Siamese killer whale content. Mystus striped catfish
Black bagrus (lat. Mystus leucophasis or Heterobagrus leucophasis), which is also called black killer whale, shifter killer whale, black mystus - this 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
The 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 common 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 at least 400 liters
They spend a lot of time in an upside-down position, so when buying them they are often confused with the catfish. 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. Can eat small fish.
Compatibility
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 mustache (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 navigationIf we talk about the name of this fish, then in fact there is nothing ambiguous or Siamese on its body. Why it was called that is not known for certain. Aquarists only know for sure that the Siamese Killer Whale does not grow more than 12 centimeters when kept in home aquarium. IN natural conditions she might be a little larger size. Visually, the Siamese Killer Whale is more similar to Catfish than to representatives of the Cetacean family.
In nature, this fish is distributed in numerous reservoirs of Kampuchea and Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. However, she lives there only in fresh water. Salt water the fish can't stand it.
So, let's find out about optimal conditions keeping the Siamese killer whale in a home aquarium, about it proper nutrition and the choice of neighbors, how this fish should be propagated.
The body of the Siamese Killer Whale is elongated. Her caudal fin has highly developed blades. The adipose fin of this fish is also well developed. The dorsal and pectoral fins have small spines. The general body color of the Siamese Killer Whale is yellow-silver. It has wide stripes dark color. They have uneven shape. The brightness of the body color of this fish largely depends on its age and body length. As for the difference between the sexes of the Siamese Killer Whale, the female is always larger than the male. She is distinguished by her full belly. Males are much smaller, they are thin and it is visually very easy to distinguish a female from a male. This one is in captivity aquarium fish lives no more than 5-6 years.
These fish have a peaceful character. However, sometimes they are predatory. Lead night look life. If these fish are kept in too small aquariums, then the males may demonstrate their territoriality. Siamese killer whales usually live in the middle layers of water.
These fish need to be kept in species aquariums with a volume of 100 liters or more. They should be covered with a lid, and the lighting should be kept low. You can, of course, keep these fish in general aquarium. But in this case, as neighbors for the Siamese Killer Whale, you need to select peace-loving and calm fish with a similar body size. It is not recommended to keep them in the same aquarium with very small fish, as well as those fish that have long fins.
You need to put driftwood and drainage tubes, stones and polyvinyl tubes in the aquarium, creating shelters and caves from them. These fish love natural plants. They are demanding about the purity of the water, so it is necessary to aerate it, replacing a third of the water weekly with settled water.
It is recommended to feed Siamese Killer Whales with live food in the form of frozen shrimp and daphnia, insects and bloodworms, and coretra. Suitable for feeding fish and dry food. It is better if these fish are eaten in the evening or at night in small portions. This is explained by the lifestyle of Siamese killer whales: they are active at night and hide from bright light during the day.
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 natural conditions The Siamese killer whale lives in water bodies with fresh water in Kampuchea and Thailand.
Leiocassis siamensis has external resemblance with a small catfish. The body of the fish is elongated. Tail with wide blades. There is a fairly large adipose fin. The color of the fish varies from light gray to yellowish. Transverse wide dark stripes run across the body various shapes. These stripes may be lighter or darker, depending on emotional state fish. Unlike females, males are slimmer and smaller in size. In natural habitats, the size of fish reaches 20 cm, in aquarium conditions their size is about 12 cm.
Fish lead a crepuscular lifestyle, swimming out into open areas in the aquarium after dark. During the daytime, killer whales hide in various shelters made of stones, grottoes and snags. In general, the Siamese killer whale is a peaceful fish and can be kept in a common aquarium with other fish, even very small ones, without any problems. An aquarium for keeping Siamese killer whales must have a volume of 100 liters or more.
Generally this type The fish are very unpretentious and usually there are no problems in keeping them. The fish grow very quickly and at the age of 4-5 months they are already about 8-9 cm in size. It should be said that the fish is quite nimble and in order to catch it with a net in the aquarium you need to try very hard. These fish are a kind of orderlies in the aquarium, removing food from the aquarium that has not been eaten by other fish. The fish is also resistant to various diseases.
Water parameters for keeping killer whales should be as follows: temperature 21-25°C, hardness dH 4-15°, acidity pH 6.4-7.6. Requires filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water fresh.
The Siamese killer whale feeds on a variety of live, frozen and dry food. She is prone to overeating, so the food given must be strictly dosed.
The aquarium must have a large number of various shelters where fish could hide. Lighting should be low with a “lingering sunset” effect.
Reproduction
Siamese killer whales become sexually mature at the age of more than a year.
It should be said that it is not possible to achieve spawning without the introduction of hormonal drugs.
For fish breeding, water is prepared with the following characteristics: temperature 26-28°C, hardness dH 2-10°, acidity pH 6.7-7.2. The spawning aquarium must have a volume of 100 liters or more.
Comes from the vast Mekong River basin - the largest in South-East Asia, from the territory of modern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Lives in waters with slow flow among the flooded trees and their roots. During the daytime it stays close to shelters, and at night it comes out in search of food.
Brief information:
- Aquarium volume - from 100 l.
- Temperature - 20–26°C
- pH value - 5.8–7.8
- Water hardness - from soft to hard (5–25 dGH)
- Substrate type - any soft
- Lighting - dim
- Brackish water - acceptable in a concentration of 1 teaspoon of salt per 10 liters
- Water movement is weak
- The size of the fish is up to 12 cm.
- Nutrition - protein (meat) diet
- Temperament - relatively peaceful
- Content alone or in small group if there are shelters
Description
Adults reach a length of about 15 cm. The main color is a dark chocolate shade with several vertical and diagonal stripes of a yellowish tint. A similar drawing was reflected in one of the folk names this species is a “bumblebee catfish”. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, males have more contrasting colors, and females are somewhat stockier than their partners.
Nutrition
It belongs to the carnivorous species, and in part can be called miniature predators. The Siamese catfish hunts small fish, aquatic insects and their larvae, worms, crustaceans, etc. In a home aquarium, it can adapt to receiving fresh meat and frozen products such as meat freshwater shrimp, mussels, pieces of white fish, earthworms.
You should not serve meat of animal origin; they are difficult to digest and can cause digestive problems.
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
The optimal aquarium size for one catfish starts from 100 liters. Since this is a shy and nocturnal inhabitant, the design should include dim lighting and the presence of shelters (driftwood, ceramic pots, scraps of plastic tubes, etc.). When kept together with other catfish, provide several areas with shelters so that each of them can create their own territory. Any soft substrate, plants are not required, but if desired, you can use some shade-loving plants unpretentious plants and mosses.
When placing the equipment, place the heaters away from the hiding places and, especially, do not combine them so that the catfish do not accidentally overheat. Otherwise, the Asian bumblebee catfish is completely unpretentious and is able to successfully adapt to various water conditions, occurs naturally even in brackish systems.
Behavior and Compatibility
If you don't keep it with small fish, then there will be no problems with compatibility with other types. Catfish goes well with large and medium-sized cyprinids, peaceful cichlids and many others. Concerning intraspecific relationships, then there is competition for territory and if there is not enough space, skirmishes are possible
Breeding/reproduction
In nature mating season occurs with the arrival of the rainy season, when significant changes in the composition of the water occur, which in turn is a stimulus for spawning. In a home aquarium, it is almost impossible to reproduce natural cycles without the use of hormonal injections used on fish farms.
Fish diseases
The main cause of health problems is unsuitable living environment. If the first symptoms are detected, you should check the water parameters and the presence of high concentrations hazardous substances(ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.), if necessary, bring the indicators back to normal and only then begin treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatment methods in the section "
Killer whale catfish is amazing fish, the varieties of which amaze with their diversity. Perhaps the most common species is the Siamese killer whale. The brightness of the color of such a fish depends on its age and size. Females are larger than males, and their abdomen is fuller.
The body of such a fish is elongated, and the caudal fin has well-developed blades and an adipose fin. The fins on the back and chest are covered with spines. The body color is yellow-silver, with wide dark stripes on the sides. Siamese killer whales grow up to 20 cm and live 5-6 years in captivity.
These are peaceful, but sometimes predatory inhabitants of the aquarium. Active at night. If two males are cramped in one aquarium, they will defend their territory. This species prefers the middle layer of water.
The Siamese killer whale catfish needs a species aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters with closed lid and dim light.
These fish can be kept in a community aquarium, but neighbors should be of the same size and similar character. It is not recommended to keep small species of aquarium fish, as well as those with long fins, together.
The killer whale catfish (aquarium) loves when the aquarium has driftwood, shelters, and polyvinyl tubes.
The joints of the jagged rays of the fins emit creaking sounds and change color intensity. Many skinwalkers are covered with yellowish mucus, which is often poisonous. Males are larger, brighter and slimmer than females, plus, their fins are more developed and their heads are more massive.
He loves natural algae and clean and aerated water. For such fish, replacement is done by a third of the volume - weekly. These killer whales are fed live food (daphnia, frozen shrimp, bloodworms, insects, bark) and dry food. Adults are fed in the evening or at night, often, but little by little.
To breed this species you will need an aquarium of at least 100 liters. Just before spawning, the females noticeably thicken their abdomen. When preparing to replenish the fish family, the owner should use the method of pituitary injections, and then select the eggs manually, as well as the milt from the males. Fertilization itself occurs artificially in a container specially designed for this purpose. In the “maternity house” the water hardness should be up to 10°, the temperature should be 26-28°C, and the acidity should be 7.0. Little ones aquarium killer whales fed with rotifers.
Another common species is the catfish (killer whale, just like the Siamese species, but with its own characteristics).
This is an unusually beautiful and unusual catfish, but during the day it is not visible at all: at this time it hides in secluded places in the aquarium, and emerges only at night. If during night walk If you turn on the light for a catfish in a room with an aquarium, it will quickly swim back to its shelter.
Most of these fish species home care do not need special conditions, what must be there is shelter.
These aquarium killer whales have no scales. In the chest and dorsal fins there are hard jagged spines.
The species of these fish were not bred artificially, they were domesticated. Motherland aquarium catfish killer whales - fresh waters Asia and Africa. So this look was done big way on his way to fame as an aquarium pet. He gained his popularity quite quickly due to his interesting “appearance”.
This subspecies can grow up to 25 cm. However, it is not interesting for this, but for its method of movement around the aquarium: the changeling swims belly up, which is apparently why it got its funny nickname. If you keep such a fish in a low aquarium, then when he falls asleep, you can stroke his soft tummy, but he will not wake up immediately.
This catfish, unlike the Siamese species, is an active predator, therefore it is necessary to select large individuals as neighbors that will not allow themselves to be offended.
Amazing changelings can be kept alone or in company, although they can sort things out with representatives of their own species, but this does not pose a serious danger.
For a complete healthy life Such fish need to change the water at least once every six months. Aeration and filtration must be effective, and the volume of the “dwelling” itself must be at least 300 liters.
This species is fed only close-up view food: shrimp, tadpoles, and small fish and so on.
Even though these catfish are very hardy and can go for a long time without frequent water changes and soil cleaning, you should not tempt fate. After all, such a pet can not only decorate an aquarium, but also become a full-fledged pet for a person!