Balitorid Zollinger

Balitorid Zollingera, scientific name Balitoropsis zollingeri, belongs to the family Balitoridae (river chars). The fish is named after the Swiss and botanist Heinrich Zollinger (1818-1859), who discovered many species on the islands of the Indonesian archipelago.

Habitat

It comes from Southeast Asia from the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. Inhabits fast-flowing streams and rivers. Prefers coastal zones, shallow water with rocky substrates.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 100 liters.
• Temperature – 20-25°C
• Value pH — 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness – soft to medium hard (2-15 dGH)
• Substrate type — stony
• Lighting – moderate or bright
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – moderate or strong
• The size of the fish is 6–7 cm.
• Food – sinking or special feed
• Temperament – peaceful
• Keeping in a group of 5-6 fish

Description

Loaches of the genus Balitoropsis are often referred to as “water lizards” because of their resemblance to reptiles. In particular, Balitorid Zollinger is sometimes sold as the Black Water Gecko.

Adults reach a length of 6–7 cm. The structure of the fish is designed to live in conditions of a fast current. The body is elongated and flattened. The pectoral and ventral fins are horizontally oriented, helping to securely cling to hard surfaces. They crawl along the bottom rather than swim. The coloration is black with rows of annular white stripes.

Food

In nature, they feed on the so-called “biofilm” – a layer of algae on stones and microorganisms in them. Normal floating and sinking foods (flakes, pellets) probably won’t work. Being carried away by the current, they will quickly get into the filtration system. It is advisable to use special products in the form of gels placed on the design elements, or tablets, sticks that are fixed at the bottom.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal size of the aquarium for a group of 5-6 fish starts from 100 liters. When keeping, it is important to provide clean running water rich in dissolved oxygen. Ideally, the turnover should be 10-15 times per hour. To ensure such a flow, productive pumps or internal filters of excess power will be required.

The decoration is ascetic, rather rocky ground with large boulders and a few snags or any other heavy decor that will be resistant to the flow. When choosing live aquatic plants, it is worth giving preference to anubias and some ornamental mosses and ferns that can grow on driftwood or rock surfaces.

Behavior and Compatibility

Balitorid Zollinger has a peaceful, calm disposition, but given the specific habitat, it will not be easy to find neighbors in the aquarium. Compatible species can be found among other chars.

Breeding / breeding

In nature, reproduction is seasonal. The stimulus for spawning is a change in external conditions (temperature, water composition, diet, etc.). It is difficult to recreate such changes in an artificial environment. At the time of writing, there were no successful cases of breeding this species in a home aquarium.

Fish diseases

Health problems arise only in case of injuries or when kept in unsuitable conditions, which depresses the immune system and, as a result, provokes the occurrence of any disease. In the event of the appearance of the first symptoms, first of all, it is necessary to check the composition of the water for the excess of certain indicators or the presence of dangerous concentrations of toxic substances (nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, etc.). If deviations are found, bring all values ​​back to normal and only then proceed with treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the Aquarium Fish Diseases section.