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Aquaria is a favorite hobby of many, which brings satisfaction, perfectly relieves stress and brings harmony and tranquility to the home of the fish owner.
The most popular type of ornamental fish for keeping in aquariums at home today is catfish. This material will describe in detail the content of such a representative of the catfish family as Platydoras striped.
Where dwells
Platydoras striped belongs to such a catfish species as scabby. Mostly these fish are of medium size, live in the waters of South America (natural water bodies: Amazon, Orinoco, etc.). The river estuaries of the tributaries of these rivers, where they hide in lush water vegetation or at the bottom, are the most preferable for the Somic Platidoras to live.
Description of catfish
Platidoras striped is a rather large ornamental fish, the catfish's body is covered with alternating longitudinal strips of different colors (brown-yellow or black and white). With age, this original coloring of the fish loses its clarity.
The body shape of Platydoras is cylindrical with a small, rounded belly. As a rule, females are somewhat larger than males. Representatives of this type of fish for a home aquarium have such characteristic features of appearance: a rather large head with small bone spikes, which form a kind of armor-helmet, as well as fairly large eyes.
The catfish's mouth is framed with long antennae - two pairs of such antennae are located on the lower lip of the fish and one on the top.
The fins of the catfish are quite developed, the back and the pectoral fin have terminations in the form of a beam with a frame of small spikes and hooks on its tip. These features of the catfish imply that its owner should be especially careful and cautious, since the injection of such a thorn on the fin can be quite painful. In addition, the rays of the fin at the expense of the hooks located them are often entangled in the net.
The average size of an adult fish in its natural habitat reaches 23-24 cm.In aquarium conditions - no more than 16-18 cm.
Interesting fact! Platydoras striatum is often called a "singing" catfish. This effect is caused by the friction of the fins of the fish, which causes chirping sounds.
Content Features
The attractiveness of the catid Platydoras striped is that it is a very hardy fish, which suggests that it is perfect for even a novice aquarist, since he does not need special care or exceptional conditions of detention.
Required conditions for keeping a striped catfish in an aquarium:
- The desired size of the aquarium for the maintenance of Platidora striped - at least 120 liters.
- Required water parameters: temperature values - 23–30 ° C, hardness - 4–18, pH): 5.8–7.0. In this case, the flow of water should be weak, and the water itself should be fresh (without salt).
- Obligatory covering of the bottom with gravel and clean sand, presence of kryag.
- Mandatory arrangement of artificial caves, voids and other interesting shelters for fish.
As a rule, aquarium vegetation does not attract catfish as food and, accordingly, it does not eat it.An exception in this case may be small algae.
I would also like to draw attention to the fact that the presence of dense vegetation in the aquarium with Platydoras is not necessary, however, in its roots, this fish likes to arrange additional shelters.
Note that this catfish is more a night fish, whose activity increases in the evening and at night. Therefore, its owner should take care of the necessary, not too bright lighting of the aquarium. A great solution for this would be a LED backlight with a soft moonlight, placed on the edge of the aquarium.
Also, do not forget about aeration and the necessary filtration of water, which will positively affect the health of the fish.
Care: what should be considered?
Since any aquarium, in fact, is a closed biosystem, accordingly, its owner should not interfere too often with the life of its inhabitants. You should also take into account the fact that striped Platydoras are very unpretentious in the care of the fish and should be changed water no more than once a month (updating the third part of the volume).
If it became necessary to relocate these nimble fish - for these purposes it is better to use a special container or some other vessel. The use of a net is undesirable because of the sharp edges of the fins, the fish in it can get confused.
Striped Platidoras is an omnivorous fish, respectively, the diet of representatives of this species of catfish, should consist mainly of protein feed. A great solution would be to use live food (bloodworms, tubers, earthworms). You can also use as food and special food, made in the form of sinking granules. This is especially important as soma prefer to eat food collected from the bottom surface.
Important! Catfish of this type are prone to overeating, for this reason do not forget about the limitation of portions of food, as well as the obligatory presence of "unloading" days.
Compatibility with other species
Platidoras has a peaceful and friendly character, so this fish can be placed in a multi-shaped aquarium. The protection of the catfish from more aggressive fish species is its reliable bone shell.
It is important to remember that the maintenance of Plateidora with fry and small fish is undesirable, as the latter are perceived by catfish as potential live food.
Behavior and lifestyle
If there are several individuals of this species in the aquarium, then in this case one should wait for frequent skirmishes, the cause of which is the struggle for territory.
Breeding
Sexual maturity of representatives of this species of catfish family occurs from one to two years. Note that Platidoras breeds poorly in captivity, as a rule, special stimulating preparations are used for these purposes. When spawning with fish, a nest is organized (a secluded place at the bottom is selected), where the female lays several hundred eggs (up to 300). After two to three days, fry appear, which after five days begin to swim. Feed the fry with live dust and microworms.
Aquarium caty Platidoras is a great addition and decoration of any home / office aquarium.Thanks to their original appearance, they attract attention and delight with their presence for many years.
Video: Platidoras striped aquarium fish
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