saddle char
The saddle char or Homaloptera orthogoniata, scientific name Homaloptera orthogoniata, belongs to the family Balitoridae (River char). A rare fish in the aquarium hobby. Often, other closely related species are on sale. Thanks to its peaceful disposition, it can get along with many tropical fish. Makes high demands on its content, so it is not recommended for beginner aquarists.
Contents
Habitat
For a long time it was believed that this species inhabits most of Indochina. However, later studies have shown that the saddle char is endemic to the island of Borneo, and its closest relatives live on the continent.
Prefers the upper reaches of rivers with fast clear water rich in oxygen. The natural habitat is characterized by gravel or rocky substrates covered with a biofilm formed by a layer of algae and microorganisms. Plants are occasionally present in the beds of rivers and streams, but the banks are covered with dense vegetation.
Brief information:
- The volume of the aquarium – from 100 liters.
- Temperature – 20-25°C
- Value pH — 6.0–7.5
- Water hardness – soft (1-10 dGH)
- Substrate type – sandy or fine gravel
- Lighting – subdued / moderate
- Brackish water – no
- Water movement – moderate / strong
- The size of the fish is about 9 cm.
- Food – mostly live or frozen food
- Temperament – peaceful
- Content in a group of at least 5–6 individuals
Description
Adult individuals reach a length of about 9 cm. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed – females are somewhat larger than males. The body coloration consists of light and dark brown shades. In the drawing of the body there are marks on the back, resembling a saddle in shape, which are reflected in the name of the fish. There is another closely related species, Homaloptera parclitella, which has an almost identical coloration. Since both species have identical requirements for their content, they can conditionally be considered synonyms.
Food
It is recommended to feed live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp with herbal supplements such as spirulina flakes. Dry bagged food can be fed as an addition to the main diet, but should not be the main food.
Some unscrupulous suppliers neglect proper feeding as it is easier and cheaper to feed with dry food during transportation. Such a diet leads to the depletion of the fish, which, after the purchase, will have to be fattened in a separate aquarium so that no one encroaches on its food.
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
The optimal size of the aquarium for a group of 5-6 fish starts from 100 liters. The decoration includes gravel or sand or mixtures of both, boulders and large stones, driftwood and a few hardy plants along the side walls.
When keeping saddle charr, it is important to provide moderate water movement, high levels of dissolved oxygen and prevent the accumulation of organic waste (fallen fragments of plants, excrement, leftover feed).
Behavior and Compatibility
Non-aggressive calm fish, compatible with other species of similar size and behaviour. As neighbors in the aquarium, cyprinids are perfect. It is desirable to keep in a group of 5-6 individuals, with a smaller number they can become shy, refuse food, and lose color.
Breeding / breeding
At the time of this writing, no reliable cases of breeding this species of charrs in a home aquarium have been recorded. This is largely due to their weak distribution in the aquarium hobby.
Fish diseases
By their nature, non-ornamental fish species that are close to their wild relatives are quite hardy, have high immunity and resistance to various diseases. Health problems can be the result of inappropriate conditions, so before starting treatment, check the quality and parameters of the water. If necessary, bring all values back to normal and only then begin treatment, if necessary. Read more about diseases, their symptoms and methods of treatment in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.
