Anostomuses

Fish of the Anostomus family (Anostomidae) inhabit the upper reaches of most of the largest river systems in South America. They are found in the main channels of rivers in regions with a moderate and sometimes rapid flow. There are several hundred species, however, only a few of them are known in aquarism. Representatives of this family are distinguished by the relatively large size of adults (about 30 cm in length) and complex behavior, which directly depends on the size of the group.

Successful keeping is possible only in spacious aquariums equipped with all the necessary equipment for cleaning and monitoring water quality. It is important to provide a high level of dissolved oxygen due to additional aeration, which is actively spent on the oxidation of organic waste (food residues, excrement etc.), in large quantities produced by such large fish. It is unlikely that it will be possible to manually maintain high water quality in significant volumes, so the correct selection and configuration of equipment is of key importance.

It is worth remembering that Anostomuses are prone to jumping out of the water, for this reason aquariums should be closed from above with special structures (lids).

Considering the potential difficulties in keeping, associated with significant financial costs, as well as the problems of finding compatible species, makes these fish not the best choice for a beginner aquarist.