Soma aquarium - tips for breeding

Soma is one of the most ancient fish on the planet. Their remains were discovered by scientists in rocky sediments dating back to the Cretaceous. In total there are about two thousand soms in the world.

Absence of scales is one of the main signs of soms. Scales in these fish are replaced by special bone plates. Soma lead a twilight and nightlife, among them come predators, but in the majority they prefer plant food and small invertebrates living in fresh waters.

Catfishes are very popular with breeders. Aquarists have about 800 species of these fish. For the maintenance of aquarium catfish, the usual conditions are quite suitable: water temperature 23-26 ° C, stiffness up to 12 °, neutral acidity. To the oxygen regime of catfish, aquariums are not very demanding due to a special "skin" breathing. For example, haplosternums swallow air, which gets into their intestines and is quickly absorbed into the blood.

One of the most popular type of catfish in aquarists is the Ancistrus Voileus. In nature, these fish live in the waters of Brazil. Their flat body has a dark color with small light spots. The abdomen of the Ancistrus is bright. The fin on the back of these fish is large and resembles a flag in its form. With proper care and good conditions, these fish grow to 14 cm. Ancistrus voile - a fish that spends most of the time scraping algae from the walls of the aquarium, it swims quite reluctantly and slowly. Activity in such soms occurs in the dark. Ancistrus, the reproduction of which occurs in the aquarium, more readily spawns in weakly acidic water, the temperature of which is approximately 26 ° C. The female lays up to 100 eggs of bright orange color, which in their form resemble berries of barberry. Fry begin to take their own food about a week after hatching.

With proper nutrition (feed small ancesrits need at least three times a day) and clean water in the aquarium, the fry grows quite actively and by the age of six months the fish begin to catch up with the adults in size. Approximately from the age of 10 months, young ancestors begin to multiply.

Catfish aquarium love to dig in the ground, picking up small remains of feed from the bottom, for this they are sometimes called the "sanitarians" of the aquarium. However, count on the fact that, having bought such fish, you can rarely clean glass walls and change the water, not worth it. Soma aquariums are prone to a hidden and secluded lifestyle, so it is advisable to equip their home in such a way that they have where to hide. When breeding these fish is very desirable to place in the aquarium various shelters and algae, among which the catfish feel comfortable.

Another feature of aquarium catfish is their size. Many have often faced such a situation, when, having bought tiny fish on the market, a year later they were surprised to notice that pets had grown to enormous sizes and required an increase in living space. Therefore, it is better to buy fish in specialized stores.