Catfish - Ancistrus tamboensis

Food and feeding
Bog wood must be added to the aquarium as they gnaw on this to aid their digestion. Their diet should comprise of mainly vegetable matter, algae wafers, catfish pellets and cucumber are ideal. They will still relish treats of brine shrimp and blood worm.

Origin
South America; they are found the basins of the Rio Tambo, Peru.

Sexing
Males will develop fleshy tentacles around the snout when mature; these will be less dominant or even no-existant on the females.

Breeding
The males will attract a female to a chosen spawning site, usually a tunnel or crevice, and once she has spawned, the female will be driven out. The male will guard the nest and the fry when they first hatch. After a couple of weeks, the fry should emerge from the nest and can be fed on newly hatched brine shrimp.

Lifespan
The expected life span for this fish is 12 years.

Short description
In the aquarium they will require well oxygenated water with a current. Provide hiding places with bogwood or terracotta piping. They are peaceful and can be added to any community set up.

Picture
Bought by aqua-fish.net from jjphoto.dk.