Somik corridor is one of the small representatives of the fauna that lives in the water depths of the subtropical and tropical parts of South America. The fish reaches a length of only 3-10 cm, so you do not have to buy huge aquariums for it.
Description
Somiki aquarium corridors have a slightly elongated body, medium-sized fins and a stigma with four antennae. Since it is a bottom fish, its mouth is located below. Their color is very diverse. Among other things, you can often find albino catfish.
The body of these small fish is covered with bone scales, which is why they are also called armored catfish. Interestingly, fish belonging to this species have two types of respiratory system - gill and intestinal.
It is not difficult to distinguish a female from a male corridor. Her coloration is not so bright, and the dorsal fin has a rounded shape.
Care
First of all, it should be noted that the catfish corridor is quite unpretentious both in terms of maintenance and in the volume of the aquarium, the chemical composition of the water, as well as in the design of the space in which it lives.
I must say that this fish, in addition to its decorative purpose, can also perform such an important job as cleaning the soil from the half-eaten food left by other inhabitants of the aquarium. This is due to the fact that the catfish corridor prefers to be at the bottom most of the time, and it mainly floats to the surface only in order to swallow a little fresh air. After that, he again falls to the ground.
Somiki corridors, photos of some of which can be found in this article, love to dig in the ground, so they often raise all the dregs from the bottom of the aquarium. To purify water, it is necessary to install a filter.
Feeding
The diet of fish is quite diverse. Therefore, feeding these catfish will not cause the owner much trouble. So, they can be safely called omnivorous. For example, they can have great pleasure in having lunch with dry frozen foods, having dinner with Daphnia, bloodworms, corvette or tubifex, and, so to speak, “tablets” containing various plant components are perfect for dessert.
Somik corridor eats very interestingly. He swims to the surface of the water and begins to eat, while making sounds like chomping.
Breeding
At about the age of one year, the fish reach puberty. Even a novice aquarist can get a litter of corridors at home. To do this, you need to have a small flock of 6-8 individuals. Most often, spawning occurs in the early morning, much less often at night. The beginning of this process will become noticeable in the significantly increased activity of individuals that will try to get together in a group.
For spawning, it is best to use a separate container where you need to place the right number of fish. The vessel can be filled with both fresh and taken from a common aquarium water. The latter will need to be changed no less than half. A separate tank will ensure a quiet passage of spawning and a good adaptation of fish to changing conditions, as well as prevent oxygen starvation of embryos.
After the breeding season is over, all corridors should be returned back to the general aquarium.
Corridor panda
These fish with an unusual appearance reach a length of no more than 5 cm. In nature, they can be found in the tributaries of the Ukayali River, located in Peru. The flow here is slow, and the water is saturated with oxygen.
Somik corridor panda is immediately remembered for its interesting color, which has some similarities with the Chinese bears. The fishes have a bright body, and on the fins and around the eyes there are three black spots: the first is on the head, the second is near the tail, and the third is near the dorsal fin.
Males, unlike females, are smaller and have a slightly different body shape. The newly born fry have a single high peri-fin fold and sufficiently large pectoral fins.
Somiki panda is a brave fish that in their shelter can perfectly keep the defense. In addition, they are not afraid to swim in search of food even to the largest inhabitants of the underwater world. Therefore, you can safely place such a catfish in a common aquarium. But still it’s worth considering before planting them in a container where too aggressive fish live.
Panda corridors become especially active when the aquarium is warmed up to 28-30 ° C. Their cheerful and amusing bustle can be observed if the container is filled with sour water at room temperature.
Decorative pond for catfish should be well filtered and often change the water in it. Despite the fact that the fish are quite unpretentious, they do not like when there is too much dissolved organic matter and mechanical suspension in their habitat. It does not matter how the water is filtered, the main thing is that it is regular.
Females are distinguished by their large sizes, more rounded sides and the line of the abdomen, which has an arched profile. In addition, there is a difference in the shape of the fins located on the abdomen. They are somewhat rounder and larger than males.
Golden corridors
This bottom fish got its name due to its color. Somik corridor golden has a calm and peaceful character. It coexists perfectly with almost any aquarium fish. The whole body of the catfish is covered with rows of strong bone plates, which make it practically invulnerable to larger and more aggressive individuals. But it is best to keep representatives of this species in the same tank with fish of the same size.
Golden corridors feed from the bottom of the aquarium, while eating something that others did not eat. With such catfish, almost no food remains at the bottom. They are omnivorous and love both dry and live food.
Golden catfish do not like too bright lighting. That is why during the day they usually sit in the shade of stones and snags or in shelters, and at night they become very active.
Since these fish are quite unpretentious, beginner aquarists are very fond of them. Like panda catfish, they have not only gill breathing, but also intestinal breathing. Therefore, sometimes they float to the surface to breathe atmospheric air. You can equip the aquarium with a special filter-pump. He will purify the water from the turbidity and aerate it. As a result of this, golden catfish will very rarely float to the surface, since it will be quite enough for them to breathe the oxygen in their habitat. Water should be changed weekly in the tank by about 15-20% of its total volume.
The female of the golden corridor is noticeably larger than the male, and its maximum length reaches 7.5 cm. Another distinctive feature: the body of the female is wider than that of a male fish. Sometimes they are distinguished by the shape of the fins. For example, in the male, the dorsal fin is sharp, and in the female, rounded. Very rarely comes across the albino form of golden catfish. With proper maintenance, corridors can live in aquariums for about 10 years.