The antenna catfish, native to South America (Ancistrus) is one of the plecos. It owes its somewhat strange name to the horn-shaped protrusions on its head which are somewhat reminiscent of antennae – although these are much more pronounced in males than in females, in which they also seem a little more jagged and perhaps more reminiscent of a beard, or may even be missing altogether.
The catfish has a dark brown body color with lighter spots on the body and lighter stripes on the fins. Its large lower sucking mouth is very characteristic. In this way it tirelessly removes algae from hard surfaces and also keeps the windows of your aquarium clean.
We have collected all the information you need to know about the origin, behavior, housing, care, feeding, reproduction and breeding of catfish in our profile, where you will also find the most important answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Origin
The original habitats of the antenna catfish extend from northern South America to the Rio de la Plata River basin in Argentina, with diverse habitats. It can be found in slightly acidic to neutral, freshwater, both fast-flowing rivers and stagnant waters.
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Behave
Aerial catfish are active at dusk, so they often only appear in the late afternoon or at night to make their way into the aquarium and work on the algae. They are less likely to be seen during the day and observed at work. As a rule, they prefer to hide until sunset in cave-like roots or in the background of the aquarium, behind stones or roots of swampy woods. Male catfish form territories and can become very aggressive within the species during the spawning season.
Fish-friendly accommodation and assistance
Antennae catfish require a well-structured aquarium with an edge length of at least 80 cm, although for fish up to 15 cm in size a larger aquarium with a volume of 160 liters or more is clearly desirable and better meets their needs. Your underwater world should offer your catfish plenty of opportunities to hide, e.g. B. through swamp tree roots, bamboo, solid stone structures, clay pipes and some hardy aquatic plants. For cave breeders the tubes are particularly important for spawning, but they also serve as popular hiding places. The substrate should consist of fine gravel or sand, because surfaces with sharp edges increase the risk of injury to your catfish’s sensitive barbels. Additionally, antenna catfish are quite sensitive to light, so you should integrate some floating plants into your underwater landscape to darken the water surface accordingly.
In order for your antenna catfish to feel comfortable in your aquarium, the water temperature should be between 20 and a maximum of 28 °C. The pH value should be between 6.0 and 7.5, the overall hardness should be between 2 and 18° dGH.
Since Ancistrus Since it is not a schooling fish, it can definitely be kept individually. If you still decide to keep your catfish company, a group of one male and two females should move into your aquarium. However, it is important to remember that antenna catfish are considered very fond of breeding and you can probably soon expect to have offspring, which will then need to be cared for and welcomed.
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If you want to keep your catfish in a community aquarium, it can easily be socialized with other peaceful fish and other catfish species that occupy the same ecological niche as it. However, you should make sure that there is enough space in your underwater world: since territorial males can display aggressive behavior, especially during the spawning season, each species needs a sufficiently large free area. Antenna catfish also have no objections to shrimp and snails. It only comes with crabs Ancistrus they do not get along, because not only do they occupy the same region in the aquarium, but they also like to be in caves, so conflicts are inevitable here.
Nutrition
The antenna catfish is a herbivore that feeds mainly on algae and therefore provides you with wonderful services in your aquarium. Furthermore, antenna catfish need fibers, which must be provided with real woody roots. They constantly grate them to obtain the glucose they contain, which is necessary for digestion. If there is not enough growth in your aquarium, your antenna catfish will resort to your plants and graze them until significant damage from feeding is visible and only translucent skeletons remain. As a replacement food you can offer them blanched lettuce, bok choy, chopped peas and food tablets.
Reproduction and breeding
The antenna catfish is a so-called cave spawner. After fertilization and egg laying, the male chases the female out of the breeding cavity and takes care of the brood. It protects the brood and ventilates the eggs and subsequently the newly hatched larvae with oxygen-rich water by moving the pectoral fins. As soon as the little ones know how to swim after about two weeks, they quickly escape their father’s care and become independent. The antennae catfish is very productive when it comes to breeding, so if it is cared for well it will lay eggs every five to six weeks and the clutch contains up to 90 eggs, which is why you should think carefully about whether to breed a pair or group of antennae catfish.
Antenna catfish questions and answers
1. How many catfish should you keep?
The antenna catfish is not a schooling fish and can therefore feel comfortable alone in your aquarium. It is also recommended to raise them individually because male catfish are territory-forming fish. If you nevertheless decide that a group of attractive fish should move to your underwater world, it should consist of one male and two to three females. However, you should keep in mind that antenna catfish can prove to be very productive in terms of reproduction, so you will soon have to expect offspring that you will also have to take care of.
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2. How long does an antenna catfish live in an aquarium?
There are several claims about how many years an antenna catfish can live if properly cared for in the aquarium – what they all have in common is that an antenna catfish can reach a very proud age, with the exact details ranging from over eleven to 19 years old. In any case, having an antenna catfish means that you are caring for an animal for a long time, which you should be aware of from the beginning.
3. How big does a catfish get?
Antenna catfish are among the smallest so-called L catfish, where the L stands for loricariids and means catfish whose original habitat is in South America. The antenna catfish reaches an average size of 14 cm.
4. How many eggs does catfish lay?
Antennae catfish are among the so-called cave breeders, who raise their spawning groups in breeding caves such as. B. lays tubular roots, so the clutch balls released by the female can contain up to 90 eggs.
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