Name of the fish that cleans the aquarium. Aquarium cleaners and orderlies: fish, shrimp, snails

Everyone loves clean aquariums with crystal-clear walls, bright, smooth and shiny plant leaves and water that resembles a mountain stream. But this idyllic picture is constantly being disturbed by algae. They cover the glass with a brownish-green film, form a nasty fringe on plants, and give the water the color and smell of a swamp. And the aquarist has to fight them. It’s good that in this fight he has allies - algae-eating fish.

Algae are lower, relatively simply structured unicellular or multicellular plants that live in aquatic environment. They can float in water or settle on underwater objects and attach to them, forming plaque, films, threads, fluff, and so on on them. They have different colors. Representatives of several divisions of algae can live in the aquarium:

Green. Form plaque green on glass, soil, underwater objects or a cloudy green suspension in the water.
Red - Vietnamese or black beard. Brown or black tassels, tufts or fringe on glass, plant leaves.
Diatoms. Single-celled, they form a brownish-brown slimy coating in insufficiently lit parts of the aquarium.
Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. Form slimy, bubbling, foul-smelling films of color sea wave on plant leaves and underwater objects. (Let's say right away: an outbreak of these algae is a disaster that must be urgently eliminated by completely turning off the lights, massive cleaning of the aquarium and antibiotics, no biological methods fights don't work here).

Algae is always present in any aquarium, but a sharp increase in their number occurs only when the biological balance is disturbed.

Therefore, to combat them, first of all, you need to normalize the quality aquarium water: optimize lighting and feed mode carbon dioxide, reduce the amount of nitrates and dead organic matter, plant more plants. And the algae-eating fish will fight with the remnants of the enemy army.

Types of aquarium cleaners

Aquarium fish that to varying degrees enthusiasts can feed on algae, there are several dozen. This includes ancistrus and pterygoplicht catfishes, viviparous platies and mollies, representatives of the carp fish Labeo and many others, and we do not count shrimps and snails. However, only a few species are recognized as professional aquarium cleaners: Otocinclus catfish, Siamese algae eaters and Gyrinocheilus.

Otocinclus

Otocinclus (usually Otocinclus affinis) - a representative of the family of chain-mailed (locarid) catfish, a small - up to 5 cm - catfish with large sad eyes. A favorite of the famous Takashi Amano, who recommends placing it in an aquarium with plants when starting it up.

Otocinclus specializes in the destruction of diatoms, outbreaks of which are often observed in new aquariums.

And later, when the biological balance has already been established, otocinclus will not hurt. It does not harm anyone, does not harm the plants at all, and with the tenacity of a professional gardener, scrupulously cleans their leaves of diatoms and green algae. Cleaning glass, soil, and underwater objects usually interests him less. If there is little algae in the aquarium, otocinclus is fed with plant food, preferably lightly boiled zucchini, which is attached to a snag or stone with an elastic band or clamp and left for two days. The aquarium with otocinclus must have clean water (nitrate level no more than 10 mg/l).

Siamese algae eaters

The Latin name of this species is Crossochelius siamensis(synonym Epalzeorhynchus siamensis), they are often called by the abbreviation SAE (from the English Siamese Algae Eater), sometimes affectionately known as cods or saits. Cute, peaceful schooling fish up to 10-12 cm long. Their mouth is adapted for eating algae that grows in the form of fluff, tassels or fringe.

Siamese algae eaters are the only ones who are able to rid an aquarium of red algae - flip flops and black beard, which are very difficult to remove by other means.

In addition to red ones, they happily eat filamentous green algae. Plants are practically not damaged, with the exception of Java moss; adult fish are often partial to it. SAE have a poorly developed swim bladder, so they cannot swim for a long time in the middle layers of water and often lie on the bottom. At the same time, they are quite jumpy, so the aquarium with these fish must be closed. It has not yet been possible to achieve their reproduction in an aquarium, so all specimens that go on sale are wild, imported. And herein lies the problem.

When resting, the Siamese algae eater rests on its caudal and pelvic fins rather than on its pectoral fins.

The fact is that in the same rivers and streams where SAE is caught, there are several more very similar related species fish They are caught together with Siamese algae eaters and then sold together in pet stores. Therefore, Thai or false algae eaters are found ( Epalzeorhynchus sp.. or Garra taeniata), another name for them is Siamese flying foxes; Indonesian algae eaters or red-finned epalceorhynchus ( Epalzeorhynchus callopterus); Indian algae eaters ( Crossocheilus latius) and other representatives of the genera Epalceorhynchus, Crossocheilus and Garra. All of them are almost indistinguishable in appearance, but differ from each other in character and effectiveness as cleaners - the Siamese flying fox, for example, is a fairly aggressive fish, but is reluctant to destroy algae. Therefore, if the goal is to acquire a peaceful and hardworking SAE, you should pay attention to the following signs:

fins are transparent, without yellow or orange tints;
a black stripe on the side of the fish runs from the nose to the tip of the tail;
the upper edge of this stripe is zigzag;
there is a mesh pattern on the sides of the fish (the edges of the scales are dark);
at the tip of the muzzle there is one pair of dark antennae;
when a fish rests on the bottom, stones or leaves of plants, it rests on its caudal and pelvic fins, not on its pectoral fins.

Flying fox.

Gyrinocheilus

Girinocheilus, or Chinese algae eater ( Gyrinocheilus aymonieri or less common species Gyrinocheilus pennocki), like SAE, refers to carp-like fish. Its mouthparts are shaped like a suction cup.

Hyrinocheilus is the best specialist in eliminating the green algae deposits that often appear in herbal aquariums with strong lighting.

They reach a length of 15 cm, their color is gray-brownish with a dark stripe or, more often, light golden albino. Adult fish exhibit pronounced territoriality, attacking other fish that they consider their competitors. The disadvantage of girinocheilus is their tendency to damage soft leaves. higher plants. This is not to say that they eat the plants clean, but they may leave small scratches and abrasions. Therefore, it is important to ensure that they have enough food. To do this, you need to observe the density of their planting - at least 40-50 liters of water for each individual. If there is not much algae in the aquarium, it is recommended to feed Gyrinocheilus with plant foods: cucumber, cabbage, lettuce and dandelion.

Feeding algae eaters

Why do algae eaters stop eating algae? Quite often there is evidence that SAE, as well as Gyrinocheilus, are engaged in diligent cleaning of the aquarium only in at a young age, and when they grow up, they completely lose interest in algae and switch to dry food. Indeed, this happens, but only when they have plenty to choose from. If there is no excess dry food in the aquarium, then the algae eaters have no choice but to carry out their direct duties. Therefore, the recommendations here are as follows: feed the fish only in the evening, if there is little algae, try to feed the fish not with dry food, but only with plant food, or, even better, specially grow algae in other aquariums or simply in jars of water placed in bright places.

It should be noted that there are no such complaints about Otocinclus; it cleans the aquarium of algae, not paying attention to dry food.

An example of the work of gyrinocheilus

Compatibility of aquarium algae eaters

Since the life of algae eaters directly depends on the size of their pasture, the issue of competition for food resources is very acute for them, and the behavioral characteristics of these fish were formed under its influence. Many of them have a pronounced territoriality, the manifestations of which complicate the life of their neighbors and the aquarist.

The only algae eaters compatible with each other are Otocinclus and SAE. Because they different structure oral apparatus and, accordingly, different food preferences, they will not compete. In addition, both species are quite peaceful. No other species of algae eaters can be housed together.

Girinocheilus and SAE will be irreconcilably hostile to each other, as well as to Ancistrus and Labeo. If the aquarium is small and there are few hiding places, then adult Siamese algae eaters will also sort things out with individuals of their own species, and Gyrinocheilus will fight to the death. Some authors indicate that Girinocheilus are aggressive towards all fish around them.

It is also not recommended to keep algae eaters with predatory cichlids. The only exception is the aggressive counterparts of SAE - Siamese flying foxes. They are larger and can fend for themselves.

Thus, non-predatory, peaceful fish of small or medium size that are not interested in algae can become good neighbors for the heroes of this article.

Algae-eating fish can become indispensable assistants to humans in the fight to keep the aquarium clean. Having understood their species, food preferences and behavioral characteristics, each aquarist decides for himself which of them will bring him to the glass reservoir greatest benefit, making it healthier and more beautiful.

Comes from South America from the territory of Peru. It is found in the basins of the Ucayali (lower reaches) and Marañon rivers up to the mouth. They live in the main riverbeds and their tributaries, preferring areas with slow current. They stay close to the shore among dense aquatic vegetation.

Brief information:

Aquarium volume - from 40 liters.
Temperature - 21–25°C
pH value - 6.0–7.5
Water hardness - soft (2–10 dGH)
Substrate type - any
Lighting - moderate
Brackish water - no
Water movement is weak
The size of the fish is about 4 cm.
Nutrition - only plant foods
Temperament - peaceful
Keep a group of at least 6–8 individuals

Description

Adult females reach a length of about 4.5 cm, males are somewhat smaller and rarely exceed 3.5 cm. Otherwise, sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, so determining the sex of fish in a group of different ages is very problematic. They may be approximately equal. The color is silver with a large dark pattern. The fins and tail are translucent with black strokes.

Nutrition

The cleaner catfish is an exceptional vegetarian. Feeds on plant foods. In the aquarium, you can offer him pieces of vegetables (spinach, zucchini, cucumber, etc.) or special food based on dried algae in the form of sinking flakes or granules. In addition, the catfish will eat algae growing on glass, plant leaves and decoration, thereby cleaning their surface. Safe for most ornamental aquatic plants.

Maintenance and care, design of the aquarium

The minimum aquarium size for a group of 6–8 fish starts from 40 liters. The design should provide for a variety of shelters, for example, in the form of driftwood and other decorative elements, as well as areas with dense vegetation. Objects made of natural wood (roots, branches) will serve not only as a natural decoration, but also as a basis for the growth of algae - an additional source of food.
Otherwise, a very unpretentious species, provided that it is kept in stable water conditions and regular maintenance of the aquarium (water changes and removal of organic waste).

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm peaceful fish, compatible with others aggressive species similar size. Larger and overly active neighbors will be bad company for such a modest Catfish. It is preferable to keep a group of at least 6–8 individuals.

Fish diseases

The main cause of most diseases is unsuitable living conditions and poor quality food. 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 "

Ancistrus, or, as it is popularly called, the sucker catfish, lives in the Amazon River, which is located in South America. These catfish are common aquarium fish.

They are popular not because of their appearance, but rather because of their original behavior. They move in leaps and bounds and, using a suction cup mouth, attach themselves to aquarium glass, rocks and plants.

Ancitruses have horn-shaped scrapers in their mouths, with the help of which fish scrape various formations from glass and underwater objects in the aquarium, thereby cleaning it. In nature, they live in stagnant bodies of water and fast-flowing rivers.

Description of Ancistrus

The body shape is teardrop-shaped. On top it is covered with a shell of keratinized plates.

Adult ancistrus grow up to 10 cm in aquarium conditions. Maximum length bodies depend on the temperature of the content than it the higher the size, the smaller the ancistrus.

In addition to the ordinary ancistrus, there is a veil form, distinctive feature which is long tail and enlarged fins. As always, there are albinos. A star-shaped ancistrus with well-defined white dots on a dark body has also been bred.

As a rule, ancistrus are not kept alone; they are planted in groups of several individuals in an aquarium as cleaners. Keeping these catfish is quite simple. This peaceful fish, which get along well with almost all fish kept in tropical freshwater aquariums.

In an aquarium with catfish, suction cups maintain the temperature within 22-26 degrees. But they are able to withstand temperature fluctuations from 18 to 33 degrees. Catfish have adapted to live in aquariums with almost any water composition, although in natural conditions they prefer slightly acidic water. Ancistruses love clean water with a high oxygen content, so intensive aeration is recommended.

Plants should grow quite densely in the aquarium. It is also necessary to arrange various shelters for ancistrus, in which catfish like to hide. It is desirable to have stones and snags that the ancistrus will happily scrape off.

The oral sucker has keratinized tubercles, like a grater, designed for scraping and eating plant and animal “growths” on the surface of various objects.

Males exhibit territorial behavior and actively defend their favorite hiding places. Ancistrus activity peaks in the evening. They eat a variety of fouling from numerous surfaces in the aquarium. If there is not enough food, catfish can begin to spoil the plants, especially young shoots. They partially eat the leftover food left by other inhabitants of the aquarium.

If there is a group of catfish, or they live in small aquariums, the pets need additional feeding with plant foods. As such food, they can be given cabbage or salad scalded with boiling water. You can also use ready-made food for herbivorous fish in tablet form.

Ancistrus breeding

Breeding these sucker catfish is quite simple. Males can be distinguished by the presence of horns on their heads - leathery processes. Females do not have such horns at all or they are poorly developed.

In addition, males have a slimmer physique. Under favorable conditions, ancistrus lay eggs even in general aquariums, in secluded shelters. But the fry in community aquarium it is almost impossible to survive. If the specific task is to breed ancistrus, then group or pair spawning is used.

If catfish are kept in a group, then there should be 2 males and 4-6 females. The aquarium is taken with a volume of more than 40 liters. There must be shelters in it. Bamboo or ceramic tubes work well for this purpose, but driftwood and rocks can also be placed in the aquarium.

The spawning process is stimulated by replacing one third of the water, lowering the temperature and increasing aeration. When the female is ready to spawn, she becomes fatter. If spawning does not occur, then they are fed with plant food directly in the spawning tank. Be sure to remove any leftover food as it will rot.

As a rule, spawning in Ancistrus occurs in the dark. The male chooses a place suitable for laying and cleans it thoroughly; his chosen one lays 40-200 eggs there. The masonry has the appearance of a bunch pink color. After spawning, the female should be removed from the spawning area, and the male should be left to guard the offspring. It will clean the eggs and create a flow of water.

The eggs mature in about a week, depending on the temperature of the water. During this time the catfish does not feed.

If the eggs were laid in a community aquarium, you can try to catch them. The eggs, along with the object on which they are attached, are transferred to a new aquarium. If the caviar is attached to the glass, they try to carefully separate it.

The larvae hatch and feed on the contents for the first time. yolk sac. When the bags resolve and the larvae begin to swim around the aquarium, the male is removed. From this time on, the fry are given food. You can feed them with ready-made fry food. Tablets are good for catfish; you can also give them finely ground food or live dust.

The larvae are fed regularly 3 times a day. You will have to take good care of the cleanliness of the aquarium and replace a fifth of it every day. Under such conditions, the fry develop quickly. At 10 months, young individuals are already capable of producing offspring themselves.

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Those suffering from external enemies know very well where they will receive sanitation and swim to the places of sanitation in whole flocks. The fish expose the most affected areas of the body to the orderlies, and they, when treating ulcers and wounds, touch the patient’s body with their fins. The patient then finds out where the cleaner is located and strives to create for him the most favorable conditions to work like Forex brokers do for their clients. Dark unicorns even change their coloring to a lighter color so that orderlies can see their enemies better against a light background.

Although cleaners cannot earn money for their work, the benefits from such an alliance are mutual. Doctors receive all the food on the affected bodies, and the fish get rid of foci of disease and infection. In six hours of diligent work, a cleaner can serve more than three hundred patients. And stingrays and sharks even have to be processed on the move, since they cannot freeze in place.

Cleaners are almost never out of work, just like successful Forex traders. To attract a client, they perform a ritual dance that no fish can resist. She stands upright, like a parrot fish, or freezes head down, like a mullet, spreading her fins and opening her mouth, allowing the little orderlies to fearlessly explore the most inaccessible areas.

An aquarium is a wonderful decoration for our home and an interesting hobby for its owner. When we think about having this wonderful underwater world Our concerns, first of all, concern the fact that it will be very difficult to maintain it so that it always remains clean and beautiful...

As the proverb says, “you can’t even pull a fish out of a pond without difficulty...”, the aquarium needs your care (feeding the fish, changing water and monitoring its quality, cleaning glass and decorations, caring for plants, etc.), but in a properly maintained and balanced manner. in an aquarium with adjusted lighting, it will not take much of your time. If you are willing to spend about forty minutes a week on the aquarium (not counting time feeding the fish), this will be quite enough.

Everyone knows the problem that over time algae develop in the aquarium, which significantly spoils it. appearance. They usually appear as a brown or dark green coating covering the walls of the aquarium, soil, stones and aquarium plants. Algae can also be in the form of dark or light green threads, tassels, and fringes formed in the same places. If you are a beginner aquarist, then when such “decorations” appear in your aquarium, you should seek advice from specialists, because Some types of algae are destroyed only with the help of chemicals. But in most cases, cleaner fish or algae eaters are a good help in the fight against overgrowing of an aquarium.

Let's look at them in more detail:

There are several dozen species of different algae-eating fish, including large number catfish, certain species from the carp family and other herbivorous species.

Blackmollies Poecilia sphenops , which belongs to the family of viviparous fish, perfectly destroys green filamentous algae (filamentous algae). This fish does well in aquariums with dense vegetation and plenty of free space. It should be remembered that it can not only destroy algae, but if there is a shortage of vegetarian food, it can eat the shoots of young plants.

For beginner aquarists it is often recommended Corydoras catfish (genus Corydoras) . This variety of armored catfish is compatible with any peaceful tropical fish, but in a poorly balanced aquarium it can disturb the water and eat other fish. These fish are more suitable for adding to an aquarium designed in the style of a tropical forest pond.

Girinocheil siamese Gyrinocheilus aymonieri - a cute, very active fish that has won lately great popularity as an indomitable algae fighter. Fits perfectly into the ichthyological community of any warm-water aquarium with a civilian population. Cleans stones and snags well. Young individuals are peaceful, diligently cleaning algae, old ones are more aggressive and, when there is a shortage of space, periodically organize intraspecific skirmishes. They can stick to and damage the skin of other fish. It is advisable to keep them in aquariums with well-aerated water and low lighting.

Ancistrus vulgaris Ancistrus cirrhosus - one of the most popular catfishes in decorative aquariums. A typical inhabitant of bottom layers of water, unpretentious, becomes active at dusk, compatible with almost any tropical fish. It cleans well the walls of the aquarium, stones, driftwood in aquariums with a lot of vegetation, in rare cases it can change its food preferences and spoil the leaves of aquarium plants, as, indeed, Girinocheil and Pterygoplicht.

Pterygoplichthys They perfectly polish stones and snags, feeding not only on aquatic vegetation, but also on wood. They need to be given special food for chain catfish so that if there is not enough algae, they will not destroy the leaves of your aquarium plants. Compatible with large tropical fish that live in medium and upper layers water. They are territorial and do not like competitors who claim the bottom territory. Pterygoplichts grow to large sizes, so it makes sense to place them in large aquariums. It is worth considering that their excrement, which normally serves as a good fertilizer for plants, in large quantities may be harmful to fish living in the aquarium. Large pterygoplichts and panakas should not be kept together, because they will start fights.

Panak (genus ) , especially the royal Panaque nigrolineatus grows to large sizes, so it will feel comfortable in a large aquarium (one individual per aquarium from 200 liters) This is an arboreal and herbivorous species, it cleans snags well. In their youth they have a calm disposition, but with age they become more territorial. You should choose your neighbors carefully - active and aggressive fish can eat their long fins. The best neighbors are peaceful characins.

Crossochail (Epalceorhynchus) siamese - a moderately large carp fish that has gained popularity as a tireless fighter against algae. It destroys well the so-called “flip flops” (dark tassels on plant leaves, stones, etc.) and green algae. Peaceful in relation to its neighbors, mobile, active during daylight hours. It does not require large amounts of maintenance and is content with modest care. It perfectly removes algae from not only plants, but also any other aquarium interior items. When there is a shortage of space and food supply, it conflicts with relatives such as labeo.

Labeo Labeo bicolor And- large, dynamic, bright fish. A good candidate for adding to a spacious aquarium with inhabitants of similar sizes and habits. Cocky towards individuals of his own species, territorial.

Otocinclus Otocinclus vittatus, Otocinclus sp."negros"- dwarf algae-eating catfish, belongs to the chain-mail catfish family. Able to get along in an aquarium with large predatory fish. It perfectly destroys brown-brown diatoms, so 4-6 fish can keep a 100 liter aquarium clean. It is popular due to its unpretentiousness, peacefulness, and contrasting color. A typical inhabitant of bottom water layers. Activates at dusk and is compatible with any peaceful tropical fish. Works great in an aquarium together with Epalceorhynchus.

Japanese pond shrimp or Amano shrimp can also act as algae fighters, but for efficient work you need a large number of shrimp (about 1 piece for every 1-2 liters of volume). Cladophora aegagrophila balls or velvet balls of Cladophora aegagrophila are excellent for cleaning; they become dirty very quickly, collecting all the smallest dirt in the aquarium on their fine hairs. Amano shrimp get along well with otocinclus, but they should not be kept in an aquarium with large fish.

In aquariums where predators can attack shrimp and otocinclus, it is better to use epalceorhynchus, gyrinocheil, ancistrus and pterygoplicht.

Here are only some representatives of aquarium orderlies, because... It is very difficult to describe in detail these wonderful aquarist assistants in one article. It is important to remember that purchasing such fish will not completely solve the problem of combating algae, because... the successful existence of an aquarium biosystem largely depends on humans. It is very important to correctly select and adjust equipment and lighting, properly start the aquarium and regularly monitor water parameters and the condition of its inhabitants. If the plants in your aquarium feel comfortable, and the fish are fed on time and do not overeat, orderly fish can easily cope with minor algal growths.

Privezentseva Alexandra