Behavior of a river killer whale in an aquarium. Aquarium catfish orca

Mystus striped, Indian killer whale catfish (Mystus vittatus) is a playful representative of the water 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 horizontal stripes of dark color 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 (the length is greater than the 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 hardly 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.

A small but very interesting fish, mistus, which is distinguished by its active and cheerful disposition, is considered one of the best representatives underwater world that take root at home. Watching this fish is an interesting thing, but before deciding to buy it for further keeping in the aquarium, you need to familiarize yourself with the care and feeding requirements. This will not only create the right conditions for maintenance, but also to get a healthy pet.

Mystus striped or Indian killer whale catfish prefers freshwater streams and lakes. Feels free in both standing and running water.

More often he chooses places where there is enough vegetation near the shore, as this allows him to obtain an additional source of food.

Very rarely it can be found in small sea bays. Already from the name it is clear that he prefers quite warm waters for habitation, therefore in wildlife found in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Description

One fish can reach up to 20 cm in length, but in an aquarium it is quite difficult to achieve such sizes. The body is compressed towards the tail, long, but the head is large. The eyes are usually large, with three pairs of long whiskers underneath them. The color of minthus ranges from soft pink on the tummy to blue or purple on the back.

There must be several long black stripes on the sides, and there is a black spot on the gill cover. Always young gray, so it is often confused with other species of catfish.

Video: description of catfish mystus The catfish got its name because of its habit of turning upside down and swimming in this position like synodontis.

Did you know? Mistuses can creak. They create similar sounds with the help of fins that are located on their chest. Sometimes, based on this feature, they are identified among other catfish at a young age.

Since the fish can grow up to 20 cm in length, the main requirement for an aquarium is that its length must be greater than its height. It is best to select aquariums that hold from 120 to 150 liters of water. It is advisable that free space there were as many as possible.

Since catfish live in warm climates, the level should not fall below 22-23°C. The upper temperature threshold for ideal living is 28°C. Acidity should be from 6 to 7.5, but should not exceed 25 dH.
Water can be changed in two ways:

It is advisable to carry out a complete water change at least once every 2 weeks.
You can also replace 25-30% of the water every week.
The less frequently the water is changed, the higher the percentage of aeration and filtration should be.
It is advisable to create a flow and movement of a mass of water, although not very strong.

Important! The requirements for water in the aquarium are quite high, since mystus simply loves to swarm and live in its lower layers. Therefore, it should be practically crystal clear at all times. Water changes should be carried out as often as possible.

Since catfish love to explore the bottom, it is advisable to fill it with all sorts of pebbles, driftwood, plants, shells and others. small details. This will give the fish the opportunity to explore and play and increase his comfort in captivity.

You should also place an underwater castle or an inventive shell or pot, which will serve as a shelter for the fish. This important point mistus content.
There are no special requirements for vegetation in the aquarium. Ordinary ones suitable for other types of fish can be used.

But it is best to make the lighting dim, since the fish are more active in evening time. But having created such conditions, it will be possible to watch catfish games during the day.

They are not particularly demanding in terms of care. It is advisable to ensure high standards of water and feeding.

Also, mistuses simply love games, so an important part of their content is to create as much as possible larger area for games, activities, hide and seek.

The more tubes, pots, castles, and stones there are in the aquarium, the healthier, active and cheerful mystus will be.
In this case, it is also important to have neighbors, preferably of the same species. Another care requirement is dim, dim light during the day so that the catfish always feels good.

Important! Catfish of this species simply love to play and jump. Therefore, it is very important that the lid tightly covers the aquarium, otherwise troubles simply cannot be avoided. It is important to remember that active games for mystus with other fish or catfish of the same species- an important part of life, since he cannot stand loneliness and can become fearful or overly aggressive.

Feeding

It should be remembered that this type of fish is predatory, so a lack of food can cause small fish to be eaten. The diet usually includes live and dry food; catfish often search for and eat leftover food from other fish.

So there is no food residue left behind, making it a good aquarium cleaner. Loves salad, oatmeal, worms. He also enjoys eating tablets or granulated food.

When placing a fish in an aquarium, it is very important to remember that it is a predator by nature, so it can chase not only small fish, but also big fish with round fins. Although big fish They won’t eat it, but they can chew on the fins and damage them.
So it’s better to just put them in a separate aquarium or choose only catfish as neighbors. If it is not possible to buy a separate aquarium or you already have fish, you need to buy commensurate fish with not very large fins. Although there will definitely be races, the tails will remain intact.

Character and behavior

These are very territorial individuals. But if you collect them in a school of up to 8-10 fish, they will get along quite well together.

It is important to provide them with enough space to race and hide. In such conditions, they will not behave aggressively, bite other fish or plants, but will simply become playful and active inhabitants of the aquarium.

The difference between males and females is visible only after reaching three months of age. Females are usually larger in size and have a large white belly. In males, after reaching three months, a urogenital papilla, that is, a process, appears.
Mystuses reproduce very rarely in a natural way under conditions of detention. They are usually given hormonal injections in special nurseries, and from there they go on sale. So they breed only in professional conditions, where about 500 eggs are hatched per spawning.

When the fish appear, they are sorted by size, since their predatory nature can lead to cannibalism.

Did you know? Catfish have an interesting habit-chew and bite the soft parts of aquarium plants. For example, leaves. Therefore, to prevent all the algae from being eaten by it, you need to feed it with plant foods, such as scalded lettuce leaves or other greens.

Health

If you provide everything the necessary conditions And good level life, mystus can live in an aquarium for about 5-6 years. Health problems appear precisely when basic maintenance requirements are not met. If any changes in behavior or lethargy are observed, then you should immediately change the water and review the parameters of keeping and feeding. In other cases, individuals get sick quite rarely and are not susceptible to any exotic diseases.

Mistuses are very interesting, cheerful and playful fish, which are often underestimated. And although they have not earned much popularity, catfish are becoming good addition to the aquarium, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Caring for them is not burdensome, they rarely get sick and do not require special nutrition, so they are good aquarium pets.

The natural habitat of this fish is the fresh waters of Thailand and Kampucci.

Appearance

Video. Appearance of the Siamese killer whale:

The elongated body, caudal fin, as well as the adipose fin are highly developed relative to the size of the fish itself. Wide dark stripes run across the body. In the dorsal and pectoral fins- thorns. Size: up to 20 cm, in an aquarium up to 12 cm.
The difference between a male and a female is that males are somewhat smaller and slimmer.

Video. Siamese killer whale in an aquarium:

The active time of the Siamese killer whale is twilight. The fish often hides in various holes, spaces between stones, snags, stones and other shelters - it is especially difficult to see the killer whale in fairly bright aquarium lighting, since it hides precisely from strong light. Can be kept with small fish species.

Conditions of detention:
Water for maintenance: GH up to 15°;
Acid-base composition of water: pH 6.5-7.5;
Temperature: t 2 1-25 °C.

Feed

You can feed your killer whale with live ice cream and dry food in small portions in the evening and at night.

Reproduction

Breeding conditions:
Water for dilution: GH up to 10°;
Acid-base composition of water: pH 7.0;
Temperature: t 26-28 °C
Carbonate hardness is minimal.
The spawning tank is equipped with a capacity of 100 liters or more. The recommended method of breeding is only by pituitary injection. The initial food for the fry is rotifer. The female lays up to 500 eggs.

The natural habitat of this fish is the fresh waters of Thailand and Kampucci.

Appearance

Video. Appearance of the Siamese killer whale:

The elongated body, caudal fin, as well as the adipose fin are highly developed relative to the size of the fish itself. Wide dark stripes run across the body. The dorsal and pectoral fins have spines. Size: up to 20 cm, in an aquarium up to 12 cm.
The difference between a male and a female is that males are somewhat smaller and slimmer.

Video. Siamese killer whale in an aquarium:

Conditions of detention:
Water for maintenance: GH up to 15°;
Acid-base composition of water: pH 6.5-7.5;
Temperature: t 2 1-25 °C.

Feed

You can feed your killer whale with live ice cream and dry food in small portions in the evening and at night.

Reproduction

Comes from the vast Mekong River basin - the largest in South-East Asia, from the territory of modern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Lives in waters with slow flow among the flooded trees and their roots. During the daytime it stays close to shelters, and at night it comes out in search of food.

Brief information:

Aquarium volume - from 100 l.
Temperature - 20–26°C
pH value - 5.8–7.8
Water hardness - from soft to hard (5–25 dGH)
Substrate type - any soft
Lighting - dim
Brackish water - acceptable in a concentration of 1 teaspoon of salt per 10 liters
Water movement is weak
The size of the fish is up to 12 cm.
Nutrition - protein (meat) diet
Temperament - relatively peaceful
Keeping alone or in a small group if shelters are available

Description

Adults reach a length of about 15 cm. The main color is a dark chocolate shade with several vertical and diagonal stripes of a yellowish tint. A similar pattern is reflected in one of the popular names for this species, “bumblebee catfish.” Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, males have more contrasting colors, and females are somewhat stockier than their partners.

Nutrition

It belongs to the carnivorous species, and in part can be called miniature predators. The Siamese catfish preys on small fish, aquatic insects and their larvae, worms, crustaceans, etc. home aquarium can adapt to eating fresh meat and frozen foods such as meat freshwater shrimp, mussels, pieces of white fish, earthworms.
You should not serve meat of animal origin; they are difficult to digest and can cause digestive problems.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal aquarium size for one catfish starts from 100 liters. Because it's shy and night dweller, then the design should include dim lighting and the presence of shelters (driftwood, ceramic pots, scraps of plastic tubes, etc.). At joint content With other catfish, provide several areas with shelters so that each of them can create their own territory. Any soft substrate, plants are not required, but if desired, you can use some shade-loving plants unpretentious plants and mosses.
When placing the equipment, place the heaters away from the hiding places and especially do not combine them so that the catfish do not accidentally overheat. Otherwise, the Asian bumblebee catfish is completely unpretentious and is able to successfully adapt to various water conditions, occurs naturally even in brackish systems.

Behavior and Compatibility

If you do not keep it with small fish, then there will be no problems with compatibility with other species. Catfish goes well with large and medium-sized cyprinids, peaceful cichlids and many others. As for intraspecific relations, there is competition for territory and if there is not enough space, skirmishes are possible

Breeding/reproduction

In nature mating season occurs with the arrival of the rainy season, when significant changes in the composition of the water occur, which in turn is a stimulus for spawning. In a home aquarium, it is almost impossible to reproduce natural cycles without the use of hormonal injections used on fish farms.

Fish diseases

The main cause of health problems is unsuitable living environment. 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 "

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 of streams and lakes, sometimes swims into sea bays.

Quickly navigate to the article

Description

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

Watch a video on how to keep mistuses.

How to properly keep and feed

With a maximum length of 20 cm, mystus can swim quickly in water; for a spacious place, an aquarium of about 120-150 liters is required (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, mystus lives for five years.

Neighbours

Mystuses are characterized by territorially aggressive behavior, so it is better to stock several individuals in the aquarium. Larger fish may become their neighbors. Catfish have very large mouths 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 a common aquarium, male and female reproduce very rarely, so the appearance of offspring is possible with the help of pituitary injections. Unfortunately, they hardly reproduce in captivity, but there are isolated cases.

Mysthuses easily reproduce in a spawning tank with active aeration (the 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.

The Siamese killer whale (pseudomystus siamensis, leiocassis siamensis), not the killer whale as found in most search queries, is a member of the killer whale catfish family, which is found exclusively in freshwater bodies of South Asia.

In an aquarium it reaches a maximum of 12cm, in nature it can grow up to 20cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed; it is possible to distinguish a male from a female only by its smaller and more slender body.

The lifespan of the Siamese killer whale catfish (correctly Orca) is about 5-6 years.

Conditions

This type of aquarium fish loves space. – the aquarium is selected from 100 liters, while long length height is preferred. In a large, spacious tank, the number of fights between males is reduced to a minimum, which allows breeding larger number these catfish. The aquarium should also come with a filter, a compressor and a lid (orcas are very active, playful and jumping).

The water must be clean and fresh (no salt!), its parameters: temperature 20-25°C, hardness up to 15°dH and acidity 6.5-7.5pH. Change the water once a week, about a third of the total volume.

Soil - coarse sand, pebbles, gravel, no coral or marble chips, they are suitable only for cichlids, as they increase rigidity. Lighting – moderate, diffused, Siamese killer whale(a killer whale is a bird, a swallow) does not like bright light and tries to hide from it in all sorts of crevices. Decorations - grottoes, broken pots, tubes in which you can hide (not too narrow or small, otherwise your pets have a good chance of getting stuck there).

This type of catfish prefers to swim in the water column in its active phase (which begins with the arrival of twilight). The fish can sometimes be seen hanging upright among thickets of plants, so a small number of them (Vallisneria works well) will be quite appropriate.

Feeding

Siamese killer whales do not overeat their food; they eat dry, frozen, and, of course, live food. The killer whale catfish (orca) loves to eat bloodworms. Since this catfish is a nocturnal creature, it is advisable to feed it in the late afternoon or at night.

Compatibility with other fish

Killer whale fish rarely exhibit their predatory instincts and, as a rule, coexist peacefully with most calm species of similar sizes. However, in order to avoid problems, it is better to exclude too small representatives of the aquatic world from the aquarium. Killer whales can also pose a danger to fry.

The catfish itself can only be threatened by large and predatory fish.

Reproduction

Unfortunately, an amateur aquarist will not be able to breed a Siamese killer whale in a home aquarium. Despite the conditions that are quite accessible to create (spawning tank - 100 liters or more, water with a temperature of 26-28 ° C and hardness up to 10 ° dH, spawning substrate, plants, imitation of the rainy season to stimulate spawning - daily replacement of part of the water with fresh water), these fish refuse to spawn without additional stimulation in the form of hormone injections.

However, even when using injections, eggs from females and milt from males have to be squeezed out manually, after which fertilization is carried out independently. The amount of caviar obtained in this way is 500-800 eggs. They ripen in an incubator at the bottom, without additional aeration, for two to three days.

The juveniles are quite large and are fed by rotifers and small plankton. Adults are considered to be individuals over the age of one year.

Video: Siamese killer whale

The killer whale catfish is an amazing fish, the varieties of which amaze with their diversity. Perhaps the most common species is the Siamese killer whale. The brightness of the color of such a fish depends on its age and size. Females are larger than males, and their abdomen is fuller.

The body of such a fish is elongated, and the caudal fin has well-developed blades and an adipose fin. The fins on the back and chest are covered with spines. The body color is yellow-silver, with wide dark stripes on the sides. Siamese killer whales grow up to 20 cm and live 5-6 years in captivity.

These are peaceful, but sometimes predatory inhabitants of the aquarium. Active at night. If two males are cramped in one aquarium, they will defend their territory. This species prefers the middle layer of water.

The Siamese killer whale catfish needs a species aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters with a closed lid and dim light.

These fish can be kept in a community aquarium, but neighbors should be of the same size and similar character. It is not recommended to keep small species of aquarium fish, as well as those with long fins, together.

The killer whale catfish (aquarium) loves when the aquarium has driftwood, shelters, and polyvinyl tubes.

The joints of the jagged rays of the fins emit creaking sounds and change color intensity. Many skinwalkers are covered with yellowish mucus, which is often poisonous. Males are larger, brighter and slimmer than females, plus their fins are more developed and their heads are more massive.

He loves natural algae and clean and aerated water. For such fish, replacement is done by a third of the volume - weekly. These killer whales are fed live food (daphnia, frozen shrimp, bloodworms, insects, bark) and dry food. Adults are fed in the evening or at night, often, but little by little.

To breed this species you will need an aquarium of at least 100 liters. Just before spawning, the females noticeably thicken their abdomen. When preparing to replenish a fish family, the owner should use the method of pituitary injections, and then select the eggs manually, as well as the milt from the males. Fertilization itself occurs artificially in a container specially designed for this purpose. In the “maternity house” the water hardness should be up to 10°, the temperature should be 26-28°C, and the acidity should be 7.0. Small aquarium killer whales are fed rotifers.

Another common species is the catfish (killer whale, just like the Siamese species, but with its own characteristics).

This is an unusually beautiful and unusual catfish, but during the day it is not visible at all: at this time it hides in secluded places in the aquarium, and emerges only at night. If, during a night walk of a catfish-shifter in a room with an aquarium, you turn on the light, then it will quickly swim back to the shelter.

Majority similar types When kept at home, fish do not require special conditions; what must be provided is shelter.

These aquarium killer whales have no scales. In the chest and dorsal fins there are hard jagged spines.

The species of these fish were not bred artificially, they were domesticated. Motherland aquarium catfish killer whales - fresh waters of Asia and Africa. So this look was done big way on his way to fame as an aquarium pet. He gained his popularity quite quickly due to his interesting “appearance”.

This subspecies can grow up to 25 cm. However, it is not interesting for this, but for its method of movement around the aquarium: the changeling swims belly up, which is apparently why it got its funny nickname. If you keep such a fish in a low aquarium, then when he falls asleep, you can stroke his soft tummy, but he will not wake up immediately.

This catfish, unlike the Siamese species, is an active predator, therefore it is necessary to select large individuals as neighbors that will not allow themselves to be offended.

Amazing changelings can be kept alone or in company, although they can sort things out with representatives of their own species, but this does not pose a serious danger.

For a complete healthy life such fish need to change the water at least once every six months. Aeration and filtration must be effective, and the volume of the “dwelling” itself must be at least 300 liters.

This species is fed only with large types of food: shrimp, tadpoles, as well as small fish, etc.

Even though these catfish are very hardy and can survive for a long time without frequent water changes and soil cleaning, you should not tempt fate. After all, such a pet can not only decorate an aquarium, but also become a full-fledged pet for a person!

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Aquarium fish Siamese killer whale

– the fish often hides in various holes, spaces between stones. It lives in reservoirs with fresh water in Kampuchea. The size of this cute fish does not exceed 12 centimeters. It has a body length of up to 20 cm. The body is elongated, the caudal fin has highly developed blades.

Description

Names: Siamese killer whale
Family: Bagridae.
Range: Thailand, Kampuchea, Cambodia, Sri Lanka.
Habitat: freshwater rivers and ponds.
Description: elongated body, caudal fin with highly developed blades. The adipose fin is well developed. The body is surrounded by wide dark stripes of various shapes. There are spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins.
Color: yellow-silver with dark stripes. The intensity of color depends on size and age.
Size: Siamese killer whale grows up to 20 cm.
Content level: easy.
Life expectancy: 5-6 years.

Feeding:

Diet: live (frozen shrimp, daphnia, insects, bloodworms, coretra) and dry food.
Feeding frequency: adults – often in small portions in the evening and at night, juveniles –

Behavior:

Character: peaceful, sometimes predatory, nocturnal, timid. When kept in a small aquarium, males become territorial.
Water zone: middle layer of water.
Can be kept with: fish of the same size.
Cannot be kept with: small fish and fish with long fins.

Fish breeding:

Sexual differences: the female is plumper and larger than the male.
Breeding season: rainy season.
Preparation: use hormones.
Spawning aquarium: from 100 l, dH to 10′, pH 7.0, t 26-28’C.
Mating games: eggs are deposited on the roots of plants.
Quantity of eggs: up to 800 yellowish eggs (diameter 1 mm).
Feeding of juveniles: rotifer.