Contrary to popular belief, catfish need the same clean environment and stable water conditions as other fish species to remain healthy and happy. Carry out weekly partial water changes, vacuum the substrate to remove excess waste, maintain your filtration system properly, and your catfish will be happy and thrive. Different catfish species feed in different ways, and you can tell how they feed by the shape of their mouths and whiskers.
For example, suckermouth plecos rasp algae from hard surfaces, ingesting wood, and grazing on bloodworms, vegetable matter, and fruit. Catfish with barbels are adapted to feel for invertebrates among the substrate, whereas those with wide mouths and very long barbels are predators that need a meaty diet. However, in general, a diet of high-quality fish flakes, sinking pellets, and live and frozen meaty foods will be fine for most catfish.
Corydoras catfish are the most common and readily available catfish in the aquarium hobby. These super-cute, active little fish come in over species and make an ideal addition to the community aquarium. In nature, these sweet little catfish live in shallow, muddy water, where the flow is slow, although they also appear in rivers where the current is faster.
Corydoras catfish have the ability to take gulps of air from the water surface, enabling them to survive in almost stagnant water conditions if they have to. In the home tank, Corys are often seen darting up to the surface to breathe and then diving quickly back down to the substrate. Also, during courtship, the peppered cory vocalizes. A talking fish — who knew?!
This species of Corydoras catfish was first discovered by Charles Darwin in the s during his exploration of South America and is among the earliest aquarium-kept fish. The first captive-bred Peppered corys were produced in in France, but these days, most specimens sold in the trade are commercially bred in Asia and Florida. Pygmy corys have a relatively short lifespan or around three years.
These charming, tiny catfish are found in large rivers and their smaller tributaries in South America, specifically the Madeira River in Brazil, the Aguarico River in Ecuador, and the Nany River in Peru. The Pygmy cory is an active, shoaling fish that must be kept in a group of at least eight individuals or more. Unlike other bottom-dwelling corydoras, the Pygmy cory spends most of its time swimming in the open midwater area of the tank. The Sterbai cory makes an attractive, appealing member of any peaceful community tank.
In nature, these fish are a schooling species, so I recommend that you keep them in a group of at least five in an aquarium setting. Generally, the more individuals you have, the more confident and active they are. Like all corys, Sterbais have extremely sharp pectoral fin spines that are easily snagged in aquarium nets and can inflict a painful injury if they penetrate your skin.
If you need to handle your corys, do so with caution. Orange Laser corydoras are seldom seen in fish stores, although you can buy them online from some dealers.
These brightly colored corys are somewhat shyer than their relatives, spending much of their time hiding away during the daytime and venturing out at night to feed. That said, if you keep a group of several individuals, you may find them more confident and active in the day. Synodontis catfish are natives of Africa. Some species of Synodontis can swim upside down to take food from the underside of overhangs or from the water surface. The Clown synodontis is also known as the Clown Squeaker.
Although this catfish is peaceful, it will eat very small fish and can fall victim to fin nippers. That said, these attractive fishes do make a nice addition to a community tank. In nature, the Clown Squeaker eats small fishes, crustaceans, invertebrates, and some plant matter. These fish are nocturnal and should be fed at night to ensure that they receive their share of food in a community setup.
In captivity, these fish will accept catfish tablets, pellets, flakes, frozen meaty foods, and live food. However, you should not feed worms to synodontis. These fish have some of the longest whiskers in the group, and the largest eyes, too. Both of these features are essential for these fish, as they are both nocturnal and predatory.
Although they do venture out during the daytime, Bigeye Squeakers shy away from bright lights, so I recommend that you use floating plants to diffuse the light in your tank. Instead, choose smaller, peaceful fish that live in the middle to upper parts of the water column.
Also, make sure that the tank is densely planted with lots of hiding places, caves, and overhangs. In nature, Plecos prefer fast-flowing, well-oxygenated water with a rocky substrate. In the aquarium, plenty of driftwood is essential, as some species of Plecos rasp off a layer of wood with their sucker mouths.
Bristlenose plecos are a much more suitable option for the aquarium than the much larger Common pleco, typically reaching only five inches in length. Bristlenose plecos are peaceable characters that are a good fit for a community setup. The Bronze Cory is distinguished by its overall dusky metallic brown to grey to green coloration. Given this color pattern, these Corydoras are great at hiding—something that greatly benefits a nocturnal fish.
As with other cory species, keep them in a group and feed sinking food that drops to the substrate. This is the species that is commercially available as an all-white fish with red eyes, sold as the Albino Corydoras. It is the most commonly available Corydoras catfish in both the green and albino color varieties.
More commonly known as the Plecostomus, these catfish are known to use their mouths as anchor points, hanging on plants or the side of the aquarium glass. Their specialized mouths can rasp surfaces, cleaning them of algae and other debris. Some Plecos can get very large, so be sure to correctly identify your species before adding them to your tank. The common pleco Hypostomus plecostomus can typically grow to 18 inches or more, but rubber-lipped plecos Chaetostoma milesi and bristlenose plecos Ancistrus cirrhosus will stay at inches long.
The Three Stripe Cory is decorated by a maze of dark black to brown lines all over its translucent, iridescent body. Also known as the Leopard Cory, this species follows the care rules for many Corydoras , including nocturnal feeding, strict water quality requirements, and preference to being kept in a small school of Corys. The key distinction is the consistency of the lines on the fish's head.
The Three Stripe Cory will have a fully connected pattern, whereas the Julii Cory will have an interrupted pattern made up of dots. They can be very difficult to differentiate between when the fish are small.
Also known as the Bristlenose Pleco, this catfish species stays relatively small and will not outgrow its aquarium like other plecostomuses. These catfishes are distinguished by the multiple bristles, or whiskers, surrounding the head, instead of just the mouth. Although they will feed on algae and detritus, it is best to feed them a sinking pelleted food to ensure a well-rounded diet.
This species also comes in an albino variation, which has darker yellow spots on it light yellow body. The Pepper Cory is distinguished by its mottled black or dark brown body appearance.
Although the underside, pelvic, and pectoral fins are white to translucent, the dorsal surface of the fish takes on a shadowed appearance—perfect for hiding out from predators during the day. This species is commonly confused with both the Three Stripe and Julii Cory. The Skunk Cory is named for its bold black band running along the dorsal ridge of the fish. It can be confused with the Adolfi Corydoras Corydoras aldolfoi , which has a similar black band but is interrupted by a vivid orange patch on the head.
Like other Corydoras species, the Skunk Cory does best in small groups and in a tank with lots of places to hide, given their nocturnal nature. As with any fish species, do your research before adding any fish to a new or established aquarium. Be sure to properly quarantine all new additions , and be sure all fish have enough room and are fed an appropriate diet.
The Chinese Algae Eater is a larger Catfish species that enjoys feeding on the algae that grows naturally in your tank. The Chinese Algae Eater can grow up to 10 inches, although it mostly stays at around 5 inches, and once it reaches maturity its taste in food can change, and it will eat smaller fish that fit its mouth.
To make sure everything is in order in the tank:. This fish does well in peaceful community tanks, but even in aggressive predatory tanks. I recommend keeping them in gallon tanks and avoid keeping them with small community fish that the Raphael Catfish can mistake for food. This explains why they prefer tanks with lots of shade and caves.
They also enjoy tanks with sandy bottoms and gravel. Although plants are not a must for this species, plants help in providing them with enough shade. Cichlids make good tankmates for this species and they can be kept even with the more aggressive Oscar fish, Flowerhorn or Jaguar Cichlid.
These Plecos are my second favorite Catfish species. Their name is suggestive of their beauty — dark colored body dotted with light yellow spots. Parts of their fins are also beautifully colored with yellow. Their size varies from 6 to 9 inches, so being quite the sizeable fish, they require bigger tanks. I recommend a minimum tank size of 55 gallons. Gold Nugget Plecos are certainly a beautiful sight and although a bit more expensive and territorial, they can be a good addition to a community tank provided they are kept with compatible fish.
Their beautiful arabesque-patterned bodies that grows up to 4 inches tops makes them an interesting addition to your aquarium. Because of their peaceful temperament, keeping them with other aggressive bottom dwellers and large fish are not recommended. This bottom-dwelling species feels best in groups of 6 or more and stays quite small at 1.
It got its name because of the black spot that decorates its eyes. These little fish are easy to care for and make excellent tank mates for similarly sized species that prefer the same water conditions.
Their diet should be made up of good quality sinking pellet foods, live brine shrimp, worms and other meaty foods. A good filtration system and regular water changes are important for this fish. Also, avoid keeping them with aggressive tank mates or tank mates that might eat them. Avoid fin-nipping fish, and go with compatible tank mates such as rasboras, small to medium sized tetras, danios as well as other small Catfish or Cory species.
You should provide a soft and fine substrate, preferably sand. Often confused with the Corydoras trilineatus, the Julii Cory fish is smaller and have a shorter head and rounded snout. They can tolerate a wide range of initial water parameters but become highly sensitive if the tank is poorly maintained. Julli Corydoras enjoy soft substrates where they spend a lot of time searching for bits of food.
Sand or smooth gravel is best for them. Driftwood and any other decorations that can serve as hiding places are welcome. An endearing feature of the Julii Corydoras is their ability to rotate their eyes, which gives the appearance of winking.
Bandit cory is very similar to panda cory, but instead of a black dot on the tail, has a black stripe along the back and dorsal fin. At just 2 inches, this fish prefers schools of at least 3, and enjoys similarly sized tank mates that are just as peaceful as them. The Bandit Cory is a bottom dweller omnivore fish that enjoys a varied diet and a smooth gravel or sandy substrate.
As it spends its time foraging in the substrate, sharp edges can hurt their delicate barbels and cause infections and even death.
Lighting in the tank should be subdued arranged with plenty of swimming places but also hiding places with driftwood, bog-wood and plants. Make sure you choose appropriate tank mates and always check if your fish are compatible with each other in terms of water parameters and behavior.
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