Spixie elf snail photo
Friends, many of you know about Helenas - predatory aquarium snails! They really effectively help get rid of coils , fissures , melania , etc.
But it turns out that Helena is not the only carnivorous snail that can be kept in an aquarium. Meet ELF SPIXY!
It is interesting that the snail Asolene spixi received its nickname - elf - from the consonant "pixie" - fairy, elf.
The biotope of the elfin snail is the reservoirs of South America. The snail has an oval, slightly narrowed shell. The color of the shell is light with stripes along the entire circumference. The body of the spixie snail is spotted and darker than the shell, and may acquire yellowish or brown shades. Spixies are small snails, the shell diameter of males is 2 cm, females are slightly larger - 3 cm. Life expectancy is ~ 5 years.
Spixie belongs to the ampullariidae family. But the spixie differs from the usual ampullaria : the incredible length of the mustache, the absence of an intake tube-siphon for breathing, the speed of movement (spicy - Schumacher), behavior - spixies burrow into the ground during the day, lay a clutch of eggs under water, while ampullaria leave their clutch above water surface.
Keeping elf spixie snails
spixie snail photo
Spixies are nocturnal; during the day they like to burrow into the soil at the bottom of the aquarium. True, they are often not completely buried, so that their striped shells are clearly visible at the bottom. In aquariums without soil (or with coarse soil), the difference between the daytime and nighttime behavior of snails is little noticeable. The ideal soil for naturally growing spixies is sand.
Water parameters for keeping spixies are typical for a tropical aquarium: temperature 22-28 degrees, pH 6-8, kH 3-8, dH 8-10. Water changes, aeration and filtration of the aquarium are mandatory; elf snails, like any other aquatic organisms, cannot tolerate high concentrations of nitrogenous compounds - poisons: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate .
For obvious reasons, spixie snails should not be kept with tetraodon , labyrinth and other fish that are not averse to feasting on them or nibbling on their long “barbershop whiskers”!
spixie snail photo
Many sources write that spixies cope well with algal fouling, however, this is a myth. Like many snails, elves can eat algae fouling, but not enough to make the tank sparkle. It is also a myth that spixies do not touch aquarium plants; all this is nonsense. Nobody hired elves as guards in underwater forestry, so if they want, they will eat aquarium plants just fine, even if you feed them with lettuce, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, etc.
In addition to plant foods, spixies are carnivorous. They are not averse to profiting from reels, fisas and melanias, as well as their caviar. Aquarists have noted that adult spixies can even eat their young. Thus, with the help of these wonderful snails, it is possible to regulate and control the number of other mollusks. To reduce the predatory instinct, it is recommended to periodically feed the spixie with plant food from our table or sinking tablets such as Tetra Tablets TabiMin or Tetra Pleco Tablets.
Tablet food for bottom fish
And now the question is: what will happen if you put equal numbers of Spixies and Helens in one aquarium?! =)
Compatibility
Ancistrus albino has a peaceful character, so it is combined with all fish that do not harm it. This characteristic includes small and medium-sized fish. But they have poor compatibility with territorial, aggressive and predatory fish. Difficulties also arise when keeping a school of catfish together with several males. They will arrange skirmishes and fights for territory and females.
The fish are incompatible with heat-loving fish, because they themselves love low water temperatures.
| Compatible neighbors | Incompatible neighbors |
| Cockerels | Discus |
| Angelfish | Neons |
| Guppy | Mollies |
| Barbs | Helostomy |
| Labeo | Melanochromis |
| Tetras | |
| Danio | |
| Swordtails | |
| Pecilia |
Reproduction of elven spixies
spixie snail reproduction photo
The process of breeding and breeding spixies does not present any difficulties. In fact, it happens independently, without the intervention of the aquarist. They breed all year round; the female lays a clutch of 10-30 eggs approximately once every three weeks. The stimulus for reproduction is an increased temperature of ~ 28 degrees.
Unlike ampullaria, lista lays eggs under water, and anywhere: on the walls of the aquarium, stones, plants, decorations. The juveniles grow quite quickly and can reach the size of an adult in another month.
All of the above is just the fruit of observing this aquatic organism and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also live emotions that allow us to understand the world of aquariums more fully and subtly. Register at https://fanfishka.ru/forum/ , participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and first-hand, describe their habits, behavioral features and content, and share with us your successes and joys, share your experiences and learn from the experiences of others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every awareness of a mistake, which makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us there are, the more pure and transparent drops of goodness there are in the life and everyday life of our seven billion society.
General information
Thoracat catfish (Megalechis thoracata) is a freshwater fish from the family of armored catfish. After its first scientific description by the French scientist Achille Valensinnes in 1840, the fish was placed in the genus Hoplosternum, but has now been moved to the genus Megalechis. The name of the genus can be translated from ancient Greek as “giant snake fish.” The almost cylindrical shape of the body of the thoracatum and its considerable size (about 15 cm) are reflected here. You can often find this spelling called “tarakatum”. But still, the correct form is “thoracatum” (from the specific epithet “thoracata”, which can be translated as “shell”.
“Shell” of the thoracatum made of bone plates
Like other armored catfish, the body of the fish is covered with several rows of bony plates. The thoracatum needs them to protect itself from enemies. Catfish are characterized by intestinal respiration: in conditions of lack of oxygen, thoracatums float to the surface and take a “sip” of air above the surface of the water, which is then absorbed in a special section of the intestine.
Among the main attractive qualities are: beautiful appearance, unpretentiousness in maintenance and calm character. This fish can be recommended to both beginners and experienced fans.
Feeding
In their natural environment, ancistrus feed on algae, the remains of protein food on the bottom, and, less often, plant food. It is because of their ability to clean the aquarium of algae that aquarists most often keep catfish, believing that this allows them to monitor the aquarium less. Catfish need extra food. When moving into a new aquarium, ancistrus feed only on algae, but they quickly clear the aquarium and begin to starve without additional food.
Catfish are not picky and feed on frozen, live and dry food. But do not overfeed them with protein foods, this will negatively affect their health. They especially like the tubifex and bloodworms. But it is still advisable to use frozen food, because this is how harmful microorganisms die.
White ancistrus have a small mouth, so pellets and food particles should be small in size. If the aquarium contains other fish that live in the upper and middle layers of water, then the catfish may not have enough food, which is eaten before reaching the bottom. To do this, purchase food specifically for bottom dwellers - it quickly sinks to the bottom.
Catfish, especially young ones, also like plant foods in their diet. Vegetables most often fed are zucchini, carrots, and cucumbers; Lettuce and spinach leaves are also added. If plant food is lighter than water and floats to the surface, it becomes heavier.
Remove uneaten food after 24 hours to prevent rotting and decomposition. Albino ancistrus catfish are fed 1–2 times a day.
Appearance
The body of the thoracatum is elongated and valval. The sides are covered with two rows of bony plates that meet in the middle of the body. The usual size of the fish is about 12 cm. The head is flattened and powerful. The mouth opening is directed downwards. Near the mouth there are 2 pairs of sensitive whiskers: the maxillary ones are directed downward, and the mandibular ones are directed forward.
Antennae of the thoracatum
The dorsal fin is small and rounded. The pectoral fins are triangular in mature males and oval in females and juveniles. We can make out a small adipose fin. The tail is triangular in shape and usually dark in color.
Som thoracatum. Appearance
The main body color is brown. In young fish it is lighter, in adult fish it darkens. Small dark spots of irregular shape are scattered throughout the body. The abdomen is almost white. There is an albino form with a milky coloration and dark spots on the body.
From the editor: Background for an aquarium, how to glue and secure
A happy ending
To my joy, the film turned out to have a happy ending. Anna managed to escape from her pursuers, and she and her child got to where the northern lights sparkled in the sky. So it is quite possible that here she will not only live in peace, but will also find her relatives.
The message of the film is clear: before you see a monster in someone, you should look at yourself and your actions. Sometimes true monsters hide under the guise of righteousness and piety. A good example of this is given in the film “Inside”.
From the editor: All about quickly starting an aquarium with starter preparationsAnd it’s very good that at least this time there was no religion. Otherwise it would be even more revealing and disgusting at the same time. And once again, the film is really very good in all respects, you should definitely watch it and definitely think about what its creators offer.
Adviсe
- When keeping a flock, buy only one male to avoid skirmishes and fights.
- When choosing soil, purchase only rolled and smooth particles without chips.
- Place a driftwood in the aquarium. When it is cleaned, fish receive valuable lignin and cellulose, useful for proper digestion.
The albino aquarium catfish is suitable for experienced and beginner aquarists. For beginners, it is undemanding to environmental conditions. Experienced people buy them to clean the aquarium of algae and give it a bright appearance.
