Pterigoplichitis - representatives of locaric or chain catfish. They are easy to care for, and the conditions of their maintenance are no different from those in the case of other fish of this family. The main thing you need to know about brocade pterigoplichitis is that it can grow to an impressive size. This fact sometimes becomes a problem for beginner aquarists.
General information
This catfish is a rather large fish with an extremely beautiful color. His homeland is the warm waters of Peru and Brazil, where he lives in fresh water with a small current. During a drought, it digs into wet sludge and hibernates, and wakes up only with the onset of the rainy season.
The first to describe this species, calling it Ancistrus gibbiceps, was Austrian professor Rudolf Kner, a specialist in ichthyology and zoology. It happened in 1845. In 1980, it was decided to include this species in the genus pterygoplichitis. After 23 years, it began to be attributed to glyptoperichthys.
Description
Pterigoplicht brocade - an unusual, large and strong fish, which in its appearance resembles marine sailing ships. The photo clearly shows that a distinctive feature of their appearance is a 12-ray beautiful dorsal fin, often reaching a height of 10 cm and above. The ventral and pectoral fins, which can contact each other, as well as the magnificent tail, are no less attractive.
The catfish has a large head, the body is slightly flattened, elongated and dark. His entire body, with the exception of a smooth abdomen, is covered with bone plates. There is a crest in front of the dorsal fin. The eyes are small and set high on the head. Almost close to them are protruding nostrils.
The color of this fish is simply amazing! Usually this color is called leopard, when large round spots are scattered around the main background, most often yellowish. In this case, their color may be different: black, olive or brown.
Such patterns are located not only throughout the body of the catfish, but also on the tail and fins. Among them, sometimes there are albinos, when the spots are either barely distinguishable or not visible at all against the general background. Usually young individuals have the brightest color, but with age, the colors begin to gradually fade.
Conditions of detention
The size of the brocade pterygoplychitis, as for an aquarium fish, is quite impressive: it can grow from 35 cm and even up to half a meter. These fish with a spectacular color can often be seen at the owners of large aquariums, because this fish requires a significant amount of space for a normal life. For this, a capacity of at least 400 liters is suitable.
The content of brocade pterigoplichitis does not cause much trouble, since these fish are not picky. Even if there is not enough oxygen in the aquarium, the catfish itself will rise to the surface and gain air. He is able to store it in the intestines and thus survive in hypoxic water. But nevertheless, for a comfortable life of the fish, you should install a filter in the aquarium and create an easy flow. If this is not possible, you will have to change the water more often than usual.
How to equip an aquarium
To make the catfish feel good, it is necessary to place several snags, a clay pot and other decorative elements at the bottom of the container. The fact is that pterygoplychitis scrape off the plaque formed on them, thereby normalizing their own digestive system, which affects not only the brightness of the color, but also the life expectancy as a whole.
Creating the most natural habitat for your pets is not so difficult. For this purpose, you need snags, tunnels and shelters, pebbles and pebbles, as well as an indispensable attribute of the aquarium - beautiful algae. As for the latter, they need to be selected according to the reliability of the root system so that the catfish does not accidentally pull out and break them.
What to feed
Brocade pterygoplychitis require a variety of plant foods. They can be fed cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, lettuce and spinach scalded with hot water. Now in specialized outlets you can buy ready-made, balanced and high-quality feed, specially designed for catfish. If you combine them correctly with vegetables, then the fish will receive a fairly complete diet.
An ideal ratio is 80% of plant foods and 20% are animal products. The latter are best used frozen, as catfish will pick them up from the bottom of the aquarium after the rest of the fish have eaten. Bloodworms, worms, and shrimp are best suited for this purpose.
Large fish often tear out plants that are poorly rooted in the substrate. Thus, they can eat blue or lemongrass. Catfish are very fond of algae such as nori and spirulina, as well as branded and home-made food made on their basis.
When buying food for your pets, you need to pay attention to the date when it was produced, as well as the timing of its storage. Do not buy weighted food for fish, because if stored incorrectly, pathogenic microflora can develop in it.
It is necessary to ensure that pterigoplicht brocade, which is slower than the rest of the aquarium inhabitants, receives a sufficient amount of food and is always full. Since it is considered a nocturnal fish, it is better to feed it in the evening, 30-50 minutes before turning off the light.
Compatibility
Brocade pterigoplicht belongs to large aquarium fish, therefore, its neighbors should be of the appropriate size. Giant gourami, some types of cichlids, for example, flower horn and managua cichlazoma, as well as Senegalese polytherus and fish-knife, may turn out to be him.
Despite the fact that the basis of catfish nutrition is plant food, it is also a scavenger. It has been observed that in an aquarium at night, it can overeat the scales of fish such as discus and scalar. Therefore, large sluggish fish cannot be attached to pterygoplichtes.
Breeding
This is done exclusively at specialized farms, since in the conditions of an aquarium such chain-link catfish as pterigoplichitis cannot be bred simply. The fact is that fish during spawning begin to dig deep tunnels in the coastal silt, and then the males remain in them in order to protect their offspring. That is why in home aquariums it is impossible to create the necessary conditions for their reproduction. Those catfish that are sold in specialized outlets come to us from Australia, Southeast Asia and the United States.
One female can lay up to 500 eggs. The fry are born with a gray-gray color, on which black dots are clearly visible. After the yolk sacs are completely resolved, special nutritional supplements are used to feed the fish.
The simultaneous maintenance of a male and a female in one aquarium, as it turned out, does not contribute to the appearance of offspring, but, despite this, many are interested in the question of how to determine the sex of brocade pterigoplichitis catfish. In fact, it is not difficult, you just need to carefully look at the fish. Firstly, males and females differ in both size and brightness. Secondly, males have sharp spikes on the pectoral fins, but they are absent in the opposite sex. Thirdly, genital papillae are visible in mature fish. In males, they stick out a little, while in females they are firmly pressed to the body.
Do catfish get sick
These fish are considered centenarians, since under favorable conditions they can decorate the aquarium for 15, and sometimes 20 years. Catfish by nature have good health and therefore their body is very resistant to most diseases inherent in fish of this species. However, they can significantly suffer if the level of organic matter in the water of the aquarium is very high. Because of this, quite often there are problems that can lead to such a disease in brocade pterygoprichitis as ichthyophthyrosis.
This disease affects not only catfish. This disease can occur in any of the aquarium fish, and cause its ciliary ciliates. These parasites invade the gills, skin, and fins of their prey. It is not difficult to identify a fish with ichthyophthyrosis, as white spots will appear on its body. If left untreated, it will begin to weaken, then it will float to the surface and suffocate.
To avoid infection of all the inhabitants of the aquarium, experienced aquarists advise isolating the diseased fish by transferring it to another tank. Some try to independently treat their pets by placing them in salt water or heating it to +30 ⁰C. In some cases, such actions lead to a positive result, but it’s better not to risk it, but to show the sick catfish to a veterinarian who can help him by prescribing special medications for his treatment.
Interesting Facts
- If the catfish is removed from the water, it begins to make special hissing sounds that may well scare away the offender.
- The mouth of the fish is equipped with suction cups. They clean the glass of the aquarium with them. If she sticks to it, then tearing it off this surface will not be easy.
- The length of the very first ray located on the dorsal fin of this fish is always equal to the size of its head.
- Such catfish, such as brocade pterigoplicht, have unusual vision, due to the special structure of the eyes. The fish can see everything that is in front and behind, but does not notice what is happening above it. That is why it is always caught from the back.