CHOCOLATE DORADID

Platydoras armatulus is a popular freshwater tank fish of the family Doradidae. The fish have armor, they are enduring and can produce various sounds – all these features attract aquarists. But there some peculiarities in keeping catfish and you’ll find out about them from our article.

Origin

This kind was called Platydoras costatus by mistake until the time when in 2008 a group of scientists classified and divided two similar kinds: Platydoras costatus and Platydoras armatulus.

Species with a restricted habitat that includes couple of rivers in the Eastern part of South America are called Platydoras costatus.

As for Platydoras armatulus, it is spread over the whole territory of South America and it dwells in basins of Amazon and Orinoco rivers.

The fish has huge natural habitat, that includes Orinoco river basin in Columbia and Venezuela, Essequibo River in Guyana, part of Amazon river basin in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, Tocantins River and Parnaíba River basins.

Size

In the wild grows to be up to 20 centimeters (7.9 in) long and sometimes even bigger species can be encountered. In a tank the average length of the adult is 15 cm (6 in).

Lifespan

Lifespan is 15 years, some records state that it can be even 20.

Water Parameters

water temperature should be 24-26 °C (75,2-78,8 °F), ph: 6.5-8.0, 8 — 15 dGH.

Feeding

The fish is omnivorous and it’s easy to feed it. In the wild they feed on mussels, crustaceans and detritus. The fish is a bottom feeder, so it means that it eats everything it can find on a river on a tank bottom.

In a tank the fish eats all kinds of food. Use high-quality pellets or tablets as main component of the diet.

As for supplementary components, these may be live and frozen food such as bloodworm, small earth worms. It’s better to feed the fish when the lights are off to make sure that it’ll get the food and won’t stay hungry.

You should feed the fish every day, since Platydoras armatulus is a nocturnal fiish, feed it after you turn off the tank lighting.

Tank mates

The fish is absolutely not aggressive, but it may treat small fishes as food, that’s why they actually aren’t suitable for a community tank.

Taking into account that the fish has its armor that protects it, you may even keep it with aggressive species such as flowerhorn, oscar fish, jaguar cichlid.

Gender differences: male vs female

Only when you have enough of experience of keeping the fish, you’ll be able to see between the male and female. Usually the male is slimmer and brighter colored, than the female.