Plekostusus - the inhabitant of freshwater and brans of reservoirs. This amazing cattle is known for the fact that more than a day can do without water and move along the ground using fins. During the evolution, his body adapted to the resistance to water flows - his mouth sucking helps him either flood with the flow, and remain at the habitat.
This species is interesting and the fact that the fish is an excellent clever, eliminating the fall on the inner walls of the aquarium.
Description
Plekostusus is unpretentious, hardy fish, almost omnivorous and characterized by high adaptation abilities. Motherland Soma - South American Continent. An animal has such characteristic features as:
- Triangular, Furious Shape of the Head;
- torso, covered with several rows of bone plates, like the mail;
- Suction cup in the lower part of the mouth with lips, equipped with horny spikes in the form of scrapers;
- Small eyes are planted on the head high, sometimes catfish rises them, and it looks like winking;
- The fin on the back is pretty high and continues to grow through the lifetime of the flexomist;
- The pointed first ray on the chest fins is connected to the glands that allocate the poison, so it is not recommended to take it into hand;
- Thin mustache, located on both sides of the mouth - at the same time the conname authorities and taste receptors;
- The color of the body of the body, as a rule, is light brown, and with the abundance of a dark pattern it seems even darker, which allows the fish to be masked under stones and foliage, against which it becomes invisible.
Fish may have impressive sizes. In captivity, it grows up to 30-38 cm. In the natural environment, there are more large copies - up to 40-60 cm long. True, there are small soms that do not grow to large sizes, their length varies from 10 to 15 cm.
The life lifespan is 14-16 years old.
Views
In total there are approximately 120 varieties of ordinary plexors, but they are all externally similar to color, so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them. The most popular species belong following:
- Plekostomus Golden, having almost jaguar, dark color on the background of light beige or yellow torso , especially saturated with males; In an artificial environment, the animal can grow up to 35 cm;
- albino - view obtained by selection, which has a pale, almost white or yellow with a mesh pattern; He prefers fresh water, spinal float fish looks like a sail, can reach 24-28 cm in length in the aquarium;
- Bristlen - A small aquarium fish, in an adult, having 12-14 cm long.
Ornaments of different types of plexus are different. On the body some are traced in the drawing, similar to the color of the zebra, leopard, are interesting to fish species of clowns.
However, the general characteristic feature of all fish is their overall unique form confirming the ancient origin, which is due to unpretentiousness and fast adaptability to different habitat conditions.
How to keep?
The main complexity associated with the content of the plexoscient is the need for a large aquarium (at least 250-300 liters per young). By purchasing a small fish, you do not need to forget that somats grow rapidly, soon he may feel more stronger.
This is one of the main conditions, but there are the following requirements:
- The aquatic environment for fish should be pure constantly, and for this it will be necessary to equip the reservoir by outer and internal filtering devices capable of not only adjust the water composition, but also to eliminate the waste of the wards;
- We are necessary weekly replacement 1/3 of water;
- For soms, the following water indicators are provided: rigidity - no more than 24-25 units, the level of acidity is -7-8., Temperature - from +20 to +25 degrees;
- On the bottom it is allowed to place small pebbles, sand, so that the underwater resident during digging in the ground could not damage his body;
- The aquarium must have a lid - the capacitance must be kept in a closed state, because the pylons love to jump out of the water;
- Almost all types of soms eat algae growing on snags, therefore their placement is necessary.
As well as in the aquarium, you can land fast-growing aquatic plants, for example, different varieties of aquarium ferns - shield, Thai or Indian, decorative Yavansky moss, which also makes the design of unusual, echinodorus and unassuming kryptokoriny bushes. The main thing is that the selected herbs have powerful roots. At the same time, they need to be disassembled not too thickly so that the fish in them is not confused.
If the root system is weak, the plexus can with ease to pull the plant from the soil.
Besides corigracy It is advisable to use all sorts of fragments that perform the function of the shelter for the fish. For this, clay shards and pots with velocked holes in the day, cropped parts of ceramic pipes and other devices are suitable. All this is done so that Som, accustomed to actively behave at night, the day can safely relax in his badges, delighted from the corporate lighting, which he does not endure.
Diet and feeding mode
Plemptoms can be considered vegetarians, because more they like any vegetable food - the fish are enough of algae and moss, which grow on snags, but with a shortage of food soma, they can begin for aquarium flowers.
To add a diet, they are customary to give feeding in the form of vegetables, for the softness of covered with boiling water. For this purpose, a tender pulp of a zucchini, cucumber, salad leaves, spinach and cabbage is suitable.
Experts recommend periodically feeding pets with live blood, special flakes with spirulina content, tube. The usual time for feeding is evening, but you can also give fish food and day, but first turn off the light.
Being young, the plexors willingly clean the walls of the aquarium, and actually feed on it, but with age the food proposed by a person becomes preferable for them, they become lazy, throwing their direct duties.
What kind of fish is getting around?
Young catches have a peace-loving temper and perfectly get along with other fish. But unfortunately, As the nature of the fish changes not for the better, they begin to zealously protect their territory. Therefore, with the males of its kind, the plexus can enter into conflicts and even arrange real skills. But it does not prevent him from peacefully to get along with many fish and other neighbors, the main life of which flows in higher layers of water.
Despite the peaceful character, it is impossible to pick up too small representatives of the underwater world to commemorate, since he can take them for prey and eat.
In general, the Plekostusus retains smooth relations with almost all tropical exotions.
The best compatibility is observed between catfish and fish such as:
- Petushki;
- pecilia;
- Rainbow Fish;
- Barbusa;
- Batings;
- Guppy;
- swords;
- Gourats.
With a large litter aquarium, you can allow a combination with predatory cichlids, carpamas, even with shrimps of the genus Shrimps, be sure to large sizes, otherwise they will be perceived as food.
Among the good neighbors for the plexus and larger representatives - knives fish, river dragons (ate). An undesirable combination with sedental fish - if Som will be hungry, scalar, discus and other intavative inhabitants can seriously suffer. Plekostusus is a wonderful fish, for many lovers of this species becoming, almost a member of the family.
But one of the essential deficiencies is the impossibility of receiving offspring from it. For this purpose, it is assumed to create natural conditions in which spawning is passed, but, unfortunately, they are unrealistic at home.
On how to distinguish the pternigoplicht from the pelong, look in the video below.