Ordinary Ancistrus: breeding and maintenance of blue catfishes

Ordinary ancistrus is included in the family of chain catfish and has become known as a blue catfish. The aquarium fish has an elongated, slightly flattened body, which is covered with bony polygonal fins, and grows to a length of up to 15 centimeters. The outstretched lips of the animal consist of their horny suckers, with which the ancistrus clings to stones and snags. On the edges of the head there are leathery processes, especially characteristic of males. Fish has a black color, the shades of which vary and depend on the habitat and individual characteristics. Fins have a bluish tinge.
In the wild, ordinary ancestrus lives in South America, preferring the bottom layers of clean sections of rivers and forest lakes.

For the domestic maintenance of these fish will require an aquarium, the minimum size of which is 100 liters. The container should be equipped with various shelters and provide a strong current with the help of a powerful filter, and also put the driftwood on the bottom, which will give the catfish the cellulose necessary for their development. For the soil suitable river sand, at the bottom of the aquarium, and not on the ground, you need to put large stones, which will rest antsistrusy.

The content of these catfish suggests the presence in their diet of varied food. If there is not enough green algae and plant foods, the fish can begin to gnaw aquatic plants.

Water should correspond to the following parameters: average rigidity - 10, acid balance (pH) - 7, temperature - not lower than 23 degrees. The water must be changed once a week in the amount of a quarter of the total volume. Good filtration and aeration is required.

Ordinary Ancistrus is a peace-loving fish and is perfect for living together in common aquariums. Adult individuals live well with larger neighbors. With age, males begin to divide the territory and can manifest aggression to the same chain catfish, so in a small-volume aquarium it is best to settle one male and a couple of females.

Ordinary ancistrus feeds on plant food and algae. But the fish will not give up ice-cream crayfish, pipe or joker. With a shortage of food, the catfish can eat the remains of the deceased residents of the aquarium. In general, the fish is very voracious, and in search of food can go into hard-to-reach places. Feed these catfishes twice a day early in the morning and late at night, as additives use scalded leaves of spinach, cabbage, nettle, dandelion or salad, which catfish very much.

Ancistrus: breeding

Fish multiply in the general aquarium in the presence of caves and the absence of predators. Chain catfish become sexually mature when they reach the age of 8-12 months. Usually the male is larger than the female, with a long mustache and fins. He fertilizes the eggs that the female lays. The number of eggs is from 50 to 200 units, after the emerging offspring, the male takes care of.

To breed fish in spawning, choose a pair of producers or one male with two females, for whom a shelter is arranged: they put flower pots or hollow bricks. To stimulate the spawning, daily water change (up to 50%) is made, lowering the temperature to 20 ° C, stiffness should be 5 °, acidity - 6. When the spawning is over, the female must be returned to the old place in the common aquarium. On the sixth day after spawning, fry appear, which can begin to feed on their own in a couple of days. Preferred food is vegetative paste, which must be fed young animals to six months at least five to six times a day.
The lifespan of an ordinary ancistrus is 12 years.