Aquarium fish catfish taracatum belong to the shell family. These are rather large (up to 16-18 cm long) fish with a wide, slightly flattened head. Females differ from males in the larger size and shape of the pectoral fins (they are shorter and rounder), in turn, in male cockroaches, the first of the pectoral fins is somewhat thickened and colored red.
Aquarium catfish: taracatum and its contents
Tarakatums are quite peaceful fish, so you can quite safely populate them in a common aquarium. Extra intestinal breathing is another distinguishing feature. Therefore, often owners of tarakatum have the opportunity to observe how catfish rise closer to the surface of the water and begin to swallow air. Moreover, sometimes these fish even jump outside, so it is very important that the aquarium in which the catfish taracatum lives is constantly covered.
A couple of catfish is quite enough an aquarium of 100 liters, while the larger the aquarium, the higher the likelihood that these fish will reach the maximum possible size for their species. Somik tarakatum is a nocturnal fish, prefers twilight, therefore it is desirable that there is a lot of vegetation in the aquarium in which the tarakatum could hide. It is possible to install special caves, grottoes and snags there. This fish spends a lot of time at the very bottom, looking for food in the ground. It should be added that catfish do not harm the fauna of the aquarium at the same time.
Tarakatums are not picky in food, they eat both plant and live food, which is mainly collected from the bottom. However, catfish sharing an aquarium with other fish species often adapt to sharing food at the surface of the water, sometimes even dispersing their larger neighbors.
Breeding
In breeding catfish, the taracatum is unpretentious, the fertilization of eggs can take place both in the general aquarium and in a separate one. To stimulate spawning is not difficult: you just need to constantly change the water and increase its temperature by 2-3 degrees. In addition, you need to take care of the future nest for eggs in advance: for this, a sheet of plastic or polystyrene with a diameter of about 10 mm is laid on the surface of the aquarium water. Later, the male taracatum will equip a container of eggs under this sheet. If several pairs of catfish live in the aquarium at once, then the sheets on the surface of the water need to be installed 1-2 more than the pairs. This is done in order to avoid a brawl between the males.
Immediately after spawning, the nest with eggs can be transferred to another aquarium, or it can be left because the male is able to take care of his offspring on his own. Females do not take part in the further fate of eggs and fry, as males begin to drive them away from the nest immediately after spawning. After 4-5 days, larvae hatch from the eggs, which after 2 days become fry. As food, babies use artemia, tubule, and rotifers. The small catfish taracatum grows very quickly, but is afraid of souring, therefore it requires a more frequent change of water. With good care, these fish are able to live about 10-12 years.