4 Popular Catfish - Great Tips On Catfish Care

Catfish are popular animals for keeping and eating. But, if you are looking for tips on great recipes, you're looking in the wrong place. This is where you are going to learn how to keep and maintain catfish as pets. One of the reasons people enjoy catfish is because they are very self sufficient. Catfish clean up algae and other organisms from tanks making cleaning easier for the fish owner. Catfish get their name from the cat-like whiskers on their face.

There are so many different types of catfish and they range in sizes and shapes. There is the Mekong giant catfish that grows to six feet long. This is obviously a fish you aren't going to own. There are catfish that are easier to keep than others. The catfish in this article include the Black Spotted Corydoras, Peppered Corydoras, Leopard Corydoras and Loricariidae.

1. Black Spotted Corydoras: This catfish comes from Venezuela and Guiana and can grow to a little over two inches in length. The reason for the name is pretty obvious when you see it. It's silver with black spots. Black Spotted catfish make good pets. They aren't aggressive and are peaceful animals. They prefer to eat white worms or tubifex, but will eat fish flakes.

2. Peppered Corydoras: The brown colored fish hails from Brazil. It also has spots on it but not as prominent as other catfish. Like other catfish, it handles communal tanks and cleans the tank well. It feeds on white worms, Tubifex and flakes. The Peppered catfish enjoys slightly acidic water, so check the pH level. It enjoys swimming in hard water.

3. Leopard Corydoras: The Leopard catfish is from the lower Amazon. The reason for the name is the dark spots over the silvery body that tends to form lines near the tail. The Leopard catfish is an easy fish to own. It's calm with other fish and doesn't act aggressively. It enjoys similar water conditions to the Peppered catfish and eats the same items. These fish usually swim around the bottom of the tank looking for food that the others have missed.

4. Loricariidae: These fish are covered in bony plates and are a hit with fish lovers. They have a suckermouth and clean up tanks as good as a vacuum. They love eating the algae and other tiny organisms, which makes cleaning the tank easier. These fish shouldn't be used as a substitute to cleaning. Cleaning must still be maintained. Most species of this catfish are nocturnal, so you might not see them out during the day. They prefer slightly acidic water (6.0 - 7.5 pH) and a temperature between 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit. They are good in tanks with other fish, but might fight with fish of their own species. These fish enjoy worms, insect larvae and algae. They should be fed in the evening. Many of these fish are sold just for their algae eating purposes. Some of them can grow to be large fish, but many stay relatively small, sucking up the algae at night. There are some of these that are bred in captivity because they are such a popular fish.

Catfish are a great fish to have in your aquarium. Besides eating the algae and making your cleaning duties easier, they get along well with other fish. This is important because with territorial fish, you can spend time trying to find the right combination of fish to put in your tank without them killing each other. Catfish come in many colors and varieties. Find the one you like best and enjoy the peaceful nature and low maintenance it brings to the tank.