{"id":1464,"date":"2020-03-13T16:30:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T16:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquarium-fish-plants.com\/?p=1464"},"modified":"2020-03-16T12:45:01","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T12:45:01","slug":"keeping-feathered-catfish-in-the-aquarium-this-is-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aquarium-fish-plants.com\/keeping-feathered-catfish-in-the-aquarium-this-is-how-it-works","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Feathered Catfish in the Aquarium – This is How it Works"},"content":{"rendered":"
The high-finned feather-beard-catfish is also called feather-fin or jewelry-fin-feather-beard-catfish. It belongs to the genus Synodontis and is with 22 centimetres the largest among the breed. Whether the catfish is a male or female is difficult to tell. The high dorsal fin is a typical trademark of the feather bearded catfish. The hard rays in the front area are very long and therefore the dorsal fin appears triangular.<\/p>\n
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The young animals have a white and wavy line on the caudal fin. Also on both sides of the fat fin. The white lines are surrounded by a dark seam. The older the fish, the more the lines become blurred in spots.<\/p>\n
Adult fish have small, dark spots all over their body. The basic colour of the fish is olive brown.<\/p>\n
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The dwarf pinnate catfish is the smallest representative among the Mochokinae. It only reaches a size of about 9 centimetres and usually lives near the ground. Externally the animals show a relatively dark basic colouring, which stands out by some circular, golden drawings.<\/p>\n
The feather bearded catfish originates from Africa and is widespread there. It can be found in the river basins Niger, Volta and the middle course of the Nile. Since 1990 it is also represented in the aquarium culture.<\/p>\n
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Featherbeard catfish are divided into two groups when it comes to water parameters. The West African animals prefer the following water parameters:<\/p>\n
While the East African types prefer rather hard water:<\/p>\n
Feather-beard-catfish therefore prefer partly soft, partly hard water. In any case the origin of the animals should be considered when socializing in the aquarium, as many of the ornamental fish available in pet shops prefer soft water.<\/p>\n
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Featherbeard catfish should be kept in groups. A group should have at least 5 animals – the more feather-bearded catfish are used, the more pronounced their social behaviour can be observed.<\/p>\n
In any case, the aquarium should have sufficient hiding places, because many of the feather whiskered catfish are nocturnal and need shelter for the duration of the day. For this purpose, bogwood roots or stones\/boulders, which also occur in the natural distribution area, can be used. In addition, one should rely on dense border planting, in which the animals can hide.<\/p>\n
If the animals are not offered a sufficiently delimited aquarium with many hiding places or if the animals are kept in too small aquariums, they are not able to mark out territories and become aggressive among themselves.<\/p>\n
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The high-finned feather-bearded catfish prefers the floating supine position. It also likes to hide under tree roots. The aquarium of the catfish should be at least 2 meters long. The feather beard catfish belongs to the group of Synodontis. They are calm and peaceful fish that can be kept with other ornamental fish. However, you should not choose ornamental fish that like to pluck at fins, such as the Sumatran barbels.<\/p>\n
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Dwarf pinnate bearded catfish or back-swimming Congo catfish can already be kept in an aquarium with an edge length of 80 centimetres. Larger species require a minimum length of 1.20 metres. The aquarium should be populated with plants if possible. Also hiding places like wooden bowls, coconut shells or stone buildings are highly recommended. The ground can be covered with sand.<\/p>\n
The back swimming Kongowels loves overhangs of stones and roots. The fish love to swim backwards along the stones. The Congo catfish may be kept with other peaceful fish species. However, these should not be too small.<\/p>\n
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A sufficient filter for the aquarium of the Mochokinae is mandatory in any case. It must be checked and cleaned regularly. In addition, the weekly partial water change of at least 30% should be carried out in any case.<\/p>\n
The temperature, ammonia content, pH, total and carbonate hardness and nitrate should also be checked regularly. A simple test set from a pet shop is sufficient for this.<\/p>\n
The health of the animals should also be checked regularly during feeding. Skin changes such as spots, red spots or coatings must be noticed immediately. Also fin changes and hectic movements are a sign of illness.<\/p>\n
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The peaceful feather bearded catfish can be associated with almost all peaceful ornamental fish, which can adapt to the water values they inhabit. Especially the East African species, which need relatively hard water, should only be associated with typical species from Lake Tanganyika.<\/p>\n
West African species can be associated with most South American and Asian species, which love soft water. For the socialization are for example calm tetra\/bearblings, like red neon or the wedge-finned teddybear. Care should be taken to avoid species that tend to nibble on the fins of other animals.<\/p>\n
Females which are sexually mature are usually fuller. In front of the anal fin is the genital papilla. It is more visible and more pointed in females than in males.<\/p>\n
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