For many, aquarium fish become their favorite pets. Their names are extremely diverse and amazing. Many of them speak for themselves, but about some types a simple layman did not even hear.
Aquarium fish
The names of the inhabitants of home reservoirs are often a brief description of their appearance. For example, a swordsman has a tail that looks like a sword. And the cockerel is famous for its cockiness and bright color. Catfish, charming aquarium fish, are similar to a large mustachioed catfish.
The names of goldfish are also very vividly and figuratively reveal their features. For example, the veiltail is distinguished by a lush and long tail, the red cap has a red spot on the head, and the telescope has huge bulging eyes.
In addition to understandable Russian words, this list also has amazing exotic ones, because aquarium fish were brought from different places. Their names are therefore also unusual for the hearing of a Russian person. For example, mollinsia, Arovana, gourami, Bensha aulonocara, Antsistrus, cichlid, barbus and others.
Interspecific differences in aquarium fish
For convenience, aquarists share these pets according to the following parameters:
- The method of reproduction (laying eggs and viviparous) is extremely important.
- There are predatory fish, eating other, smaller individuals, and peaceful, ready to eat only insects, their larvae, worms, algae.
- The composition and temperature of the water, which is optimal for the content, also plays an important role: some species prefer a salty environment, while others prefer freshwater, some require fairly warm water, while others feel great at room temperature.
Predators in the neighborhood are bad for civilians
Before placing a new pet in the tank, one should be well aware of his habits and addictions so that aquarium fish breed well and do not devour each other.
Types of predatory fish are also divided into very aggressive ones that attack any neighbor, regardless of the fullness of the stomach and size, and those that can eat only fry or very small fish. Especially in this regard, piranhas became famous, the sharp teeth of which instantly bite into any flesh and tear off pieces. It is said that in nature these fish attack even a person and can swallow him in a short period of time.
And scalars are not distinguished by a good and flexible disposition. True, they will not attack a neighbor who does not fit in their mouths, but all small aquarium fish can suffer in the neighborhood.
The species of some predators can sometimes get along in one tank with peaceful fish. This happens when the volume of the aquarium is large enough, the food is diverse and plentiful, and around the inhabitants there are a variety of shelters. You should also plant those individuals who are preparing to produce offspring.
gold fish
Before you get a pet, you need to find out what kind these aquarium fish belong to. Photo and description of the breed, the optimal way of keeping it - these are the main parameters that will help create beauty in the aquarium, give it exoticism and make the existence of its inhabitants most comfortable.
The history of the appearance of goldfish dates back to the 7th century BC. After all, today's beauties are domesticated mutated ordinary river crucians! True, initially the goldfish did not enter the aquarium in Russia, but in China.
It should be remembered that all breeds of this species love space, good aeration, and large gravel at the bottom. Loved to rummage in the ground, goldfish stir up water, crush small algae, so very often you have to clean the container, changing the contents in it.
But goldfish are relatively calm about temperature extremes. Although they are not as hardy as their ancestors: in the winter they need only 16 degrees, and in the summer the most comfortable environment for them will be 24 degrees.
The food of the descendants of crucian carp should be varied. You can give a goldfish both animal feed and vegetable. Finely chopped salad and duckweed, unsalted cereals, richchia, bread - all this will appeal to an unpretentious veiltail or telescope. Fish breeds caviar.
Viviparous guppy fish
Perhaps the most beautiful, vibrant and diverse are the guppies. In the aquarium, they easily get along with any neighbors, provided that they themselves will not attack and destroy them. These fish are bloodworms, tubule moths, mosquito larvae, daphnia, cyclops. Dry food is recommended to crumble before filling in the aquarium.
It is very interesting to watch guppy breeding . You can even control this process. To do this, the female should be separated from the male and plentifully fed a week with only live food. Then you can combine the "groom" and "bride." A beginner aquarist may even be lucky enough to see the process of intercourse. A loving couple at this moment swims side by side, side by side, and the male reproductive organ penetrates the opening of the female’s abdomen.
The fish carries the offspring 21 days. At this time, her abdomen swells, because up to 33 fry can be inside! Unfortunately, sometimes guppies can eat their relatives, as the fry are extremely small and the first hours are inactive. Therefore, it is recommended for 21 days to drop the female from the rest of the fish.
To observe the birth process, the water in the delivery tank must be slightly warmed up. Let it rise by 3-4 degrees - it will become a generic stimulant. A future mother, with an increase in water temperature, begins to rush about, make turns and make sharp jerks. At this moment, you can see how the ball inside the abdomen is moving to the hole for going out. And at some point, the fish throws a “little fish” into the water.
True, it looks more like eggs than fry - a round and transparent ball slowly plans to the bottom. But as it lowers, the ball unfolds, taking the form of a tiny fish. Having a little rest at the bottom, the fry rises to the surface. It is best to immediately catch it and transfer it to a "nursery", because after the mother gives birth to the last fry, she will be tormented by hunger. Sometimes it happens that instead of food guppies can eat their own baby - the parental feelings of these fish are unknown.
Fry can be fed with oatmeal, powdered milk on the first day of life. On the fourth day, you can already give small dry daphnia. Keep fry separate from the rest of the aquarium inhabitants until they reach the same size as the rest of the fish in the aquarium.