cleaner fish and whales. Cleaner catfish Aquarium cleaner fish

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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 finds out where the cleaner is located and strives to create the most favorable working conditions for him, just as 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 examine the most inaccessible areas. Red Sea, Indian and Pacific Oceans - it is amazing diverse world

, but our understanding of the processes that influence it is still quite limited. For example, it has been clearly established that cleaning fish have a huge impact on many aspects of life in this habitat. Moreover, they are a prime example mutually beneficial symbiosis

. You will find out further what a cleaner fish is and what “professions” it has. What a cleaner fish does can be understood by observing how its “office” works. In reefs you can often find queues of different types sea ​​creatures

, patiently waiting for the opportunity to receive the help they need. Sometimes, of course, as in human clinics, quarrels may arise over the right to be the first to undergo cleaning, but, basically, the fish are decorously waiting in the wings. It is interesting that at this time something like a truce is even declared. That is They can calmly stay close to their potential victims without showing the slightest interest in them.

Which fish are cleaners?

The most common cleaner fish is a member of the Wrasse family (the so-called wrasse). Wrasses owe their “profession” to the shape of their mouths, which look like tubes and are armed with teeth of a special design, reminiscent of tweezers, which allows them to most effectively explore every centimeter of the “patient’s” body.

Two species of fish in this family, Thalassoma lunare and Thalassoma amblycephalum, are incredibly social in nature, often working in large flocks similar to a swarm of bees. They surround, for example, a huge stingray lazily hovering above them and rejoice at this meeting no less than he does. After all, there is mutually beneficial cooperation here: the stingray turns into a huge dining table for the fish, receiving, in turn, clean body and, accordingly, health.

Medical “professions” of cleaner fish

Cleaners are absolutely insatiable. It has been verified that they can “accept” about 300 fish per day, carefully collecting their unwanted tenants. At the same time, they do not forget about the food remains between the teeth of their huge brothers. In addition, they eat algae that grows on the large bodies of warm-water fish, clean wounds, collecting dead skin, bacteria and fungi.

The fish that have come “to the reception” calmly open their mouths, relax their gill slits and patiently, and sometimes even with obvious pleasure, wait for the process to end.

How fish behave when using the services of cleaners

When the “patient” feels that he no longer needs help, he can give a signal to the cleaner by temporarily closing his mouth. But don’t be afraid, he won’t eat his “doctor,” it’s just his way of communicating that he’s in a hurry.

But sometimes the cleaner fish cannot resist the temptation to eat a piece of nutritious mucus covering the patient’s body (it must be said that this is its favorite treat), and then the indignant “client” shakes off the incompetent “doctor” and swims away. But, please note, he does not try to swallow it for the edification of the rest of the “medical” fraternity.

Why a couple of cleaners are better than one fish

Researchers from Stockholm University, figuring out what “professions” cleaner fish have, discovered Interesting Facts. It turns out that fish that work alone bite off mucus more often. If a pair works, and the best is a male and a female, then such excesses are not observed. Why?

As it turned out, the cleaners are watching each other. And if the male (he is usually larger in size) discovers that the female has broken the rule, he pursues her to punish her. Like this! But thanks to this, females work much better, and “clients” are more willing to go to such mixed pairs of underwater “doctors.”

What other “professions” does a cleaner fish have?

But the most surprising thing is that, according to researchers, he is also a peacemaker. In reefs where cleaners live, the aggressiveness of predators decreases. Even in aquariums where these fish were kept, the predatory individuals behaved much calmer.

As you can see, several answers can be given to the question of what “professions” a cleaner fish has.

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.

Seaweed

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:

1. Green. Form plaque Green colour on glass, soil, underwater objects or a cloudy green suspension in the water.
2. Red - Vietnamese or black beard. Brown or black tassels, tufts or fringe on glass, plant leaves.
3. Diatoms. Single-celled, they form a brownish-brown slimy coating in insufficiently lit parts of the aquarium.
4. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. They form slimy, bubbling, foul, sea-green films 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 control methods work here).

There are always algae in any aquarium, but sharp increase their number occurs only when the biological balance is disturbed.

Therefore, to combat them, first of all, you need to normalize the quality of aquarium water: optimize lighting and carbon dioxide supply, 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

There are several dozen aquarium fish that can feed on algae with varying degrees of enthusiasm. 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 the aquarium of red algae - flip flops and black beard, which are very difficult to derive 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 and imported. And herein lies the problem.

The fact is that in the same rivers and streams where SAE is caught, several more very similar related species of fish live. 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.

Gyrinocheilus

Girinocheilus, or Chinese algae eater ( Gyrinocheilus aymonieri or less common species Gyrinocheilus pennocki), like SAE, belongs to carp fish. His oral apparatus designed in the form of a suction cup.

Hyrinocheilus is the best specialist in eliminating the green algae that often appears 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 Gyrinocheilus is their tendency to damage the soft leaves of 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 little algae in the aquarium, it is recommended to feed Gyrinocheylus plant foods: cucumber, cabbage, lettuce and dandelion.

Why do algae eaters stop eating algae? Quite often there is evidence that SAE, as well as Gyrinocheilus, diligently clean the aquarium only 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 the following: 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 installed 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. Since they have different structures of the 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 at enmity with each other, as well as with 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. I can say that this is not so, or, according to at least, this is not always the case - in my aquarium, Gyrinoheilus does not pay any attention to its peaceful neighbors, unless they swim close to the area where it is currently grazing.

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 animals can become good neighbors for the heroes of this article. peaceful fish small to medium sized, not interested in algae.

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 the greatest benefit to his glass reservoir, making it healthier and more beautiful.

Video of how otocinclus work in an aquarium:

Aquarium attendants - fish, shrimp, snails fighting algae

A clean and well-kept aquarium is not only beautiful, but also a guarantee of a long and healthy life for its inhabitants. But sometimes, despite the efforts of the owner and even the work of high-tech equipment, the inside of the home pond is covered with brown or dark green coating, tassels, fringe or threads. This is algae. If this problem has overtaken you, then do not rush to immediately grab chemicals. Try to house algae eaters, for whom eating such “garbage” is one of the natural physiological processes. Read our article about which aquarium cleaners are known and against which algae they are most effective.

Fish fighting algae

These “cleanliness workers” are most often found in hobbyist aquariums.

Soma

They are considered especially good “cleaners”

• pterygoplichthus ( brocade catfish),
• ancistrus vulgaris,
• and Otocinclus (dwarf catfish), which prefers diatoms.

With their suction cup, they thoroughly clean everything (bacterial film, algae fouling, other polluting organics), starting from the walls of the aquarium, soil, stones and ending with snags and large leaves of plants. At the same time, they themselves are quite unpretentious, which is a definite plus.

The disadvantages include the large size and poor character of some of the catfish.

• For example, an adult pterygoplicht can grow up to 40-45 cm and begin to behave aggressively towards other inhabitants.
• Sometimes catfish, overly keen on cleaning, damage the young tender tops of plants or make holes in young leaves.
• And some individuals, with age, begin to be lazy and perform their “responsibilities” poorly.

The dwarf catfish is an algae eater from the chain catfish family that does best with brown diatoms. A school of five fish can easily keep a 100 liter aquarium clean. “Dwarf” is unpretentious, peaceful, and can get along even with large predators.

The armored catfish Corydoras is also quite good in terms of cleaning, but it greatly disturbs the water and tends to eat other fish.

And here is a “janitor”, which can be seen less often, but this does not make it any worse: the royal panak, which belongs to the family of chain-mailed catfish. Large fish, for which you will need a 200-liter (at least) aquarium. Young individuals are calm, but with age their character noticeably deteriorates. They get along well with peaceful characins. Panak is best at cleaning snags.

Gyrinocheilaceae

This family unites only three species of fish, the most popular of which are Gyrinocheilus.

Their lips are like a suction cup with folds on the inside. These bends form a sort of “grater”.

Thanks to this design, fish can stay on the rocks even in strong currents, while simultaneously scraping algae from their surface.

This food is not very nutritious, so Gyrinocheilus have to “scrape” a lot.

They cannot eat all filamentous algae, such as thread and blackbeard.

Negative points include

• damage to leaves, on which furrows and holes may remain after “harvesting”;
• a small number of fish is not enough to keep the aquarium clean;
• in large numbers they are aggressive and constantly attack their own kind, as they are territorial.

It is very difficult to achieve peace among them. You also need to select your neighbors carefully; you should absolutely not take slow fish. Girinocheiluses mistake them for inanimate objects and can “clean” and severely damage the scales.

Viviparous

Many of them have a highly developed lower jaw, which resembles a scraper that easily removes plaque from walls, soil and plants.

The most popular cleaner livebearers are guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails. Some breeders claim that these fish can survive even without additional food, eating only green thread.

The disadvantages of this group include the fact that they need to be kept in a large flock (at least 10 pieces), but even in such numbers they will not provide food in the aquarium. full order. They are good only as assistants to other algae eaters.

In addition, these fish are not very showy, and for beautiful ones there may simply not be enough space left in the aquarium. And crowding, as we know, will lead to conflicts.

Carp

The most tireless fighter against algae from this family is the Siamese algae eater (also known as Siamese crossochelius, or Siamese crossochelius, or Siamese epalceorhynchus).

Its strong point is green algae and the so-called “flip-flop” or “black beard” (these are growths in the form of dark tassels on stones, plant leaves and other places).

It also copes well with other algae in the form of fluff, since its mouth is best suited for this. To keep a 100-liter aquarium perfectly clean, it is enough to have only two (even the smallest) Siamese algae eaters.

The advantages of these fish are also activity, mobility, a fairly peaceful disposition, a small volume of vessel for normal existence and modest care.

Not without its shortcomings. After the length of the fish becomes more than 4 centimeters, they can begin to eat Java moss, if it grows in the aquarium, and much more readily than algae.

The way out of this situation is to plant larger mosses, such as fissidens.

Another couple of “cleaners” from this family are bicolor labeo (bicolor) and green (phrenatus). Their mouthparts face downwards. Of course, they eat algae and fouling, but not as well as the previous ones. It's more like their hobby, so to speak. Their big disadvantage is their increased aggressiveness and territoriality towards both other fish and their own kind.

Shrimp fighting algae

These arthropods are deservedly called champions of cleanliness. Especially good freshwater shrimp, whose bodies are equipped with special “fans”.

These outgrowths filter the water and extract from it uneaten food, feces, plant particles and what remains of dead inhabitants. The males loosen the soil and filter out the dregs that have risen. Females remove dirt from the bottom surface.

In addition to filtering water, these creatures remove fuzzy algae from plant leaves and all other surfaces, and much more successfully than fish.

The reason is simple - shrimp, especially cherry shrimp, can get into the smallest nooks and corners of the aquarium.

Negative points:

• a small shrimp can only handle a small amount of work;
• to keep the aquarium really clean, you will need a lot of shrimp (one individual per liter);
• they are very defenseless and can be eaten by fish, as a result of which neighbors need to be selected especially carefully, plus create a lot of reliable shelters.

In addition to cherry shrimp, amano shrimp are good at fighting algae. They keep cladorf balls perfectly clean and eat filament.

Important! The efficiency of “work” is affected by their size. The larger the shrimp, the tougher strands of algae it can eat. Four-centimeter arthropods are considered the best.

5 of these pieces are enough for 200 liters. Three-centimeter fish will need 1 individual for every 10 liters of water. You need even more small ones (1-2 for every liter). The last option is the most unproductive and the most expensive. It is also worth noting that these shrimp do not eat xenococus and other green algae in the form of plaque. Black beard is also used reluctantly.

Another species is neocaridins. They are the most common among hobbyists, as they are very easy to breed. They are small, only 1-2 cm long, so you will need a lot of “combat units” (one individual per liter). Preference is given to soft filamentous algae such as Rhizoclinium. Neocaridins are best choice for planted aquariums. They are also indispensable in a newly started aquarium, as they help establish balance. In adults they maintain balance.

Snails fighting algae

Although mollusks are not so successful in the role of orderlies, they are strong point is the ability to consume almost all contaminants (leftover food, excrement of living and dead inhabitants, rotten plants, mucus and plaque on all surfaces, film from the surface of the water).

And the well-being and behavioral characteristics of some species serve as a kind of indicator of the purity of soil and water.

The bad news is that the number of snails is almost impossible to control, and they reproduce very quickly.

Then their large army begins to “harm”, eating plants and flooding everything around with their mucus.

Here are the most common cleaner snails found in home aquariums:

Neretina zebra(tiger snail), Neretina hedgehog, Neretina black ear. They remove plaque from glass, stones, driftwood, decor and large leaves without damaging them. It seems that they never get tired. The downside is that they leave unsightly clutches of eggs on the glass of the aquarium.

This baby (1-1.5 cm) is capable of crawling into the most hard to reach places and clean them until they shine. Works great against diatoms.

Septaria or turtle snail with a flat shell. It is very slow, but despite this it copes well with algae fouling and flip flops. Does not damage plants. A typical drawback is caviar hanging on the decorations.

Corbicula. This is a three-centimeter snail. It is also called the yellow Javanese ball or golden bivalve. Helps cope with water turbidity, suspended matter and blooms, as it is a filter. This means that the mollusk passes water through itself (up to 5 liters per hour!), eating the microorganisms contained in it. Interestingly, in aquariums with carbicules, fish do not suffer from ichthyophorosis, since they somehow retain their cysts. For a 100 liter aquarium you need from 1 to 3 such snails. Negative aspects include plowing the soil and digging up plants with weak roots.

Ampularia. Quite a large lungfish. It picks up leftover food, dead fish and other snails, and actively eats fouling from the walls of the aquarium.

Helena, called the killer snail. This miniature predator is considered a scavenger orderly. However, it is capable of eating not only a forgotten piece of food or a dead fish, but also a completely alive small shrimp or snail (for example, a reel or a melania).

Theodoxus. These are small, beautiful freshwater snails. There are several types. They can live in both freshwater and salty domestic ponds. They feed only on fouling, preferring brown and green algae. They even compete with Gerinocheilus for superiority in the effectiveness of the fight against xenococus. But they don’t like the “beard”. Plants do not spoil.

In conclusion, let’s say that an aquarium biosystem can only exist successfully with the help of humans. Proper selection and adjustment of equipment and lighting, proper start-up of the aquarium, and regular monitoring of water parameters and the condition of the inhabitants are very important. Fish, shrimp and snails are assistants in solving the problem of algae control, and not the main characters. Of course, here we have only briefly described only some representatives of aquarium orderlies, since it is impossible to talk about them all in detail in one article. We will be grateful for interesting additions.

Catfish are aquarium cleaners

For those who love to buy and breed aquarium fish, sooner or later the question arises of how to keep the container constantly clean. After all, the fish leave a lot of dirt and waste products, and in addition, the cleanliness of the aquarium is also violated by algae, which, in case of any violation thermal regime begin to actively spread throughout the aquarium. Even with periodic cleaning of the aquarium and changing the water, a coating of small plants and dirt appears on the walls of the aquarium.

It is in this case that very useful and unpretentious “helpers” come to the rescue - aquarium catfish. Their main advantage is that the fish do not require special food. They feed on the leftover food of others sea ​​creatures, and also eat small mosses and algae.

This is why it is very convenient to have a cleaner catfish in your aquarium. As a rule, these fish are not aggressive and can be safely kept with other inhabitants of the aquarium. But they still exist different kinds soms

The calmest and most conflict-free are the sticky catfish, which have a spotted color and a flattened body. When they appear in the aquarium, they immediately stick to the walls of the vessel and gradually begin to eat the plaque.

Thus, cleaner catfish are a great help to the aquarist. Thanks to their efforts, it is much easier to keep a vessel with fish clean and tidy.

Like other fish, they need water at a suitable temperature, constant oxygen and light. Some species of catfish prefer dark places and shelters, but the sticky catfish is not one of them.

In addition, for its comfortable maintenance, a sufficient amount of algae is necessary so that the fish has something to eat. But, as a rule, problems with this never arise. After all, even in the cleanest aquarium algae and microorganisms settle, which the cleaner catfish copes with very well.

Otocinclus: maintenance, catfish compatibility, reproduction, photo-video review

OTOZINCLUS
useful catfish for our aquariums

Many aquarists, even those who do not keep live aquarium plants, know such fish as algae eaters. These fish are tireless workers and orderlies of the aquarium - they eat algae around the clock and effectively cope even with such a pressing problem as Blackbeard.

However, few people know that there are other fish that can help us cope with aquarium adversity. One of these irreplaceable helpers is the chain catfish - OTOZINKUS. Let's see what kind of catfish this is and how it is useful!

Latin name: Otocinclus.
Russian name: Otocinclus, Oticus, Oto.

Squad, family: Chain catfish.
Comfortable water temperature: 22-25 degrees Celsius.
"Acidity" Ph: 5-7,5.
Aggressiveness: non-aggressive (peaceful).
Hardness dH: 2-15.
Content complexity: light. Compatibility: Compatible with all peaceful fish. Difficulties can arise only when combining otocinclus with cichlids, especially large individuals. But it is worth noting that, as a rule, aquariums with cichlids are not decorated with live aquarium plants and the presence of otocinclus in such aquariums is rare.

At the same time, there is evidence on the RuNet that otocinclus “stick” to Angelfish and Discus, feeding on their integumentary mucus.

How long do they live: these catfish average duration life, live approximately 4-6 years. You can find out how long other fish live HERE!

Minimum aquarium volume: exist different varieties otocinclus, the smallest of the genus Otocinclus mariae is 2.5 cm in size, the largest Otocinclus flexilis is 5.5 cm. Therefore, when choosing the number of catfish, of course you need to proceed from the size of a particular type of otocinclus. The general recommendation is up to 7 catfish per 50 liters of aquarium water.

See how many other fish you can keep in X aquarium HERE(at the bottom of the article there are links to aquariums of all sizes).

Requirements for care and maintenance conditions:

Otocinclus are clean people and love clean water. To maintain them, aeration and filtration are necessary, as well as weekly replacement of aquarium water with fresh water, approximately 1/3 - ? parts.

Otocinclus, in addition to gill respiration, also have intestinal respiration. But, unlike corridors, which constantly use both types of breathing, otocinclus breathe through the intestines, only as needed. If they often capture air from the surface of the water, then the aeration you have installed is not enough.

Please note that otocinclus need to be very carefully transplanted into a new aquarium, adhering to all the rules for moving and transporting fish; otocinclus are very thirsty and do not like changes in water parameters.

Feeding and diet:

In otocinclus, the mouthparts have the shape of a suction cup, with the help of which they are held in the current in nature, and also scrape algae and bacterial growth from stones, snags and everything else that is in the river.

This amazing ability of otocinclus is their highlight!!! Just like in their natural habitat, these catfish also in the aquarium clean the walls and decorations of the ill-fated, lower ones - diatoms!

Feeding aquarium fish should be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. Article “How and how much to feed aquarium fish” 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, one must take into account gastronomic preferences of this or that 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 the Tetra company, 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 - Here.

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.

These catfish are irreplaceable assistants in all Amanovsky and Dutch aquariums, earning 100% respect from aquascapers all over the world. Sensei - Takashi Amano contains them in the amount of 6 individuals / 90 cm aquarium + shrimp.

It is worth noting that, unlike Ancistrus, otocinclus are much more mobile. Like algae eaters, they work tirelessly to “keep the aquarium clean.” They eat brown algae not only from the decor and walls of the aquarium, but also directly from the plants, which ancistrus do not do!

Despite the fact that otocinclus are able to feed themselves, they should still be fed with branded plant foods. You can also offer them scalded lettuce, spinach or fresh cucumber leaves as a delicacy.

photo of otocinclus on a cucumber

In nature live: rivers and lakes of the central and northern parts South America. Amazon basins in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

Types of otocinclus

There are a great many varieties of these catfish! The most popular are Otocinclus. mariae, Otocinclus affinis, Otocinclus macrospilus and Otocinclus vittatus.

Description: All representatives of this genus are similar, differing only in size and variable colors. All otocinclus have a gray or black, continuous or broken stripe on their sides. On the front of the tail there is a large spot of variable shape.

Breeding and propagation of otocinclus very simple. In fact, it happens independently, and sometimes, it is not even noticeable to the aquarist, who only after a month notices a “replenishment in the ranks” of otocinclus.

Good housing conditions and stimulation: feeding protein foods, increased aeration, frequent water changes... that's all that is necessary for the spawning of otocinclus. Sex differences are weakly expressed. Females are larger and thicker than males.

The photo shows otocinclus egg laying

Otocinclus spawn several times during the summer; the spawning substrate, as a rule, is the wide leaves of plants. After mating games, the female lays a clutch of 100 - 150 eggs. The incubation period of eggs is 3-6 days. Afterwards, larvae appear, which turn into fry on the third day. Food for juveniles is live dust, small, ground food.

The cost of otocinclois corresponds to their “usefulness” and is relatively high - 150 rubles.

Interesting video with otocinclus

AQUARIUM CLEANING FOR BEGINNERS.

How to properly clean an aquarium

General cleaning of the aquarium need to be done depending on the type of fish. For some the best option is a one-time monthly cleaning, for others - weekly. Remember that fish do not like to be disturbed and change their habitat even for a short time. General cleaning is always stressful for any type of fish. That is why, when cleaning, do not frighten your fish with sudden movements. Are you planning to rearrange your aquarium or replace plants? Then it is better to combine this procedure with cleaning and housekeeping. Remember: the use of various types of chemical cleaning products in the aquarium is strictly prohibited! In specialized stores you can buy a special siphon for cleaning an aquarium. You can also use materials available at home. The walls of the aquarium should be cleaned with a scraper, washcloth, or kitchen sponge. After all, microorganisms constantly settle on them, obstructing visibility and creating an untidy, sloppy appearance for the aquarium. After cleaning the glass, you can start cleaning the bottom of your aquarium. The soil must be cleaned of food residues and fish excrement. All this accumulates below. But how do you know when such cleaning is needed? Take a stick and stir the soil, stir it. If bubbles begin to rise from the bottom, then cleaning is necessary. This procedure will be made easier for you by a special soil cleaner. This is a flexible hose with a glass or metal tip, which should be moved along the bottom, pressing it deep. Water containing contaminants will flow through the tip. It is important to control the amount of water drained. The volume of this water should not exceed a fifth of the total water volume of the aquarium. You then need to add this amount of water to the container. You should be careful with the roots of the plants when cleaning, so as not to damage them. After all, the main thing in cleaning is to preserve all living things and support natural environment a habitat. Water purification helps refresh the aquarium and remove accumulated harmful substances. In order to alleviate stress for the fish due to water changes, it should be partially replaced. This should be done once every 2 weeks. Water for this purpose should be left to settle for several days. Is your aquarium not covered? Then a film may appear on the surface of the water. You can eliminate it with a sheet of paper, the size of which is equal to the size of the aquarium. This sheet must be held by the edges, lowered into water and slowly lifted along with the harmful film. If necessary, the procedure is performed several times. When performing general cleaning of the aquarium, one should not forget about the cleaning filter. Usually its elements are made of foam rubber. Therefore, to thoroughly clean them, you just need to rinse them under a strong stream of water. The filter mechanism is usually cleaned with a simple toothbrush. General cleaning of the aquarium, its proper cleaning will prolong the life of your swimming pets and maintain the normal level of the aquatic habitat. After all, cleanliness and order are necessary for all living beings. Support them, control them, watch for changes. And then your healthy pets will delight the eye with their active movements!

Step-by-step cleaning of an aquarium at home: instructions

1. Clean the aquarium with a siphon.

Cleaning an aquarium correctly with a siphon is not that difficult; you just need to do it once, and then you can do it with your eyes closed. Aquarium siphons come in different designs, but regardless of them, the siphon of the bottom of the aquarium will always be built on the same principles.

It is necessary to begin the cleaning procedure of any aquarium with fish with this procedure. You must siphon both the surface of the soil and a little from the depths. As a rule, the main waste accumulates on the surface. You need to siphon off the volume that you are going to pour back in the form of settled water. Calculating this amount is not difficult, the main thing is not to forget to do it, but if you have plenty of water left standing, then you have nothing to worry about.

2. Clean the glass.

In fact, we want to say from our own experience that the most problems arise with glass, simply because you are too lazy to clean them... This is the hardest work - you have to work with a scraper, go through all the build-up. If you don’t do this when the first growths appear, then in the future it will be very difficult to deal with them, and even more so, not a single cleaner fish can cope with multi-month growths.

3.Cleaning the filter.

Cleaning the filter is third on the list, because for this we will need water from the aquarium so that we can wash the filter parts and rinse the sponges. It is better if this is the water that you siphon last, so that there is as little turbidity and sediment in it as possible. After rinsing the filter in this water, you assemble it and install it back.

4. Pouring settled water into the aquarium.

When all the so-called dirty work of properly cleaning the aquarium with fish is done, all we have to do is fill it with clean water. This should be water that you have stood for a week in a special container. Only after the water has been filled can the filter and lighting be turned on.

5. Add vitamins.

Also, if required, you can add any fish vitamins to the aquarium. These can also be water and algae control products. In general, it is better to pour such products either together with new settled water, so that they immediately spread throughout the entire volume, or to pour them in the area where the water is discharged from the filter.

1. Be sure to schedule a time in advance when you need to clean. Do this the day before so you don't have to wait until the last minute. For this task, we recommend that you at least get a little prepared for a short half-hour of work with the aquarium in advance - this will make it easier to do everything without being lazy.
2. If you suddenly forgot to stand the water (and this happens in busy people who have large aquariums), then it is better to skip cleaning than to siphon and fill with unprepared (not settled) water.
3. If you are really lazy, then in small aquariums you can clean it less often, for example once every 2 weeks (for aquariums up to 30-40 liters in volume). But here everything depends on the contamination of the aquarium, the power of the filter, etc.
4. Try to move the siphon in the aquarium without sudden movements. This must be done in order not to unnecessarily frighten the fish, especially if these fish are large and shy.
5. Do not siphon deep soil that is located close to large plants. This soil contains nutrients for plants (of course, if the dirt comes through the stones, then you need to siphon even there, in the depths). In addition, you should not disturb the root system of plants once again, as this is stressful for them - plants do not like transplants and movements around the aquarium.

   Nurse fish

   There are species of fish that not only delight the eye with their bright colors and peaceful disposition, but also bring undoubted benefits - these are aquarium cleaners. These include swordtails, guppies, mollies and platies. They have a special mouth structure - the developed lower jaw resembles a scraper, with which the fish can remove plaque from the walls or bottom of the aquarium, as well as clean the leaves of plants.

   Both ancistrus and armored catfish are very interesting - their mouthparts are very similar to a suction cup, with its help these creatures can move along the walls of the aquarium. In addition, organic plaque removed from glass walls is part of their diet. These types of fish will become real helpers when cleaning the aquarium and will greatly facilitate this procedure.

   Cleaning products.

   Not all detergents and cleaners can be used in cleaning an aquarium. There are even types of chemicals that are categorically not recommended for use. Cleaning devices are the simplest, there are few of them. There are only a few items that are required.

   You definitely need a scraper to properly clean the glass of the aquarium. There are two varieties: magnetic and with a long handle. The first option is specifically designed for aquariums. It is designed in such a way that you simply lower it into the water and control its movements from the other side of the glass. That is, you don’t even have to put your hands in the water.

   The second necessary item is a tube (siphon), with which you can clean the soil at the bottom of the aquarium. It's inexpensive. In addition, you can make it yourself if you have a small piece of hose.

   And the last important device is a water purifying filter. Its advantage is that it works all the time. That is, the water is filtered without stopping. The process of cleaning it is constantly going on. Moreover, the filter absorbs and retains foreign dirty particles. Consequently, both the soil and the walls of the aquarium become contaminated less quickly. The filter also protects plants from unwanted plaque.

What fish are the best aquarium cleaners?

Natalya A.

Siamese Algae Eater

pterygoplichthus

ancistrus

corridoras

ANTISTRUS - CATFISH
Fish are peaceful inhabitants of the soil, they love shelter, their activity increases with the onset of twilight or a drop in atmospheric pressure. They love clean, oxygen-rich water. You can keep in a general aquarium, which should have thickets in places, a sufficient number of caves and, of course, snags, which the fish scrape off to get the cellulose they need. Large stones should lie on the bottom of the aquarium, because if they lie on the ground, then the fish can be crushed when they are undermined. Males defend the territory around their chosen hiding place.

Food: 60% plant-based, the rest live, substitutes are possible. Fish eat growths of some types of short and soft algae.

Spawning both in general and in a spawning aquarium. A ceramic or plastic tube 3-4 cm long and 20 cm long is placed at the bottom (spawning can also occur in a cave).

Water for dilution: 20-26°C, dH up to 10°, KH up to 2°, pH 6-7.3.

A pair or 2 males and 4-6 females are planted; in the latter case, 2 tubes are placed at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other to avoid males fighting over territory. The stimulus for spawning is the change of 1/3 of the volume of water to fresh, aeration and a decrease in temperature. The female lays 50-300 eggs in the tube, which are guarded by the male. In the spawning aquarium, the female is removed, and the tube along with the male is transferred from the general aquarium to a nursery aquarium with the same water parameters. The incubation period is 4-9 days. After 4-12 days, the fry leave the tube and take food: live dust and finely ground plant food. In the nursery aquarium, it is advisable to place a piece of driftwood, which the fry will peel off. Puberty at 7-12 months.

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 flows. 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 - 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, therefore in mixed age group Determining the sex of fish 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, it is a very unpretentious species, provided 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, not compatible with others aggressive species similar size. Larger and overly active neighbors will 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 "

A clean and well-kept aquarium is not only beautiful, but also a guarantee of a long and healthy life for its inhabitants. But sometimes, despite the efforts of the owner and even the work of high-tech equipment, the inside of the home pond is covered with brown or dark green coating, tassels, fringe or threads. This is algae. If this problem has overtaken you, then do not rush to immediately grab chemicals. Try to house algae eaters, for whom eating such “garbage” is one of the natural physiological processes. Read our article about which aquarium cleaners are known and against which algae they are most effective.

These “cleanliness workers” are most often found in hobbyist aquariums.

Soma

The following are considered especially good “cleaners”:

• pterygoplicht (brocade catfish);
• ordinary;
• (dwarf catfish) preferring diatoms.

With their suction cup, they thoroughly clean everything (bacterial film, algae fouling, other polluting organics), starting from the walls of the aquarium, soil, stones and ending with snags and large leaves of plants. At the same time, they themselves are quite unpretentious, which is a definite plus.

The disadvantages include the large size and poor character of some of the catfish.

• For example, an adult pterygoplicht can grow up to 40-45 cm and begin to behave aggressively towards other inhabitants.
• If there is not enough food, some owners of “suckers” may begin to feed on the mucus of clumsy large fish, which are attacked under the cover of darkness.
• Sometimes catfish, overly keen on cleaning, damage the young tender tops of plants or make holes in young leaves.
• And some individuals, with age, begin to be lazy and perform their “responsibilities” poorly.

Dwarf catfish or otocinclus, an algae-eater from the chain-chain catfish family, copes best with brown diatoms. A school of five fish can easily keep a 100 liter aquarium clean. “Dwarf” is unpretentious, peaceful, and can get along even with large predators.

A “janitor” that can be seen less frequently, but this does not make it any worse: the royal panak, which belongs to the family of chain-mailed catfish. Large fish that will require a 200-liter (at least) aquarium. Young individuals are calm, but with age their character noticeably deteriorates. They get along well with peaceful characins. Panak is best at cleaning snags.

A suction cup with which chain catfish remove fouling from surfaces.

Gyrinocheilaceae

This family unites only three species of fish, the most popular of which are.

Their lips are like a suction cup with folds on the inside. These bends form a sort of “grater”.

Thanks to this design, fish can stay on the rocks even in strong currents, while simultaneously scraping algae from their surface.

This food is not very nutritious, so Gyrinocheilus have to “scrape” a lot.

They cannot eat all filamentous algae, such as thread and blackbeard.

Negative points include

• damage to leaves, on which furrows and holes may remain after “harvesting”;
• a small number of fish is not enough to keep the aquarium clean;
• in large numbers they are aggressive and constantly attack their own kind, as they are territorial.

It is very difficult to achieve peace among them. You also need to select your neighbors carefully; you should absolutely not take slow fish.

Girinocheiluses mistake them for inanimate objects and can “clean” and severely damage the scales. They also have a bad attitude towards animals that have an elongated body and dark coloring - they perceive them as brothers and try to drive them away as far as possible.

Gyrinocheilus.

Viviparous

Many of them have a highly developed lower jaw, which resembles a scraper that easily removes plaque from walls, soil and plants.

The most popular cleaner livebearers are guppies, mollies, and swordtails. Some breeders claim that these fish can survive even without additional food, eating only green thread.

But they are only good as assistants to other algae eaters, since they are extremely reluctant to eat unwanted fouling.

Viviparous guppy fish.

Carp

The most tireless fighter against algae from this family is the Siamese algae eater (also known as Siamese crossochelius, or Siamese crossochelius, or Siamese epalceorhynchus).

Its strong point is green algae and the so-called “flip-flop” or “black beard” (these are growths in the form of dark tassels on stones, plant leaves and other places).

It also copes well with other algae in the form of fluff, since its mouth is best suited for this. To keep a 100-liter aquarium perfectly clean, it is enough to have only two (even the smallest) Siamese algae eaters.

The advantages of these fish are also activity, mobility, a fairly peaceful disposition, a small volume of vessel for normal existence and modest care.

Not without its shortcomings. After the length of the fish becomes more than 4 centimeters, they can begin to eat Java moss, if it grows in the aquarium, and much more readily than algae.

The way out of this situation is to plant larger mosses, such as fissidens.

It has also been noted that as they grow, Siamese algae eaters gradually become accustomed to fish food and over time may completely lose interest in fouling.

Another couple of “cleaners” from this family are bicolor labeo (bicolor) and green (phrenatus). Their mouthparts face downwards. Of course, they eat algae and fouling, but not as well as the previous ones. It's more like their hobby, so to speak. Their big disadvantage is their increased aggressiveness and territoriality towards both other fish and their own kind.

Siamese water sled in its typical stance. Study the fish carefully and remember its appearance, since pet stores often sell other species under this name.

Shrimp fighting algae

These arthropods are rightly called champions of cleanliness. Freshwater shrimp are especially good, their bodies are equipped with special “fans”.

These outgrowths filter the water and extract from it uneaten food, plant particles and what remains of dead inhabitants. The males loosen the soil and filter out the dregs that have risen. Females remove dirt from the bottom surface.

In addition to filtering water, these creatures remove fuzzy algae from plant leaves and all other surfaces, and much more successfully than fish.

The reason is simple - shrimp, especially cherry shrimp, can get into the smallest nooks and corners of the aquarium.

Negative points:

• a small shrimp can only handle a small amount of work;
• to keep the aquarium really clean, you will need a lot of shrimp (one individual per liter);
• they are very defenseless and can be eaten by fish, as a result of which neighbors need to be selected especially carefully, plus create a lot of reliable shelters.

In addition to cherry shrimp, amano shrimp are good at fighting algae. They keep cladorf balls perfectly clean and eat filament.

Important! The efficiency of “work” is affected by their size. The larger the shrimp, the tougher strands of algae it can eat. Four-centimeter arthropods are considered the best.

5 of these pieces are enough for 200 liters. Three-centimeter fish will need 1 individual for every 10 liters of water. You need even more small ones (1-2 for every liter). The last option is the most unproductive and the most expensive. It is also worth noting that these shrimp do not eat xenococus and other green algae in the form of plaque. Black beard is also used reluctantly.

Another species is neocaridins. They are the most common among hobbyists, as they are very easy to breed. They are small, only 1-2 cm long, so you will need a lot of “combat units” (one individual per liter). Preference is given to soft filamentous algae such as Rhizoclinium. Neocaridins are the best choice for planted aquariums. They are also indispensable in a newly started aquarium, as they help establish balance. In adults they maintain balance.

Amano shrimp.

Snails fighting algae

Although mollusks are not so successful in the role of orderlies, their strength is the ability to consume almost all contaminants (leftover food, excrement of living and dead inhabitants, rotten plants, mucus and plaque on all surfaces, film from the surface of the water).

And the well-being and behavioral characteristics of some species serve as a kind of indicator of the purity of soil and water.

The bad news is that the number of snails is almost impossible to control, and they reproduce very quickly.

Then their large army begins to “harm”, eating plants and flooding everything around with their mucus.

But among aquarium mollusks there are not only quickly breeding pests. Some of the snails cannot reproduce at all in captivity, others bear a small number of offspring, and others are interesting and cute, so the nearest pet store will not only willingly take them, but may also give them something in return.

Here are the most common cleaner snails found in home aquariums:

Neretina zebra(tiger snail), Neretina hedgehog, Neretina black ear. They remove plaque from glass, stones, driftwood, decor and large leaves without damaging them. It seems that they never get tired. The downside is that they leave unsightly clutches of eggs on the glass of the aquarium, from which the young do not hatch.

Neretina zebra.

Horned Neretina. This crumb (1-1.5 cm) is able to get into the most inaccessible places and clean them to a shine. Works great against diatoms.

Septaria or turtle snail with a flat shell. It is very slow, but despite this it copes well with algae fouling and flip flops. Does not damage plants. A typical drawback is caviar hanging on the decorations.

Corbicula. This is a three-centimeter snail. It is also called the yellow Javanese ball or golden bivalve. Helps cope with water turbidity, suspended matter and blooms, as it is a filter. This means that the mollusk passes water through itself (up to 5 liters per hour!), eating the microorganisms contained in it. Interestingly, in aquariums with carbicules, fish do not get sick, since they somehow retain their cysts. For a 100 liter aquarium you need from 1 to 3 such snails. Negative aspects include plowing the soil and digging up plants with weak roots.

Ampularia. Quite a large lungfish. It picks up leftover food, dead fish and other snails, and actively eats fouling from the walls of the aquarium. One of the disadvantages is that it produces a large amount of waste, so it is necessary to install powerful filtration in the container with this snail.

Theodoxus. These are small, beautiful freshwater snails. There are several types. They can live in both freshwater and salty domestic ponds. They feed only on fouling, preferring brown and green algae. They even compete with Gerinocheilus for superiority in the effectiveness of the fight against xenococus. But they don’t like the “beard”. Plants do not spoil.

In conclusion, let’s say that an aquarium biosystem can only exist successfully with the help of humans. Proper selection and adjustment of equipment and lighting, proper start-up of the aquarium, and regular monitoring of water parameters and the condition of the inhabitants are very important. Fish, shrimp and snails are assistants in solving the problem of algae control, and not the main characters. Of course, here we have only briefly described only some representatives of aquarium orderlies, since it is impossible to talk about them all in detail in one article. We will be grateful for interesting additions.