#Twig catfish full

Daily feedings of algae-based foods (like spirulina pellets) and veggies such as blanched cucumber and zucchini will work well to keep the fish healthy. Because our home aquariums are too small and clean to sustain them that way, you’ll have to supplement your twig’s diet. Twig catfish naturally mostly feed on micro-organisms and algae that grow on decaying material. Add it in slowly using a thin hose to prevent shocking the fish. Be sure to dechlorinate new water with a high quality dechlorinator and temperature match it to the tank water. Nitrates should be lower than 10, while ammonia and nitrite should never be present.

Weekly water changes are a must, with the exact amount of water that should be switched out depending on the results of your (liquid) water test. If you’re not interested in replicating the twig catfish’ natural habitat exactly a normal peaceful planted community aquarium will also work fine, although the aforementioned conditions still apply.Īs discussed earlier, pristine water quality is vital to the well-being of your twig catfish. Tankmates should be calm and peaceful, like schools of small tetras and friendly catfish species such as the bottom-dwelling Corydoras. Some live plants that can tolerate low light conditions provide foraging and hiding spots. Moderate water flow is important to keep the water well-oxygenated. A tank like this would have dark, stained water with plenty of organic litter in the form of driftwood, leaves and twigs. The ideal aquarium set-up for a twig catfish would be a South American stream biotope. They won’t deal well with more boisterous tankmates at all.

This means they’re very peaceful but easily outcompeted for food. Second, these fish have made sitting still and doing nothing their survival method. The tank should always be completely cycled before you can consider adding any fish, and even then it’s best to add the twigs at a later stage when you’re sure the water values are stable. The most important factor is that these fish are extremely sensitive to poor water quality and will quickly perish if you don’t maintain excellent cleanliness at all times. If you’d like to keep twig catfish in your home aquarium, there are a few things to keep in mind. Twig catfish, whiptail catfish, Farlowella sp. Males can be differentiated from females by their broader rostrum (nose) with jagged rather than smooth edges. With a maximum size of about 6”, the twig catfish stays relatively small. The only time you’ll see these fish moving is when they’re grazing the surface for biofilm and algae. Here, they use their suction cup-like mouths to attach themselves to logs, roots and sticks, sitting motionlessly. With their elongated body, pointed nose and brown-green coloration they blend perfectly into their natural habitat, the debris-littered banks of the Orinoco river basin. They can easily be recognized from their very distinctive looks – if you can find them, that is. Keep reading for everything you need to know about keeping twig catfish from the Farlowella genus! Twig Catfish (Farlowella sp.) Descriptionįarlowella catfish take camouflage seriously. The twig catfish is not an exception in this: as its common name suggests, this species has evolved to survive by resembling a twig. There are big fish, small fish, colorful fish, bland fish… and then there’s catfish, the strangest of them all. she just looks fat.The aquarium hobby is home to a wealth of different fish species. if she is sick? she is moving around and eating as far as I can tell, but yea.

#Twig catfish full

I thought she might be full of eggs, but I don't remember seeing a belly on her at all when I bought her. I don't know much about these fish at all, and I was wondering if she is sick. I didn't notice this at all when I bought them. She has a very pronounced stomach on her. the one I think is the female seems to be swollen. there is no substrate, and the only decorations are an anubius and a rock to hold it down. I have been feeding them algae wafers, and spinach, and have the tank in a location where it gets direct sunlight to promote algae growth. My water is relatively hard with a kh of around 6 and a gh of 11? if I remember corectly. I have also been doing a 50% water chainge every other day using water from my main tank to top up the quarantine tank. I had 13 ottos in there before the twigs, and they all did fine, so I am sure the filter is working. I put them in a 8 gallon quarantine tank that had been set up for about 2 weeks, and started with filter media from one of my filters. I chose one with a very wide, shorter, snout and one with a slim long snout, in hopes that I would get a pair. Last week I purchased 2 twig catfish (Farowella sp.).