cm (in an aquarium - up to 12 cm)

Feeding/types of food: They eat any frozen and dry food, you can feed them with tubifex and bloodworms. Feed or part of the feed must be given at night, since this species leads night look life.

Basic parameters of the aquarium:

• Temperature 21-25°C
• Acidity level pH 6.5-7.5
• Hardness dH up to 15

The aquarium must be at least 100 liters. The lighting is dim. Catfish can jump out, so it is necessary to cover the “jar”. In the reservoir itself there should be a lot of shelters, snags, various cylinders, etc. Also, there must be enough vegetation for Siamese killer whales to hide in it. This species loves clean, oxygenated water. Therefore, appropriate measures must be taken (aeration, filtration, replacement of part of the water).

Social behavior: fish are peaceful, but can also be predatory. In general, keeping in a common aquarium is quite acceptable, but it must be taken into account that the other inhabitants must be no smaller than these catfish, and the proximity of veiled fish is also not recommended - the tails and fins will be bitten. The fish are active at night. If two males do not divide the territory, there will be fights.

The Siamese killer whale is nocturnal. If you want to see this fish more often, then you need to create dim lighting in the aquarium, since the fish hides from bright light.

Sex differences: females larger than males and more complete.

Breeding

To breed Siamese Killer Whale, you need a spawning aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters. In females, before spawning, the abdomen becomes significantly fuller. Usually, in preparation for spawning, pituitary injections are used, then eggs are collected manually from the female and milt from the males. Fertilization of eggs occurs artificially in a separate container. There are no facts of successful breeding of Siamese Killer Whale in an amateur aquarium yet. With professional breeding, it is possible to achieve numerous laying of eggs with a diameter of 1 mm. In this case, an important condition for spawning is an increase in temperature in the spawning area. Siamese killer whale fry are fed rotifers.

In nature, catfish (Mystus vittatus) live in the rivers of India and Burma.

The length of the fish is up to 18 cm. It has a long body. The head is large. The predominant color of the body is silver, the upper part of the body is bluish with a violet tint. Two thin stripes run along the sides purple. During times of stress, these stripes in fish become almost invisible. The coloration of males and females is the same, although in males it is more contrasting. The male is smaller, slimmer, and, like other killer whales, he has a special growth - the urogenital papilla.

Contents of Soma Mystus: Schooling fish, active even during the day. The aquarium must be from 100 liters. for a couple of individuals. It can be decorated with a variety of plants; shelters are required. Peaceful species, but should not be kept with small fish like neon. Filtration, aeration, weekly change of up to 1/4 of the water volume. Water parameters for keeping mistuses: hardness up to 25°, pH about 7.0, temperature 22-26 °C.

Mystus catfish are unpretentious in feeding; they eat all types of food. Please note that feeding aquarium fish must be correct: balanced and varied. This fundamental rule is the key to successful keeping of any species of fish. Therefore, it will be useful for you to read the article “,” which describes this in detail, and also outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime for fish.

IN given time Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, food from Tetra, the leader, can be found on aquarium shelves all the time and everywhere. Russian market, which has a range of feeds “for every taste”. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes individual food for certain type fish: guppies, goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the company’s official website -.

It would not be superfluous to note that when purchasing any dry food, you should first of all pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store the food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it .

Breeding mistuses: Reproduction at home is problematic and requires hormonal injections. The spawning aquarium should be about 100 liters. Substrate - loofah or small-leaved plants or mosses. Water parameters: hardness 4° (carbonate 0°), pH 6.0, temperature 26 °C. Producers are fed generously with a variety of foods. After the female has collected eggs, the fish are injected with a mixture of human chorionic gonadotropin and bream pituitary gland. Spawning is paired or nested (several males per female).

The eggs of mystuses develop in 29-30 hours. The larvae begin to feed on “live dust” or ciliates; on the second or third day they can be given Artemia nauplii. They grow quickly; already in the third month of life, the sex of the fry can be determined.

All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also with live emotions, allowing you to penetrate the world of aquariums more fully and subtly. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and first-hand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share with us your successes and joys, share and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every awareness of a mistake, which makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us there are, the more pure and transparent drops of goodness there are in the life and everyday life of our seven billion society.

A little cocky, mischievous and active fish... These are the epithets that can be used if we briefly describe the character of mystus - a small Asian catfish.

This active representative of catfish can be found in the reservoirs of India and Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and some other South Asian countries. The fish is interesting because it can live in both fresh waters rivers or lakes, and in slightly brackish water at the mouths of rivers flowing into seas and oceans.

Schooling catfish, the length of which is natural conditions reaches 45 cm, is very mobile, playful, often swims belly up among the thickets in the coastal strip.

For this, some types of mistuses are nicknamed. However, these fish have quite a lot of names: killer whale catfish, Indian mystus, long-whiskered, striped and several more names in Latin.

The thing is that even many experts still confuse individuals of the genus Mystus with each other.

In nature, there are representatives of about 30 species, which are almost impossible to distinguish at the age of 3-4 months. Species differences appear only in maturing fish.

Asian catfish are pronounced predators. During the day, they usually rest in thickets of aquatic vegetation or among stones, and at dusk they go out hunting, eating small floating things they come across. In principle, all river (sometimes sea) living creatures that they are able to swallow become their food.

Description

The striped (or cobalt) mystus, which is most often found in aquariums, has a long, spindle-shaped body. The total length from the beginning of the muzzle to the edge of the tail is 16–20 cm.

The belly of these fish is light, shimmering with mother-of-pearl, the back is gray-brown.

From the base of the head to the very tail there are two pearlescent stripes, which give the name to the species.

The upper lip is decorated with a pair of long mustaches, from lower lip two pairs of whiskers extend slightly shorter than the upper ones. Whiskers are organs of touch that allow fish to feel confident in the dark, in dense aquatic jungles.

The catfish's eyes are large and protruding. They give the fish a funny and mischievous look, especially if the catfish winks.

The dorsal fin is high, transparent and short, consisting of individual sharp rays. The pectoral and pelvic fins are small, and the tail, on the contrary, is large, regular V-shaped.

The species was described a long time ago, back in the first quarter of the 19th century. Scientific (Latin) name of the species - Mystus tengara.

Sexual characteristics are expressed quite clearly. Females are noticeably thicker than males, in addition, males have a special process called the “urogenital papilla”.

The usual lifespan of mystus is 5–6 years.

Conditions of detention

The main feature of keeping it is the need to purchase a large aquarium, from 150 liters or more. It is better if it is extended in length, since representatives of Mystus tengara love to play, chasing each other or chasing their neighbors around the aquarium.

It should be remembered that the cobalt catfish is jumping, so it must close the “can”.

The Asian catfish cannot stand loneliness, becoming either incredibly timid or showing strong aggression.

But group housing is optimal, allowing the fish to feel calm in captivity.

The aquarium follows grottoes, caves, and driftwood, which are places for daytime rest. Regarding aquatic plants, then the catfish will constantly bite their tender and soft leaves. It is possible to withstand such a proximity of plants only if you feed the fish with pieces plant food(scalded chopped lettuce leaves, for example).

Aquarium water parameters:

• temperature in the range from +22 to +27 degrees Celsius;
• acid-base balance is about neutral (pH=7);
• water hardness is not higher than 24 degrees.

Lighting should be dim. This will allow you to enjoy observing the behavior of your pets during the daytime.

Feeding

If you decide to start a flock of Mystus tengara, then you must not forget that they are predators. Small decorative fish will inevitably become hunted; they will be gradually eaten, and there is no doubt about it.

Catfish can be given a variety of foods:

• live food (bloodworms or earthworms),
• frozen, dry food.

They also happily consume commercial tablet or granulated food for ornamental catfish.

Remains of food that have settled to the bottom will also be eaten; however, the soil should be siphoned periodically.

Compatibility

Its features are associated with the predatory nature of Asian catfish. They pursue not only small aquarium fish, but also larger ornamental fish with veil-shaped fins. Catfish, of course, will not be able to swallow such neighbors, but their fins will be bitten and irreparably damaged. That's why the best option is a species aquarium, the so-called somyatnik.

However, if this option is not possible, then any sized fish with low fins can be kept together with mystus. Races around the aquarium can be seen every day, but these are more like games without any real aggression.

Reproduction

Facts natural reproduction absent in amateur aquariums. Reproduction by hormonal injections is carried out in special nurseries. Actually, from there the striped mystuses go on sale.

Exotic cobalt catfish are not as popular as they deserve to be. Possessing some intelligence, they recognize their owners, even allowing them to stroke their belly, turning over with their backs down. And don’t be surprised if a mischievous striped catfish one day cheerfully winks at you with its big black eyes.

Aquarists love catfish for their unusual appearance, the ability of some species to grow to impressive sizes, as well as decorativeness. There are an incredible number of species of aquarium catfish, some of which are even vaguely similar to 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

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. Aquarium catfish killer whale a representative of the inhabitants of South Asia, in an aquarium it will grow no longer than 12 cm. 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.


5. 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.


6. 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.


7. 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.


8. 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.


9. 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.