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The Congo River (Zaire) is one of the largest ponds in Africa. Flowing through the protected and not always studied places, it keeps under the thick of its waters a lot of secrets and mysteries.
For a long time, almost from the time of the first colonial conquests, the unusual animal world of these primitive lands, including fish, has been studied. Numerous similar and completely different creatures found their shelter in the aquariums of amateurs.
If in the Great Lakes of Africa the dominant family, most fully represented in aquarium and, therefore, the most popular, are cichlids (Cichlidae), then in the reservoirs of the Congo River basin such a clearly dominant clan does not exist. Although in fairness, perhaps, we can say that many representatives of the family of the Bakhromchatych som (Mochokidae) deserve special attention. The abundance in the local ichthyofauna is similar to each other, but something of a different catfish inspires respect.
Soma - an invariable attribute of settling almost any aquarium. They are planted here, at least already, in order to revive the bottom area. Some enthusiasts in general want to see in their aquarium only soms and try to equip the capacity so that in it the maximum number of species has found shelter. In this way, mistakes often lie in wait for them.
Somas, like cichlids, differ from each other in size, lifestyle, environmental requirements. Very often bought small catfish for a few months grow up and turn into all-destroying giants, bringing chaos to the design of the aquarium, eating less nimble and larger relatives, as well as other neighbors. Many indifferent initially to the vegetation of fish, growing up, begin to intensively nip off young shoots and "hole" the old leaves.
Most catfishes lead a nocturnal or twilight way of life. In the afternoon they either rest somewhere in shelters, sluggishly moving from place to place, or openly asleep. Activity only increases in the evening hours. With typical night inhabitants, you can not do anything, but Twilight Catfish can be slightly "re-educated" by reasonable restrictions in feeding. Having become accustomed, such fish eventually become tame: like cichlids actively react to what is happening behind the glass, they recognize the owner, they do not refuse to talk and take food from their hands.
All these qualities are met by the representatives of the Mochokidae family, popular in recent times, and, more simply, synodontis, inhabitants of the African continent, the Congo (Zaire) and its tributaries.
A small aquarium (50-60 liters) can also be used to keep the synodontis, but it is better to arrange a somonnik in a reservoir with a capacity of 200 liters, equipped with a productive filter (3 to 5 volumes of water per hour with a large filter surface area), aeration and a regulated heater that Is able to maintain a temperature in the range of 24-27 degrees C.
Bright lights do not need catfish, so you either have to make it muffled, or place enough shelter in the aquarium. Otherwise, be prepared for the fact that your pets will not soon go out for a walk.
The basis of the decorations of the somnovnik are snags and stones. Plants are mostly artificial. Live flora when decorating the aquarium is best used in minimal quantities. The exception is only large anubias and some long-length hydrophytes with a good growth rate. If the aquarium is abundantly planted, the catfish should be fed with tableted spirulina for herbivorous fish (any catfish, unless they are pronounced predators, eagerly eat products of plant origin). The basic diet of catfish consists of the usual feeds: bloodworm, coretra, washed tuber, pieces of fish, lean meat, black bread, zooplankton organisms (cyclops, daphnia), quality dry food.
In order to revive the middle layers, the company is put into somami distichits, alestovy tetras and other nimble neighbors, differing in medium and large sizes.
Koryagi are not only ideal shelters for synodontis, but also serve as a source of edible cellulose for them. Often, fish actively pinch them, clearing to a mirror shine no worse than chain-shaped catfish. Therefore snags should be qualitatively prepared, boiled. It is highly desirable that they abound in various kinds of hollows, which frogs like to occupy so much.
The quantity and quality of the soil does not matter much, just like the stones used for decoration.
Care for the aquarium is carried out according to the standard scheme: cleaning with a siphon of soil, washing the filter and weekly substitution of 1/3 of the volume of water for fresh. If the strawberry is overpopulated or the filter is weak, then the last procedure should be carried out 2 times a week to prevent the accumulation of organic substances to concentrations exceeding the tolerance of fish.
Congolese synodontis are quite plastic species: the pH can range from 5.5 to 8.5, and the rigidity from 5 to 25 degrees.
Let us dwell in somewhat more detail on the fish most interesting for the biotope cowboy "Congo".
Star synodontis, synodontis angel (Synodontis angelicus). The brightness and efficiency of the color of the fish immediately striking. On the velvet-black background of the body are scattered large white spots-peas. Unpaired fins with zebra coloring. In nature, individuals grow to 25 cm, in an aquarium, as a rule, half as much.
Band synodontis (Synodontis flavitaeniatus). In aquariums, this fish, as a rule, does not reach large sizes. Its maximum length does not exceed 6 - 10 cm. It is distinguished by a contrasting outfit composed of longitudinal strips on a yellowish-red body. With age and without inclusion in the menu rich in carotenoid fodder, the color is blurred.
Flag synodontis (Synodontis decorus). Large, up to 35 cm, powerful and incredibly spectacular fish. In conditions of captivity grows up to 10 cm, often becomes manual. Active day. Willingly goes to contact. Coloring beige-copper with large black spots, on a large-eyed head a marble grid of dark carp. The main ornament is a filiformly elongated first ray of the dorsal fin (flag) and a neat lyre of the tail.
In the lower reaches of the Congo (Zaire), Synodontis Brichard (Synodontis brichardi) lives in the regions of Kinshasa and Stanley Poole. Sinodontis is unusual in that it can suck in to objects like the lorikariovy catfish. And although his mouth is only a half-cock, this behavior looks very unusual. The color of the fish is contrasting: on a dark background there are transverse thin white bands. Unpaired fins have a black and white marble color. It grows in aquariums up to 15 cm, but usually the length of these fish does not exceed 10 - 12 cm.
A close view is S.ornatipinnis. The light body of the fish is decorated with dark broken lines, a head with a mottled pattern, and fins with black stripes.
Marble synodontis (Synodontis schoutedeni). It grows up to 16 cm, in aquariums usually 8 - 12 cm. The color of the fish is quite bright: zigzag-like stains and spots run along the golden-beige background. Bright face - with a mottled mask.
Speaking about Congo's synodonties contained in aquariums, one can not ignore the smallest of them, namely the Synodontis nigriventris synodontis. Small (6 - 8 cm) brown-marble fishes have an interesting feature: they turn upside down by the abdomen, they hang for a long time at the surface, in the water column or under a driftwood. Such abilities help them to collect food. I must say that all sinodontis have the ability to roll over, but turners do it especially virtuously.
Close view of S.contractus. Small 7-centimeter fish are painted beige-gray with dark spots and crooked, alternating with light points. As with the turntables, the mouth with a half-nose.
In order to fill the middle and upper layers som biotope can recommend living in Congo distihodusa Distichodus lusosso - big fish, which even in small aquariums reaches a length of 15 - 25 cm, and naturally sprouting right up to 40 cm She elongated snout and attractive. Striped coloring.
Six-banded distichitis (Distichodus sexfasciatus). No less powerful fish. Muzzle curved down. These distohodusy are similar in color to the previous species. Fins are reddish.
Silver distichkus (Distichodus affinis). Silver-metallic shine of the body of fish in the frame of reddish (in juvenile - red) fins looks more modest than the color of the above species. But small sizes (10 - 12 cm) allow keeping a flock of fish (large distihodusy better live alone) in a 100 - 150-liter voluminous aquarium.
It should be remembered that distihodusy are omnivorous and live plants eat without residue and with apparent pleasure. There are often cases when even plastic plants were "chewed" by distichokes to an unexposed species.
Distinctions are large, powerful and voracious fish, so they should be kept in mind, taking into account the temperament and appetite peculiar to the representatives of the genus, selecting the bottom fish of the appropriate size.
For medium aquariums with synodontis, as well as for aquariums with living plants, aleste tetra-congo are suitable. These are schooling peaceful fish of attractive appearance. It can not be said that they are completely indifferent to plants. On the contrary, to the flora of certain species they show very much even a significant gastronomic interest. But in combination with vegetable dressing, and when properly selected landscape solving indoor pond, you can use live plants as a decorative element (of course, taking into account the needs of the inhabitants of the catfish).
Of the aleustic tetras, the most interesting and famous is the rainbow congo (Phenacogrammus interruptus). Eight-centimetric males of emerald color with golden flashing inserts are decorated with veil-shaped unpaired fins. Female smaller (5 - 7 cm), paler - bronze gray.
Their relatives - Hemigrammopetersius caudalis - are less common and less common in aquariums. They are distinguished by a delicate silver-emerald coloration of the body, adorned with golden overflows, which become well visible in the reflected light. The size of fish 7 - 8 cm in flocks of 10 -. 15 fish, fully occupying the middle strata somovnika, will play the role of anti-stress, helping the bottom dwellers better get used to the new place.
Creating biotope pond - a difficult and troublesome, which afford only true lovers of aquatics, curious naturalists and lovers of wildlife. Selection of a harmonious community of fish, escape from the chaos of fish hostels will result in the gratitude of your pets, and the transfer of a piece of nature into the house is a joy in the soul.


S. Elochkin, Moscow Aquarium No. 1, 2002.