A good tank of fish is inseparable from good water, and it also needs a good water ecological environment. Some fish are born to be responsible for the role of the "sanitation worker" of the aquarium, these are responsible for cleaning the fish tank, sucking residue, removing algae fish or organisms, often as "cleaners" and are stocked in each aquarium, also known as "functional fish", if you change the angle, in addition to simple functionality, its ornamentality also exists, today I will talk about the different roles of ten kinds of cleaners.
First, the scavenger
Commonly used indices: ★★★★★
Viewing index: ☆☆
Efficacy Index: ★★★★★
It belongs to the catfish family, also known as sucker fish, anglerfish, angler ratfish, bearded shaped fish, etc., suitable for water temperature 23-28 °C, like weak alkaline hard water, distributed in Latin America. Its body can reach up to 30 cm long, conical, the head is flattened, the dorsal fin is towering, the tail side is flattened, and the lips are developed like suction cups. The whole body is covered with shield scales and the surface of the body is rough. The body is grayish black or light brown, and the body surface has a black and white pattern. The bait is mainly algae, which is often adsorbed on stones and glass in aquariums to stabilize the body. Because he often sucks the algae on the wall of the aquarium tank and picks up the pull, he is known as a scavenger.
Scavengers will constantly suck on the walls of the tank and grass leaves, which has a significant effect on cleaning the walls of the tank and the upper algae of the grass leaves, and they will also bite the surface of some young aquatic grass leaves such as crown grass and cause damage, so the scavengers are often used as clean fish in large fish tanks. For the aquatic weed tank, if used to remove algae in a short period of time, it is also very effective, but it should be fished out in time to avoid hurting the aquatic weeds. However, for goldfish tanks and koi tanks with scavengers that do not have heating rods in winter, they may freeze to death. Generally speaking, a 1 meter aquarium is suitable for raising 2-3 tails (within a body length of about 250 px).
But scavengers are hated by some people, especially women and children, for their ugly appearance. In fact, the scavenger is ugly but gentle, never attacking other fish, but often being the target of some large fish.
Second, clear the moss rat
Common index: ★★★★ ☆
Viewing index: ★★ ☆
Efficacy Index: ★★★★
Formerly known as Thai moss fish, produced in Xishuangbanna, China (the lower reaches of the Lancang River), Thailand and other places, water temperature: 23 ~ 27 ° C, slender body slightly flattened, head long, snout is particularly long, the front end is slightly pointed. The mouth is lower, with well-developed and sparse protrusions at the edge of the upper lip, and the lateral end is attached to the base of the whiskers at the corners of the mouth. The outer edge of the dorsal fin is slightly convex, the left and right bases of the pectoral fin are close together, the ventral fin is short, the left and right base are close together, the fin is short, and the caudal fin is deeply concave. The body is scaled and the head is scaleless. The lateral line is straight, and there are more than ten small black spots along the lateral line, and there are about multiple brown spots in the middle of the back. There are two black longitudinal stripes from the tip of the snout to the anterior margin, each with a light brown fin and no spots.
The clear moss rat is the most commonly raised algae-eating fish in aquatic weed tanks and small fish tanks, with cheap prices and better results. The combat ability of individual soldiers is poor, and the effect of removing algae is obvious, which can keep the aquatic weeds and the tank wall emerald green and bright. One meter long aquatic weed tank can be equipped with 8-10 tails, when the moss rat is stocked in the same tank, it will always be found that some grow very well, and some will be thin and dead, so it should be replenished at the right time.
3. Elves
Common index: ★★★ ☆
Viewing Index: ★★★
Efficacy Index: ★★★★ ☆
Elves are widely distributed in the rivers of Nigro, Colombia and Venezuela in Brazil, and are common small fauxphs. It is about 3 cm long and has a black stripe from the snout to the tail handle. Character: Timid, docile, do not take the bait
4. Black Line Flying Fox
Common index: ★ ☆
Viewing index: ★★★ ☆
The black line flying fox, which is very similar to the elf on the individual, must be careful to distinguish, can be called the king of algae-eating fish, and other algae-eating fish do not like to eat whisker-shaped, brush-shaped algae, like black hairy algae, can be removed by it. The haddock flying fox is docile, omnivorous, oviparous, suitable for the same water temperature as aquatic grass and other small tropical fish, it is best not to raise alone, he is easy to hide and dare not come out. I like the densely planted aquatic grass tank very much, and can eat bait or fish eggs, and the development of feeding habits will affect its algae removal effect.
Five, rat fish
Commonly used indices: ★★★
Viewing Index: ★★★★★
Efficacy Index: ★★★ ☆
One of the reasons for the origin of the name ratfish is that the cute appearance of the lips and whiskers on the side of the mouth makes it look like a small mouse swimming in the water, a catfish of the genus Corydoras, and its original habitat is the Amazon River Basin located in the tropical rainforest of South America, so the most suitable water environment for them to live in is: pH is about 5.8 ~ 7.2; water temperature 22 ~ 26 ° C; dH2 ~ 25 soft water quality.
In the eyes of most players, the raised ratfish are usually supporting roles in the aquatic weed tank, not only for ornamentation, but mainly want to use their characteristics of eating algae and residual bait, and regard them as "scavengers" who clean the underwater debris. But in fact, I prefer the cuteness and cuteness of the ratfish.
The mild-mannered ratfish can be well polycultured with many fish species, and can get along well with lamp fish, colorful fairy fish, angelfish, bream and peacocks. The ratfish is not a picky eater and accepts a wide variety of bait. Therefore, try to diversify the bait as much as possible, such as shrimp, snow saffron worms, silk earthworms, hamburger flakes, pellet feed, etc., alternate feeding, you can raise the rat fish white and fat. Ratfish has a strong physique so that it can survive in a completely waterless, low dissolved oxygen environment, because it can perform intestinal breathing, but this does not mean that the breeding environment of ratfish can not be ventilated or filtered, in fact, ratfish like to have a clean, high dissolved oxygen living environment with water flow.
Common panda rats, coffee rats, long-snouted leopard rats, long-snouted red-headed rats, pearl rats, three-room rats and so on
6. Black shell shrimp
Commonly used indices: ★★
Efficacy Index: ★★★
Freshwater black-shelled shrimp are mostly multi-toothed new rice shrimp, and like Taiwanese rice shrimp, pseudo-multi-toothed rice shrimp, etc. are often referred to as black-shelled shrimp. Black-shelled shrimp often inhabit streams with rocky or gravel substrates, and often live in lakes and reservoirs, mostly hidden under water weeds, stones or deciduous bushes. The black shell shrimp is small, about 2-75 px, the optimal temperature is 23-28 °C, the pH is 6-7.5, and it can reproduce on its own when the environment is appropriate and food is sufficient.
There are generally two cases of black shell shrimp on aquatic groups: one is because of its small size and often serves as live bait for other large fish; the other is that the algae-eating shrimp in the aquatic weed tank is both ornamental. Black shell shrimp has a good effect on feeding on algae, animal and plant carcasses, and is commonly used in aquatic grass tanks, especially in aquatic plant landscape tanks with moss. Breeding black shell shrimp should pay attention to: the water temperature should not be too high and exceed 28 ° C; do not turn on the lights at night, because the night and early morning is its more vigorous period; there is a habitat for its climbing and hiding, such as sunken wood, aquatic grass, especially the Moss landscaping tank, etc.; to maintain good water quality, change water frequently; pay attention to good filtration and oxygen supply systems; pay attention to the emergence of too much reproduction and a large number of black shell shrimp.
7. Yamato Shrimp
Viewing index: ★★★★ ☆
Distributed in Japan, also commonly known as pearl shrimp, large and algae shrimp, the body size is larger than the black shell shrimp, similar in appearance to lobsters, the body color is brownish green to dark green, there are irregular intermittent spots on both sides of the cephalothorax, some are connected into a continuous longitudinal stripe, in the third abdominal segment there is a not very obvious horizontal spot, the frontal horn is short, about the end of the first antennal handle, the second step of the foot is symmetrical and slightly flattened and thick. Macrobrachium has good algae-eating ability and high ornamental value, but sometimes it pulls up aquatic grasses and dries on young leaves.
In addition to black shell shrimp and giant river prawn, there are many kinds of ornamental shrimp that also have the dual effect of ornamental and algae removal, which are quite beautiful in the aquatic plant landscape tank, such as bee shrimp, tiger striped shrimp, black shell shrimp, crystal shrimp, tennis shrimp and so on.
Viii. Black Mary
Efficacy Index: ★★
Black marys, along with red and silver marys, belong to the same category as maryfish (also known as Morley in books), and are native to Mexico and the United States in North America. Adults are 6–12 cm long. Suitable water temperature: 20-25 °C. The reproductive characteristics of oviparous births like peacock fish, which also belong to the tropical fish of the fetal medaka family, are roughly divided into two categories according to the shape of the body type: ordinary type and balloon type (commonly known as: teapot); according to the shape of the tail fin, it can be roughly divided into two categories: swallowtail type and round tail type; according to the shape of the dorsal fin, it can also be roughly divided into two categories: low-wing type and sail fin type. Mary fish physique is stronger, easier to raise, eating habits are quite mixed, easy to accept a variety of animal live bait and artificial bait, at the same time, also like to peck at aquatic grass, aquarium tank wall on the vine of moss, black Mary is generally as an ornamental and farmed in the aquatic weed tank, its function of eating algae, eating surface oil film is only a side function.
Nine, apple snail
Commonly used indices: ★
Efficacy Index: ★★ ☆
The scientific name is Japanese red snail, alias mysterious snail, large ram horn snail, belongs to the apple snail family, round, orange-red, very cute. Ornamental water quality does not have too high requirements for water quality, more resistant to harsh environments than most fish, but like weak alkali hard water, if the water body is deficient in calcium, limestone and shell powder should be added. It also feeds on fish excrement, moss, etc. In addition to apple snails, other snails, flat roll snails, moonlight snails, zebra snails, etc. have certain algae removal functions. However, it is often removed as a pest because it may also feed on young grasses.
10. Kissing fish
Efficacy Index: ★ ☆
The kissing mouth fish, also known as the kissing fish, is produced in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. The body is ovate and flattened laterally. The body color is silvery white, slightly pink, and the snout is reddish. Wild kissing fish are 30 to 40 cm long. Mild temperament, it can be polycultured with other species of fish. The feeding water temperature is 21 ~ 28 °C, and the water quality requirements are not strict. Fast growth, strong physique, not easy to get sick, the bait is mainly live food. This fish has very strange movements, often with a jagged mouth to kiss a companion, this is not love, it may be a contest. He constantly sucks the algae on the walls of the tank, stones and blades of grass with his mouth, so he is also a good cleaner. The age of sexual maturity of broodstock is 6 months, the reproductive water temperature is 27 ~ 28 ° C, the female has a fat and round abdomen, the male fish is smaller than the female, and it has a marriage color during the breeding period, and the body color changes from pink to purple.
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