Shterba corridor - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Aquarium is a small closed ecosystem, where each inhabitant has his own role. The Shterba corridor belongs to the armored catfish detachment and has chosen the bottom layer for itself. It is interesting to observe how he digs intently in the soil, warps among plants and suddenly rises sharply to the surface to take a breath. The beauty and grace of the fish attracts attention. It has long gained popularity and firmly settled in domestic aquariums.

Separate world behind glass

Aquarium science has a long history. In Egypt, China and Greece, artificial ponds were created and the behavior of tamed fish was studied. And in 1841 the first classic aquarium appeared, where plants were planted and decorative fish inhabited. Modern aquarium has several directions: decorative, scientific, commercial. But the largest number of people contain an aquarium for pleasure, this activity became their hobby.

Each person starting to breed fish admires guppies and barbs, and in his heart dreams of a rare exotic fish that will live only in his aquarium. Gradually, he realizes that you should not live only dreams, there are many amazing inhabitants of the planet, for example, a modest shell-like catfish of the Shterba corridor.

Guest from amazon

The fish does not have a catchy coloring, but attracts the eye with neat light spots on a dark background. Closer to the tail, they pass into longitudinal stripes. The highlight was the bright orange rays of the pectoral fins and the iris of the eye. In nature, the body length of the fish is 6 - 8 cm, in captivity they are slightly smaller.

The Shterba corridors are accustomed to oxygen deficiency in water, and gradually they developed a protective mechanism in the form of the ability to absorb atmospheric oxygen. Therefore, occasionally fish rise to the surface and capture the air with their mouths wide open. They are sociable guys and feel best in a flock of 5 to 10 individuals. A group of fry takes root well and then there is a high probability that heterosexual individuals will be there.

Comfortable living conditions

Somik is not picky, but has his own preferences. He is thermophilic, and the temperature of the water in the aquarium should be in the range of 25–27 ° C. He does not like loneliness, is peaceful and calm. In mixed aquariums, it occupies the bottom zone, practically not intersecting with other fish. If it is supposed to contain an impressive flock of catfish, then you should choose an aquarium with a large bottom area and pour a layer of sand and small pebbles. There must be secluded places:

• decorative snags;
• grottoes;
• figures of ships and castles for the aquarium.

Lighting is best set soft and diffuse. Plants are best chosen with a powerful root system. Somics in their love to rummage in search of a tasty one do not notice the barriers and literally turn everything upside down. The character of the fish is easygoing and it gets along well with its neighbors: pitsilia, parsing, neon.

The basis of the diet of the Shterba corridor are:

• dry food;
• pipe maker;
• specialized concentrate;
• pills for catfish;
• vegetable mixtures.

The balance should be 30% of plant feed and 70% of protein species. Otherwise, problems with the digestive system are possible.Somics pick food from the bottom, so it is worth considering when buying food that part of it should quickly settle in the lower layers. On the other hand, the fish will surely pick up everything that their neighbors in the aquarium have not eaten, and then they will in good faith dig everything up in search of the food again. For this habit, they are called orderlies and try to be sure to keep along with other types of decorative fish.

Catfish, constantly digging in the bottom sediments, raise a suspension of food debris and small particles of soil, the water becomes cloudy. To combat this, it is worth a try:

• periodic connection of a powerful filter;
• replacement of small fractions with coarse pebbles;
• establish a regular diet.

For breeding, you need a separate container with warm water and transferring the fish to live food. After a few days, the water in the spawning is cooled, and the lighting is slightly dim. This becomes a signal for females to start throwing eggs. Then adults are planted, otherwise they eat eggs.

The Shterba corridors live in an aquarium for up to 5 years, pleasing with their optimism and injustice. Simple conditions of detention made the fish quite popular among beginner aquarists and experienced craftsmen, giving a lot of pleasure when observing their tricks.

Video: aquarium fish corridor sterba