Many beginners and experienced aquarists heard about it or even contained such a beautiful fish as the danio leopard. Such fame is understandable. On the one hand, the fish is very beautiful, even exquisite. On the other - it is quite simple in maintenance, does not need a large aquarium, expensive feed. Also, when breeding, there are no special problems - even a beginner will probably easily cope with this stage of breeding beautiful fish. Therefore, to learn more about them will be very useful.
Where did they come from?
Of course, many aquarists are interested in where this amazing fish comes from. In fact, in the wild, the zebrafish leopard, whose photo is attached to the article, does not occur at all. Yes, yes, this is only a successful mutation from zebrafish, which was fixed by experienced aquarists.
Well, his ancestor is found in many countries of Asia: from Myanmar to Pakistan. They mainly inhabit rivers, ponds, streams and canals. Often swim in rice fields - the water warms up well here, there are almost no predators, and there is enough food. Therefore, in the fields of zebrafish rerio and spawn. When the rainy season ends, they again return to the lakes and rivers.
Appearance
The fish are quite small - no more than 6 centimeters. The body is elongated, quite elegant. If you look closely, you can see a tiny antennae on the lips.
In nature, the average life span is depressingly small - rarely does an individual last longer than a year. But in the aquarium, under the creation of suitable conditions, they can live for three or four years, and long-livers - even up to five years.
The fish got its name due to its unusual color. If in zebrafish the body is covered with horizontal stripes extending from the tail to the head, then the body of the leopard has a pale yellow color. Against such a background, small black dots that also cover the fins are randomly scattered. Danio leopard veil is quite popular among aquarists. His fins are especially chic - long, airy. It is thanks to them that the fish becomes so refined and attractive.
Suitable aquarium
Before you make a leopard zebrafish, make sure you have the right aquarium. Fortunately, the fish is quite unpretentious. For a flock of 10-15 individuals, a capacity of 40-50 liters is enough. The main requirement is that there should be at least a small current in the aquarium. Thanks to him, the fish feel better. A regular filter can easily handle this function. He will not only create a current of water, but will also purify it, so less time will have to be spent on cleaning the aquarium. By the way, the replacement of zebrafish rerio leopard water is quite unpretentious - it is enough to change about a quarter of the volume only once a month. Therefore, for a novice aquarist or that fish lover who can not afford to spend a lot of time caring for pets, they will be an excellent choice.
Coarse sand or fine gravel is suitable as a substrate. Seaweed is welcome. But it is advisable to plant them along the back wall. However, they should not occupy more than a third of the bottom area. It is better to leave the rest of the space for swimming - the fish need a certain activity, and among the thickets they simply cannot fully swim, which will definitely affect their well-being.
Food
In terms of food, the fish are not whimsical at all. They will perfectly eat almost any food, including dried gammarus and daphnia. If possible, it is better to choose combined cereals, which include all the necessary vitamins. Of course, they will be able to live their whole lives on cheap feed, but this will affect the size and beauty.
It is advisable to give live food. A good choice will be the pipe maker and bloodworm. But, giving them, you should remember about the special structure of the oral cavity of the zebrafish - it is designed in such a way as to collect food from the surface of the water. From the bottom, they simply can not pick it up. Therefore, it is very important to use a special feeder, through which the bloodworm will be selected a little and immediately eaten.
It is also advisable to keep several catfish in the fish tank. They will collect food that has fallen on the ground, maintaining cleanliness and reducing the number of cleanings, which will allow the aquarist to save a lot of time.
Content
Of course, despite the simplicity and unpretentiousness of the zebrafish leopard, maintenance and care are associated with certain subtleties.
Start them with one or two pairs is not worth it. Still, the fish are schooling - being in a small group, they begin to worry. Which is not surprising - in the wild, a small group is doomed to quick death. Therefore, it is better to immediately get a flock of at least 7-10 fish.
They are very unpretentious to water temperature, feel great in the range from +18 to +24 degrees Celsius. So there will be no special problems with the content. But still, at a temperature of + 20 ... + 23 degrees, they are less likely to get sick and grow larger.
If there are no catfish in the aquarium, then it is advisable to clean every evening - approximately 20-40 minutes after feeding, in order to remove the remnants of food. If catfish live here, eating the rest of the feed, then this can be done much less often - once a week. Basically, it will be necessary to remove the remnants of the vital activity of the fish. In any case, they will not create much trouble and problems.
Breeding
Of course, one of the most interesting stages associated with the content of zebrafish leopard - breeding fish. It is nice that this does not require special knowledge and complex, expensive equipment. Therefore, even a novice aquarist who does not have much experience in breeding fish will be able to cope with the task.
Fish become sexually mature at the age of 5-6 months. To do this, it is advisable to prepare a separate aquarium. A small container is suitable, where the water level is about 10-15 centimeters. The temperature needs to be raised - by about 3-5 degrees compared with the temperature in a conventional aquarium. Water heating is the incentive to spawn. Moreover, you can’t immediately transfer fish to an aquarium with warm water - you need to raise the temperature gradually.
At the bottom, it is desirable to lay a separator grid - alas, fish often eat their own eggs.
It is desirable to feed producers well and plentifully - live food is suitable.
Spawning usually begins in the morning. The male immediately water the eggs with milk. After spawning, it is advisable to quickly fish the fish so that they do not eat offspring.
After a few days (usually 2 to 4), fry hatch from the eggs. The first few days they lie on the bottom or leaves of algae, and then begin to swim. The best food in the first stages is rotifers, nauplii and ciliates.
Conclusion
On this, our article on amazing fish comes to an end. Now you can surely get them and provide zebrafish leopards with excellent living conditions.