Habitat, description and lifestyle of the aquarium catfish. Platydoras costatus Platydoras costatus what to feed

Platydoras striped(Platydoras costatus) or Raphael's striped catfish(Striped Raphael Catfish) is a very active catfish reaching medium and large sizes. Conducting night look life, Platidoras striped comes out of hiding mainly at night, although they can also adapt to daylight without any problems. IN wildlife Raphael's striped catfish live in the Amazon River and in captivity (in home aquariums) it is quite difficult to reproduce.

Thick skin allows striped Platydoras feels great with all peaceful and many aggressive fish, including cichlids. They also have barbs on their fins that they “pinch” whenever they get scared. That is why you need to handle them (transplant and pick up) with extreme caution. It is better to catch them with glass or plastic cup, as their jagged fins get tangled in a regular net and can be difficult to remove.

Platydoras striped When feeding, they make interesting sounds similar to croaking, which is why they are often called “talking catfish.” When you hold this striped catfish in your hand, you can feel the vibrating squeak they create.

Striped catfish Platidoras - photo.

Platydoras striped - video.

Scientific name: Platydoras costatus.

Common names: Striped catfish Raphael, Talking catfish, Singing catfish.

Grooming Level: Medium (due to their spiny fins)

Size: 15-23cm.

pH: 6.5-7.6.

Temperature: 23-27 0 C (75-80 0 F).

Temperament: Platydoras gets along well with most fish that do not fit in its mouth.

Lifespan: on average - 10 years. But there are cases where striped Platydoras lived for more than 15 years.

Reproduction of striped Platydoras: difficult to breed in a home aquarium.

Aquarium size: minimum 100l, but better - 200l or more.

Compatibility of Platydora striped: due to their peaceful nature they are compatible with most aquarium fish, however, you should not keep them with small fish that can fit into the mouth of a catfish.

Catfish diseases: They are notorious for not tolerating treatment well, so be sure to dose your aquarium medications carefully and precisely.

Diet/Feeding of catfish: You can feed almost any food. They love sinking pellets for catfish, worms, bloodworms, flakes, etc.

Region in the aquarium: they are bottom fish, therefore it is advisable to build caves and burrows for them, using, for example, PVC pipes.

Gender: Some say that the males are not as fat as the females, who have very round bellies in which they carry their eggs. Another way to distinguish male Platydoras striped from females is to compare their colors. Males are usually darker than females. In addition, between the dark stripes in females there are cream stripes, but in males they are yellowish-brown.

Decorative fish from the numerous carp family can be seen in every second amateur aquarium. Everyone has long been accustomed to them. But real catfish at home looks very impressive and attractive. And even though this is not a two-meter giant of the Volga delta, but a small tropical catfish, it still inevitably attracts the attention of others not only with its appearance, but also with its habits.

Indeed, Agamix stellata are often called singing. Of course, they do not have throat singing, but they do make a loud cracking sound with their bony pectoral fins. They use another method of producing sounds - by resonating the swim bladder due to tension and relaxation of the muscles of the back and vertebrae. The grinding noise can be heard at a distance of 30 meters! An unusual way to loudly express yourself, isn’t it?

The small tropical catfish makes similar sounds not only when creating a pair, but also to scare away its enemies, of which there are many in the Amazon.

Yes, the catfish agamix star-shaped (another name is white-spotted agamixis, or Agamyxis albomaculatus in Latin) is mainly found in the upper Amazon. He is a freshwater predator and his favorite food is shellfish and snails, which he can eat as much as there are in the area.

This representative of the Bronyakov family (Doradidae) is also found in the Orinoco River and in the lakes of eastern Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. The fish belongs to the category of bottom fish; they love clean, warm water. aquatic environment with a slight current, but is also found in wetlands of large reservoirs, and with a lack of oxygen, the starfish can periodically float to the surface and swallow air, filling its intestines with it.

The fish leads an active nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day it hides among snags, stones and in the folds of the bottom topography, sleeping.

Agamiks can live outdoors for some time. Local residents in the Amazon have more than once observed how entire groups of these catfish successfully crawled from one body of water to another, helping themselves with powerful bony fins.

Description

So, what is the white-spotted catfish Agamixis? Like all catfish, it has a massive body, slightly flattened on top. It is covered with hard bone plates, absent only on the tail. From head to tail, the body gradually narrows.

Under natural conditions, the fish rarely reaches a length of more than 16-17 cm, and the decorative aquarium version has a size of slightly more than 10 cm. The fins of the tropical predator are hard, black and very spiny.

In case of danger, agamixis quickly spreads them into different sides, and not every enemy will dare to attack such a catfish! A kind of underwater porcupine.

The body of the fish is also black, it has many large yellow spots, at the end of the tail merging into yellow stripes. A young individual has these spots white. Actually, because of such an unusual bright color, the tropical catfish received the name star-shaped and white-spotted.

The head of Agamyxis albomaculatus is large (about ¼ of the overall size individuals) and is equipped with three pairs of striped black and white whiskers.

The agamix lives for quite a long time, up to 17 years, if the living conditions are comfortable.

How to keep agamixis?

As with other aquatic life, happy and long life Agamix catfish depends on the creation of conditions as close as possible to natural ones.

Aquarium. To keep this peace-loving fish you need a fairly large aquarium, with a capacity of at least 100 liters, with clean water and with a temperature of +25 degrees.

Water parameters. No special maintenance regime is required, nor is there any need for bright lighting. On the contrary, the light should be dim, as in the bottom layer of a natural reservoir. The optimal water hardness should be around 8°, and the acid-base balance () should be close to neutral (from 6 to 8 units). It is advisable to change the water more often, 2-3 times a week, approximately 10% of its total volume.

Priming in the aquarium should be sandy or fine gravel. It is better to sprinkle the bottom substrate in a thick layer, since catfish really like to dig it. Experts strongly recommend building grottoes and caves in the aquarium, installing driftwood, thus creating an environment in which there would be several places for shelter and daytime rest. Agamix welcomes the presence of aquatic plants, since in natural conditions it lives among tropical thickets.

Filtration. To purify water, it is better to use a powerful filter with high-quality mechanical and biological filtration. The fact is that during the life of agamixis, quite a lot of large number waste.

If it is necessary to transfer the fish to another container, then experienced aquarists do not recommend using a regular net, as the bony fins may become entangled in it. It is better to use a net made of thick fabric.

Nutrition

Being a predator, the catfish is able to quickly clear the aquarium of snails of all types. This, however, does not mean that he only eats shellfish.

With the same pleasure, agamix consumes other live food - worms, bloodworms, and tubifex.

Some high-protein commercial foods are also suitable, as are shrimp meat.

The fish takes food from the bottom, so you need to buy one so that it does not float on the surface of the water, but sinks down.

Compatibility

Agamyxis albomaculatus easily gets along with other fish, behaves calmly, without showing aggression, unless, of course, it is attacked. One clarification: the neighbors of a singing catfish should be approximately equal in size to it. He will eat the floating trifle with undisguised pleasure. What can you do, it’s a predator after all!

Conditions and characteristics of reproduction

The fish reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years, but there is practically no information about the conditions for independent reproduction of Agamix stellata in captivity.

This is due to the fact that a narrow circle of professional aquarists are engaged in breeding such fish, stimulating spawning artificially by injecting human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormonal drug, into the animal’s back muscles.

The experimentally tested dose of the drug is 0.2 ml per injection.

The pair is placed in a separate spawning tank without soil, in the center of which a bush of Congolese fern, or Bolbitis Gedeloti, is installed in a pot. The female lays eggs on the leaves of the plant, the number of which usually does not exceed 100 pieces.

The incubation period is short, maximum 2 days. When the fry begin to swim independently, they can be given small food: brine shrimp and tubifex.

The tropical catfish agamix star-shaped, or white-spotted agamixis, has not yet received wide enough distribution among amateur aquarists. And completely undeservedly, since its content does not cause any special problems, and its original coloring and ability to make sounds always attract the attention of others. It is quite possible that there would be much more admirers of this exotic fish if its specimens appeared more often in pet stores.

The Bronyakov family are strong and lean individuals. They do not give the impression of being shy and indecisive fish. Perhaps such associations arise due to appearance, biological structure and lifestyle.

Platydoras catfish is a typical representative of this family. He is confident, courageous, moves clearly and quickly. At first glance, his thoughts seem understandable, but this is not always the case...

What's interesting about the appearance?

Platydoras catfish has a cylindrical body with a sharply developed shield on the back of the head, which passes into the anterior section dorsal fin. The lateral lines along the entire body have hard, straight growths. More often they even look like bone spikes.

Given the bright striped colors, such features increase the originality of the fish.

On the flattened head there is a pair of curious eyes and two pairs of antennae (from the upper and lower lips). The antennae give the fish a humorous and mocking expression, but, most importantly, they serve as an indispensable tactile organ.

Platydoras striped can have a contrasting or smoother range of colors. Its brightness depends on age and living conditions.

Lifestyle – stable and original

The striped catfish leads a different life from other fish. During the day he is in a calm and indecisive stage, at times he simply sleeps, buried in soft soil or hidden in a rapana shell. At night comes the period of his wakefulness. He is looking for food. A simpler option is to pick up leftover food from the bottom; a more difficult option is to dig the soil with your nose, hoping to get out the small inhabitants of the aquarium and their offspring.

Habitat in the lower layers of the aquarium and nightlife allow you to select an interesting and diverse ensemble of inhabitants for the aquarium. The striped catfish platidoras is not afraid to become food for big fish and he himself does not hunt for their fins. He's different. He is peaceful and spontaneous.

And one more interesting fact. This is a singing platidoras catfish. Due to the peculiarities of its structure, it is capable of producing sounds similar to a song. Of course, there is no melody in such works, and the crackling and hissing sound is more like a creaking sound. But lovers of such original individuals are ready to challenge the unusual talents of their favorites.

Under what conditions does he feel happy?

Get insight on the question: “Som platidoras: content?” is not difficult. The water condition criteria are statistically average; an aerator and purifier are required. Water change is weekly for one third of the aquarium.

Particular attention to design and lighting. Here, people and fish have the same ideas. As many beautiful, wide-leafed algae as possible, obscuring the overhead light and creating undertones! There are many relief decorations with grottoes and caves, stone barricades and the remains of large driftwood. If they contain deep caves, Platydoras uses them when it decides to reproduce.

The top of the aquarium must be covered with a lid, either glass or included with the aquarium.

The neighbors are no less important. It is better to choose fish that live in upper layers water house. They must be large in size, not scuffed, without obvious signs aggression. Cichlids, large tetras, characins and, of course, single-species catfish are suitable. An aquarium cannot be small. The catfish needs to travel somewhere and develop its reflexes. The volume of water is at least 120 liters.

As Platidoras loves, keeping it in an aquarium should not be left to chance. It is necessary to ensure cleanliness, timely change of water and the absence of irritating factors. Not needed:

bright light;
loud sounds;
sharp ground;
powerful moving streams of water.

How to set up a catfish for reproduction?

How important is it for the striped platidora species to maintain it during the spawning period? It’s safe to say that the success of the whole business depends on him. Before spawning, the selected individuals (it is better to select two or three males for one female) should:

quality and regular feeding;
lower the water temperature to 17-18 o;
equip the lighting in such a way that a single beam of light penetrates one small slot and no more.

Platydoras striped breeding is special and interesting. The female transfers milk taken from the male to the selected area and lays the first batch of eggs on top of it. Subsequently, the layers of milk and caviar alternate with enviable accuracy. This ensures high-quality fertilization of eggs, even those located in low layers.

According to some aquarists, sometimes Platydoras begin to build a kind of nest before spawning, bringing pieces of small algae, small particles of soil and other suitable elements to the chosen place. But science provides no explanation for this behavior.

Everyone loves catfish in aquariums. They are interesting to watch and attract their attention. But for this they must be cheerful and cheerful, and this depends on compliance with the rules of care and maintenance. optimal conditions for their life.

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Mystus striped, Indian killer whale catfish (Mystus vittatus) is a playful representative of the underwater world. Originally from Asian countries, its habitat is the waters of the rivers of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Prefers fresh waters streams and lakes, sometimes swims into sea bays.

Mistus is a kind and active fish, which is very pleasant to watch. He literally races with his neighbors in the aquarium, but before you start a Mythus, you should familiarize yourself with the conditions for its adaptation.

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Description

Mistus reaches 20-25 cm in length, has a slightly flattened, elongated body. On big head with large eyes and a cute mustache, three pairs. Behind the dorsal fin is a small adipose fin. The body is colored pinkish-yellow, iridescent with a blue-violet tint. There are several dark horizontal stripes on the sides of the body, and black spots on the gill covers. The fry are silver in color.

The difference between the female and the male is visible after 3 months of life: the female has a full white abdomen and is larger in itself. The male has a urogenital papilla, a special process that is visible after the third month of life.

Mistus striped is sometimes calm, sometimes cocky. Loves to actively play in the aquarium with other fish, especially at night. Prefers places where there are many grottoes, snags, and plants. Sometimes in pursuit he teases his comrades, sorting things out with them. Mistus is a predator, so it will quickly eat small fish. Also, Indian catfish can gnaw young leaves of aquarium plants, so you need to start getting acquainted with plant food as early as possible.

Watch a video on how to keep mistuses.

How to properly keep and feed

At maximum length A 20 cm mystus can swim quickly in water; for a spacious place, an aquarium of about 120-150 liters is needed (length is greater than height). The bottom should be lined with stones, driftwood and plants.

The water temperature is preferably 22-28 o C, pH – 6.0-7.4, water hardness – up to 5-25 dH. Good aeration and moderate-to-strong current are required. Dim lighting is recommended. The water can be changed once every 2 weeks, or 25% of the water can be changed weekly, not forgetting about aeration and filtration. Mistus loves the lower layers of water, so it should be crystal clear. IN favorable conditions mistus lives for five years.

The diet consists of live and frozen dry food, sometimes it eats what other inhabitants of the aquarium have left uneaten. Loves salad, oatmeal, worms. It does not leave a single gram of food behind, eating it from the bottom of the aquarium.

Neighbours

Mystuses are characterized by territorially aggressive behavior, so it is better to stock several individuals in the aquarium. Their neighbors may become more large fish. Catfish have very big mouth to swallow small fish such as zebrafish and neons. They will also chase fish with veil fins, plucking their fins.

Look at the striped catfish in the aquarium.

Breeding

Having reached a length of 10-12 cm, mystus becomes sexually mature. IN community aquarium male and female reproduce very rarely, so the appearance of offspring is possible with the help of pituitary injections. Unfortunately, they almost never reproduce in captivity, but there are isolated cases.

Mistuses easily reproduce in a spawning tank with active aeration(a female can lay up to 500 eggs). The fry develop quickly; from the first days of life, their main food is microplankton. It is advisable to sort them by size so that they do not eat each other.

Platydoras catfish is one of the most popular catfish-like fish in our aquariums. The striped catfish is very beautiful. Wide black and white stripes run along the entire body. This color is especially clearly visible in young individuals; with age, the stripes become less noticeable. In nature, these catfish reach up to 20 centimeters in length, and in an aquarium up to 16 centimeters.

The behavior of Platydoras catfish is curious, but it is worth noting that they prefer a nocturnal lifestyle; if the environment becomes comfortable, then the catfish can actively explore the aquarium during the day.

Catfish are peaceful and hardy. Platyodras will fit perfectly into a general multi-species aquarium. Catfish belongs to the Bronyakov family (Doradidae). The name of the family reflects the essence of this catfish - they have durable skin, a well-developed occipital shield in front of the dorsal fin and bony growths along the lateral line, forming spiny bony scutes.

Very interesting fact The thing about this catfish is that it “can sing”; they are called “singing catfish”. This is due to the ability of platidoras and other catfish of the Doradidae family to make sounds. The chirping sounds are produced by the friction of the pectoral fins against grooves in the shoulder joints, and the cracking sounds are produced by an elastic spring mechanism that vibrates the swim bladder. Catfishes Acanthodoras spinosissimus and Acanthodoras cataphrectus are also “singing” from the Bronyakov family.

The striped placidoras tolerates harsh conditions environment. Despite the fact that individuals of this species are predominantly nocturnal, they often swim out of their hiding places to explore all corners of their aquarium during the day. They love to burrow into soft river bottoms, so be prepared to provide them with an area of good sand and gravel. Platydoras prefer dim lighting, so the water surface of the aquarium can be “covered” with floating plants (pistia, duckweed) or you can buy a special lamp for catfish-like fish. The aquarium is also equipped with many shelters - voids in driftwood, clay pots or plastic pipes of various sizes. Plants and platidoras are absolutely compatible, but the presence of plants is not necessary. Catfish get along well with medium-sized, non-predatory neighbors. You should not add too small fish to the catfish, they can become a snack for it.

Description of Platidoras

The body has a cylindrical, arrow-shaped shape with a flat abdomen. Females are larger than males, especially when viewed from above. As mentioned earlier, in the wild, catfish reach 20 cm in length, and sometimes 24 cm individuals are found. In the aquarium average length adult fish is 15.5 cm. Average duration The life of Platidoras is 20 years. Their body color can be either dark brown or black, with clearly visible white horizontal stripes creating an alternating pattern. Muzzle, lower part of head and leading edge The pectoral fins are white in color. The older the fish, the less clear the pattern. Catfish have a large head with large eyes. The mouth is wide, there are two pairs of antennae. They are found on both sides of the mouth, one on the lower and one on the upper jaw. On pectoral fins there are strong spines that the fish can rigidly straighten to the sides, and it can use the internal spines to strike. The thorns often get tangled in the mesh of the net, and it is easy to get pricked on them. External similarity striped platidoras with longnose catfish Orinocodoras eigenmanni often makes them difficult to identify when selling. To determine the species, just look at the face and adipose fin. The longnose catfish has a much longer snout and fin.

Water parameters for pH content: 5.8 - 7.5, water temperature: 23.9 - 30.0°C. dH 2 -20°. The minimum volume of an aquarium for catfish is 120 liters. Since this freshwater inhabitant unpretentious to the conditions of maintenance, it is enough to change 30% of the water every month. Like most catfish of this family, Platydoras prefers oxygenated water of medium hardness. It is necessary to have shelters and dim lighting in the aquarium. Hollow spaces in roots or snags, clay pots, parts of plastic pipes. Platydoras like to burrow into soft river bottoms, so good sand or gravel is a must in the aquarium. These catfish do not nibble aquarium plants and eat only small algae. When night comes, platidoras come out of their hiding places and begin digging in the ground in search of food. As a result, silt may build up on plants with small leaves. To observe the activity of fish at night, you need to install LED backlighting in red or moonlight.

Feeding Platydoras. Striped catfish are omnivorous and unpretentious to food. In the wild, they feed on mollusks, crustaceans and detritus. These catfish are benthophagous and feed on everything that reaches the bottom. They need to be fed daily. Since Platydoras armatulus is nocturnal, the best time for feeding is when the aquarium lighting is turned off. But be careful not to overfeed the catfish! There are known cases where fish died from overeating. The diet should mainly contain protein foods, as well as a plant component.

Catfish also happily feed on live moths, earthworms, and tubifex. Since they eat everything they find at the bottom, both frozen food and flakes that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for their food.

Feeding aquarium fish must be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. The article talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous; the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, you need to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include in its diet food either with the highest protein content or, conversely, with plant ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, you can find food from Tetra, the leader of the Russian market, on aquarium shelves all the time and everywhere; in fact, the range of food from this company is amazing. Tetra’s “gastronomic arsenal” includes individual food for a specific type of fish: goldfish, cichlids, loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. Detailed information You can find out about all Tetra feeds on the company’s official website -

It should be noted that when purchasing any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store the food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

Platydoras compatibility

Sexual dimorphism and reproduction of Platydoras

If you look at the fish from above, you will notice that mature females are thicker than males. Striped catfish are bred very rarely in captivity. This is a spawning fish, but it is bred for sale using hormonal injections. There are only isolated cases of successful spawning in an aquarium, when breeders discovered fry already swimming. In the wild, female Platydoras lay eggs for fertilization in rivers and streams. It is also known that smaller representatives of armored birds are also called nest builders. In an aquarium, they can collect various debris, or find places with leaf debris or pieces of wood and try to hide under them. Then another fish of the same species swims around the “nest”, but this will not be a fact of successful fertilization and subsequent reproduction.

Habitat and history of the striped catfish platidoras

All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also with live emotions, allowing you to penetrate the world of aquariums more fully and subtly. Register on, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and first-hand, describe their habits, behavior and content, share with us your successes and joys, share and learn from experience others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every awareness of a mistake, which makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us there are, the more pure and transparent drops of goodness there are in the life and everyday life of our seven billion society.

Beautiful photos with Platydoras