Pterygoplicht

Pterygoplicht, Coroncho or Karaham catfish, scientific name Pterygoplichthys punctatus, belongs to the family Loricariidae (Mail catfish). Calm peace-loving fish, compatible with other species. Easy to keep, if you have an aquarium of the right size. May be recommended for beginner aquarists.

Habitat

Comes from South America. It lives in the basins of the rivers Madeira, Purus – which are the right tributaries of the Amazon, which flow mainly through Brazil. They are also found in the Marañon River in Peru.

The water in the rivers is muddy, silted with a lot of snags and other plant residues remaining after the regular flooding of forests. Along the banks there are many floodplain lakes.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 200 liters.
• Temperature – 22-26°C
• Value pH — 5.5–7.0
• Water hardness – soft to medium hard (3-15 dGH)
• Substrate type – fine gravel
• Lighting – subdued or moderate
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – light or moderate
• The size of the fish is up to 30 cm.
• Nutrition – any drowning
• Temperament – peaceful
• Content is single or in a small group in the presence of shelters

Description

Adult individuals reach a length of up to 30 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. The differences between males and females are insignificant. The fish has a large head and a flattened body. A characteristic feature is the large fins and tail, the color is gray spotted.

Food

Omnivorous species. The diet should consist of vegetable and protein products. For example, peas, pieces of zucchini, cucumbers, spinach in combination with bloodworms, brine shrimp. Dry balanced feeds, preferably sinking ones, are also suitable.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal size of the aquarium for one catfish starts from 200 liters. Karahama is not mobile, so there should be enough space. In the design, shelters in the form of snags, a stony pebble substrate are used. Sandy soil should be abandoned, fish movements will provoke a strong suspension that can clog the filters. Instead of rooting plants, it is worth placing artificial ones, otherwise they will be pulled out or eaten. It is worth noting that plants floating on the surface are less vulnerable.

Favorable keeping conditions are achieved under stable water conditions with suitable hydrochemical values. Mandatory aquarium care procedures are weekly replacement of part of the water with fresh water and regular cleaning of organic waste.

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm peaceful fish. Able to get along with species of comparable size, including aggressive ones. Small fish should be excluded, as they can become an accidental victim due to the catfish’s promiscuous diet. Intraspecific conflicts have not been noted, it is allowed to keep more than one individual in suitable aquariums.

Breeding / breeding

Breeding Karahama in a home aquarium is difficult due to the size of adult catfish, and also because of the difficulty of recreating the necessary conditions associated with the change of dry and wet seasons in nature. Bred on commercial fish farms.

Fish diseases

Pterygoplicht, like other catfish, is distinguished by endurance and unpretentiousness. Diseases are rare and are associated mainly with inappropriate conditions of detention. Read more about symptoms and treatments in the Aquarium Fish Diseases section.