The content of the article
Akantophthalmus is a species of aquarium fish belonging to the species of loaches. These individuals stand out among all other loaches, as they have an amazingly beautiful appearance. Representatives have standard behavior for all lovers, they are mobile, constantly digging in the ground in search of food. This behavior is beneficial for all the inhabitants of the aquarium, since acanthophthalmus eats leftovers that have fallen into the ground and become inaccessible to other fish species. These pets maintain cleanliness in the aquarium, which also helps the owner.
About acantophthalmus, you can absolutely say that he is not a predator. To do this, just look at his mouth - very small, it is only suitable for digging in soil material and searching for bloodworms and other insects.
Acanththalmus is mostly active at night. During the day, you can hardly find it with your eyes in the aquarium, especially if he lives there alone. However, if you spend a few minutes at the aquarium, you can still notice a fish.
If several individuals of different species live in one aquarium, acanthophthalmus begin to become active even during the day, as they begin to compete with other fish for food. Half a dozen acanthophthalmus will behave even more actively, however, these fish may well exist one at a time. Representatives of this species are quite hardy and can exist independently for a long time, without requiring the mandatory presence of other individuals.
Life in the wild
First and foremost, a description of this species of fish was compiled in 1846 by Valencis. In nature, they live mainly in Southeast Asia, they can be found in Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore, Java and Malaysia. These individuals are common, today they are not an exhibit of the Red Book, and therefore do not constitute protected value.
Acantophthalmus lives in rivers where there is a small low-speed current, as well as in mountain streams, the bottom of which is laid with fallen leaves. In such reservoirs there are practically no rays of sunlight at the bottom, since trees are located along the edges of rivers and streams. Under natural conditions, these fish can be found in small groups, although they do not belong to flocking species.
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Akantophthalmus is a small fish that resembles worms in shape. Such a fish grows up to 12 centimeters in length in nature, in the aquarium the maximum can reach 8 centimeters. Acantophthalmus live quite a long time, the average life expectancy is 10 years, however, there are a large number of reports about much longer periods of residence.
The color of this variety of loaches is pink-yellow with wide dark stripes, the number of which usually reaches a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 17 pieces. On the head of acanthophthalmus there are as many as three pairs of mustaches. The dorsal fin is rather unusual in comparison with other types of fish; in loaches, it is located next to the anal. Representatives of this species have an albino form, which was bred artificially, therefore, such individuals do not occur in nature. Since acanthophthalmus live mainly at night, their albinos die quite quickly, since at the bottom they become more noticeable than other individuals.
The main difficulties in the content
Akantophthalmus is a simple, unpretentious and hardy variety of fish.The main difference between these loaches from other fish is the absence of scales on their body. This fact makes these individuals very sensitive to the effects of various medications. For this reason, any therapeutic measures in the aquarium must be carried out extremely carefully so as not to harm the acanthophthalmus.
These representatives of loaches are sensitive to water, so they prefer clean and well aerated water. To maintain these fish, regular water changes are necessary. At the same time, at each change it is extremely important to clean the soil, remove food residues and other waste from there. This is necessary because loaches, like many other fish, are most affected by ammonia and nitrates resulting from the breakdown of products.
How to feed acanthophthalmus?
Acantophthalmus - fish that eat almost everything. For this reason, they are easy to keep in the aquarium.
You can feed this variety of loaches at home with live and frozen food, as well as various cereals, granules, tablets and pellets. The main thing in the feeding process is to ensure that the feed enters the bottom of the aquarium so that other fish do not have time to eat it while it is in the water. If you take live food, then acantophthalmus really like daphnia, bloodworms, artemia, tubule and other insects. Moreover, even if these bloodworms or other insects dig into the ground at the bottom of the tank, acanthophthalmus will quickly and easily find them. In this regard, representatives of this species are very useful, since when feeding other fish, the food often falls to the bottom and remains there.
Content Rules
In the daytime, acanthophthalmus are mainly at the bottom, but at night they actively swim, and in all layers of water. The most suitable option for these fish are medium-sized aquariums, from about 70 liters in volume. Water should be soft enough, ph should be in the range from 5.5 to 6.5, while lighting should remain moderate. Also in the aquarium there must be a filter that will purify the water, mix it and create a small flow in the tank. Of great importance for the life of acanthophthalmus is the bottom area in the aquarium, and the volume of the tank is not so important in this case.
Decorative elements for the aquarium, you can choose any at your discretion. Soil is best done from fine gravel or sand. Sand is an ideal option for acanthophthalmus, in it they can safely dig and sometimes even bury completely. Carefully place large stones in the aquarium, as these fish can periodically dig them up.
At the bottom, you can additionally place driftwood with moss attached to them. This will become for them a reminder of the natural living conditions, as well as a reliable shelter for the rest. Acanthophthalmus - lovers of hiding in various elements inside the aquarium, so it is necessary to organize such an opportunity for them.
According to the behavior of acanthophthalmus, changes in the weather can be predicted. For example, if the fish behave uneasily and rush about throughout the aquarium, periodically pop up or sink to the bottom, most likely, the weather will soon change significantly. If the weather is okay, but the pet is still behaving uneasily, you should check the soil, maybe it has already become acidic, and the fish are worried about the released ammonia or hydrogen sulfide.
Acanthophthalmus can escape from the aquarium, so it must be covered with something on top, otherwise the fish can simply crawl away.
Who can I live with?
Acantophthalmus is well adjacent to shrimps, because it is rather slow compared to these nimble inhabitants, and it has a small mouth, so it will not destroy them. However, acantophthalmus may well swallow a small shrimp, slightly gape.
It is not recommended to keep acanthophthalmus and cichlids in one aquarium, as they can become food for the latter. Also, large and predatory fish should not be placed next door.
Gender characteristics
To distinguish between females and males of acanthophthalmus is quite easy. Females of representatives of this species are larger than males. Males can also be distinguished from females, because in the fin they have a thicker beam than females. However, this beam is often difficult to consider, since acanthophthalmus are small in size and also quite secretive.
Video: aquarium fish Acantophthalmus cul
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