Bottom aquarium fish: types, description, content, compatibility. Botsia clown. Ancistrus vulgaris. Speckled corridor

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

All fish differ in their habitat at a certain water level. Moreover, each such group consists of several types. In the lowest water layer live bottom aquarium fish, most of which are considered friendly and peaceful creatures that are easy to care for. These inhabitants are perfectly compatible with almost all representatives of other species, and some of them carry out useful activities in their artificial space, clearing it of various impurities.

At a Glance

The number of bottom aquarium fish includes a large number of species from different families, many of which are similar in appearance, for example, with sharp spikes or antennae. They are hardworking, have a calm disposition and perform a cleansing function in the aquarium. Below we pay attention to some varieties of these fish, as well asconsider their content and main features.

Ancistrus aquarium

These fish are the most popular inhabitants of the aquarium world, they are also known as catfish. They are kept and known by everyone: both pros and beginners. Ancistrus earned such respect due to their positive qualities. They are called "aquarium orderlies", they are uncommon in behavior, unpretentious in maintenance and differ from many other catfish-like structures of the sucker mouth.

The body of ancistrus aquarium is elongated and flattened. And the first ray of the pectoral fin is hard and sharp. Males have small "horns" on their heads; in adult males, they also branch. The color of these fish can be varied and depends on the specific species, most often brown and gray shades predominate, with dark spots.

Ancistrus content

Most often, these aquarium inhabitants are active at dusk and during the day, in the event of a drop in atmospheric pressure. Ancistrus loves clean, oxygenated water, with a temperature of 22-24 degrees and a hardness of up to 30 degrees. The life expectancy of representatives of this species averages from 5 to 8 years, puberty occurs at the age of one year. Ancistrus feeds mainly on plant foods, but snags should be placed in the aquarium to aid in their digestion.

It's worth knowing that this fish likes to get inside the filter, which can lead to its death. That is why special attention should be paid to this nuance. The view goes well withother aquatic inhabitants, but among themselves males can arrange fights. Therefore, it is better to keep such a mature individual separately. Water replacement, filtration and aeration are a must.

These bottom aquarium fish are very useful due to the peculiarity of their mouth with suction cups. It allows them to clean the walls of the aquarium by scraping off algae and plants. That is why the people called the species "catfish-sticky" or "catfish-sucker".

Botsia the clown

These fish belong to the bindweed family. They have a triangular section, a torpedo-shaped body and a flat abdomen. The head is sharp, with six to eight antennae. As a rule, the clown botia has a bright color. On the pelvic fins and chest there are suckers, with which they are attached to snags and stones, scraping off algae. Therefore, we can say that the benefit of these inhabitants, like the previous species, is to cleanse the territory.

Botsia active at dusk. This species is considered to be gregarious and should never be kept alone. The group should consist of five to seven individuals; alone, the fish become aggressive. In some cases, fights can show bitterness among themselves or in a pack. In this case, aggression spills out on one selected member of the family. If the flock is large, the individual's negative behavior spreads evenly. As a rule, sensing danger, these fish make a click, sharply protrude the spikes and fix them horizontally.

Botsii are consideredshy and appreciate the following conditions: shelter, subdued light, various openings. Since the species is riverine, it needs the movement of water in the aquarium and a low level of waste. All of these are very important factors affecting the he alth of aquatic life.

The sandy substrate plays a special role, but it is not a panacea. If gravel is to be used, all stones must be clean and round. It is worth knowing that the delicate tendrils of bots are prone to infections, and they cannot dig into the substrate in the same way as detritus. The decoration of the aquarium, which contains bottom fish, should not have sharp edges. In addition, a secure lid is essential.

Neighbourhood

This species is considered quite peaceful, but the problem lies in the excessive activity of the fish. It is for this reason that the content and compatibility of the clown bots are fraught with some difficulties. For example, they are not recommended to be placed together with sluggish fish. Due to the increased attention, they will be very stressed. Also, you should not keep crustaceans and snails in the same aquarium with a clown, because with a lack of feeding, the bots will deal with them first. Fish with veil long fins will not be the best neighbors, as clowns love to bite these parts of the body.

Good neighbors are:

• mobile cyprinids such as barbs;
• characin, medium size;
• mobile platies, such as the swordtail;
• otherloach fish species.

Feature

Botsia-clown has a unique feature - the infraorbital spine. It protrudes from under the fish's eyes and hides when they are stressed or feel threatened. That is why it is necessary to be careful when catching bots. After all, this spine is easily tangled in the net, can pierce the shipping bag, and in some cases injure the aquarist if he is not careful enough when handling this fish.

Spotted corridor

This representative of aquarium inhabitants has a small body, a convex back and a shell consisting of two rows of bone plates. The color is most often gray-olive with numerous dark spots. The abdomen has a pinkish tint and a golden tint. Sometimes there are albinos.

Male specimens are smaller, paler in color, have a tall and pointed dorsal fin, and fewer spots on the body. The female reaches seven centimeters in length, while the male is only 4-6 cm. Their life expectancy in the aquarium environment is on average 8 to 10 years.

Contents

The corridor is easy to maintain. It is recommended to use sand as a soil. This type of bottom aquarium fish is very fond of shelters, therefore, to keep it, it is necessary to have snags, stones and grottoes, where aquatic inhabitants will rest and hide.

Water temperature should be - +24-26°C, dGH 4°, pH 6.0-7.0. Mandatorythe presence of filtration and weekly replacement of 1/4 of the water from the total volume of the aquarium. There should be aeration, but fish are not demanding on its quality.

It is worth knowing that corridors have not only gill, but also intestinal respiration. That is why it is recommended to keep the water surface free from plants so that they can swallow fresh air.

Representatives of bottom aquarium fish have a calm and peaceful character. As a rule, they keep in flocks, and do not pose a particular threat to other inhabitants. Corydoras are not picky eaters. Their diet may consist of pellets, flakes and dry food. It is worth noting that they take food only from the bottom.

General features of bottom dwellers

The maintenance of bottom aquarium fish is not difficult, as they are unpretentious, get along peacefully with their neighbors and adapt well in the aquarium. Depending on the species of individuals, the volume and parameters of water may vary. Temperature fluctuations are allowed from 20 to 28 ° С, hardness is 5-15, and acidity is from 6 to 7.5. It is best to provide bottom fish with good aeration and filtration, as well as constant water changes.

It is important for representatives of bottom breeds to provide various shelters, lay out snags, plant dense thickets of vegetation. Due to the love of most species for digging in the ground, plants with large roots work well. Lighting and soils are also selected taking into account the individuality of each breed.

Breeding

The description of bottom aquarium fish indicates thatsome species are unable to breed in captivity. In such cases, hormonal injections are administered to pets to stimulate this process.

For fish capable of breeding in an aquarium environment, as a rule, a separate spawning area is prepared. First, the producers are separated from each other for 2-3 weeks and fattened, after which they are placed in a joint aquarium. At the end of spawning, the parents are separated, and the fry are fed with brine shrimp, ciliates and live dust.

Food

Feeding bottom fish is considered an important condition for their maintenance. After all, all aquatic inhabitants should be well-fed. To provide everyone with food, you can make a device from a plastic bottle. To do this, cut it and insert the upper part into a piece of plastic pipe or into a hose so that a funnel forms. Pre-soaked dry food is placed in this device, after which the tube is gently immersed in water to the location of bottom fish. Dry food is suitable in the form of granules or special tablets. Depending on the size and type of fish, food is selected individually.

Neighbourhood with other species

The compatibility of bottom aquarium fish is almost complete: they peacefully coexist even with cichlids. Adult bots and catfish can defend themselves and hit back the offenders, after which all conflicts, as a rule, are settled. The only ones with whom problems may arise are fry. To prevent this from happening, the area is delimited into breeding and age aquariums.

Conclusion

Fish that live near the bottomarouse interest for their sanitary properties and amusing behavior. These aquatic inhabitants are omnivorous, unpretentious in content and fit perfectly into any interior. It should be remembered that the correct maintenance of bottom rocks is the key to their he alth and longevity.