Despite the exotic and decorative appearance, various predatory fish can exist in aquariums. Of course, with appropriate neighbors and proper nutrition.
Such individuals include aquarium pike, whose species are diverse.
Common pike
This is the most common species of predatory fish that can live in aquariums. In freedom, it reaches 120 cm, and in captivity it is small - about 60 cm.
The fish has a solid pan-reticular scale, therefore it is also called shell-pike. The body of the predator is elongated, sharp teeth on powerful jaws. A distinctive feature is the vertebrae, having a recess from only one side. The opposite side is convex, like amphibians. Breathing occurs due to the swimming bladder.
With the content, the most important thing is the temperature of the water, which should not exceed 18-20 degrees, otherwise the fish may die.
Do not keep shellfish in aquariums less than 150 liters. This leads to the fact that the individual begins to gain weight, and its size is reduced.
Pike Belonesox
Belongs to the carp fish family. Males of viviparous aquarium pikes reach a length of 20 cm, and females - 12 cm.
This variety of fish is capable of live birth, what is their unusualness. The female gives birth to live fry, which appear 38-40 days after fertilization. This species of fish is extremely fertile.
Pikes have long stigmas and crooked teeth, for this reason they cannot completely close the jaw.
Killi fish
These cyprinids are called Killi Fish. In their elongated body shape they resemble pikes. The natural habitat for them are small lakes and streams, in particular, dried up. Therefore, they are unpretentious and accustomed to poor external conditions.
Average aquarium species reach 10 cm. Conventionally, they are classified into seasonal and non-seasonal.
The most dominant individuals have golden, red, yellow, bright green and orange colors. Often there are Killi Fish, combining several colors.
Killy coexists favorably with other fish and with their kind. They coexist with moderate and calm relatives with a similar character, behavior and approximately the same size.
Killi Fish become aggressive during the breeding season. To neighbors with whom they have been cohabiting for a long time, pikes are favorable and do not conflict, but new residents can bring discord and anxiety to the quiet life of animals.
These fish consume live food, preferably floating on the surface of the water. They feed on a cut tubule, cyclops, a coretra, a crushed bloodworm will do.
You need to try to feed the inhabitants of the aquarium twice a day. Fish are not adapted to dry food, but for some time you can switch to frozen. No need to overfeed the pike, it hurts them, and the rest of the feed must be removed from the tank.
We should not forget that fish (including aquarium pike) need a varied diet, and individuals in the aquarium world will always be healthy.
Killi fish at home
Experienced owners of these individuals know that an increase in temperature for the pike has a bad effect - they move little and spawning stops.
Despite the fact that the killy fish are well accustomed to harsh living conditions, still for them 22-24 degrees is a normal temperature, and this level should not be crossed. This can lead to the death of the aquarium inhabitant.
Such representatives have the habit of jumping, so for safety reasons you need to cover the aquarium with glass.
No need for aeration and water filtration. But be sure to change ¼ of the water in the aquarium every 1.5-2 weeks. The required acidity of water is from 6pH to 7.5pH, and hardness is from 2gH to 10gH. For an optimal existence, fish need various shelters.
During spawning, females eat intensely. In spawning grounds with a volume of up to 10 liters, water aeration and filtration should be carried out. Killy-fish lay eggs in different ways - on the surface of small plants or bury them well. It depends on the kind of pike.
Aquarium soil must undergo mandatory processing. It can be peat crumb, boiled for about 30 minutes. The incubation period for eggs is 2 weeks, the water temperature should be 26 degrees, and its hardness is minimal. During caviar throwing, peat crumbs are dried and kept for almost 1.5 months. After that, it is filled with water for a couple of weeks.
Killi fish fry eat micro-feeds and grow fast enough.
The most common types of killy fish are:
- afiosemions;
- notranchiuses;
- lineatuses.
Afiosemions
For the existence of these representatives of the notobranchian family, a lot of vegetation and shelters from snags and stones are needed. They are peaceful, can get along with relatives of similar sizes.
All breeds of afiosemions have a multi-colored color with the predominance of any particular color. They eat live food, but can eat frozen.
The acidity of the water in which these fish species are found is 5.5 pH - 7.2 pH, and the hardness - 6 gH - 15 gH.
There are much more females in the aquarium than males, their approximate ratio is 3: 1.
Notobranchius
This seasonal species of Killi Fish lives about 12 months. To save the population you need to constantly breed them. The fish coexist well with other roommates of the aquarium.
Notobranchus prefer to swim on the surface or in the middle layers of the aquarium world. The deep and richly planted aquamir is most suitable for them. Small “fights” between males may occur.
Notobranchiuses are distinguished by a bright color of the scales. Among them there are individuals with a predominance of turquoise, red, green or purple flowers.
The nutrition of pike is exclusively live and frozen food. The most optimal water temperature in the aquarium for notobranchiuses is 22–25 degrees.
Lineatus
The pike has an elongated body, its eyes are emerald-shiny. Its natural environment is rivers, swamps and mini-ponds.
Despite the terrible appearance, the linearus is a peaceful fish of the cyprinid family. It is contained together with cichlids and barbs.
It can eat fry if it is very hungry. It is extremely undesirable to cohabit the lineatuses with small fish, as the predator can eat them. This freshwater has a huge mouth.
The female can behave very actively. For example, to catch an insect, it is able to jump out of the aquarium. She has well-developed fins, so such “maneuvers” are inherent in her.
The body length of the fish is not more than 12 cm, in females it reaches 9-10 cm. These are very miniature representatives with an interesting color. The gray body casts light greens, and its upper part contains dark stripes. From here the fish got its name - the linearus.
Representatives of this family are beautiful, especially in the light of lamps. Adult males are very expressive because of the bright green scales.
Females are externally different from males. They have the same gray body, but brighter scales. Females have short fins of a yellowish tint. They are able to change and transform colors, like a chameleon. This helps the individual take refuge in the algae.
Lineatus is a hardy fish that can adapt to other conditions. It is not very demanding on aeration of water.
Today aquarists breed hybrid red and gold lineatuses, which are more vibrant and exotic. Yellow individuals are distinguished by unpaired fins.
The color of the pike is much dependent on the area from where it was brought. For example, the Malaysian linearus is a bright green color. It is called golden Aploheilus. Pike from the Czech Republic - bright yellow.
Pike is unpretentious to temperature conditions. The optimum temperature for it is 20-31 degrees.
Gold lineatuses prefer to live in packs. You can immediately place from 8 to 10 individuals in a small aquarium. But there are some conditional limitations in the home breeding of these fish. For instance:
- PH level - no more than 8.
- It is advisable to lay the bottom of the aquarium with dark soil with many ornamental plants.
- The predominant neighborhood with quiet and calm fish.
- Fish of this species are very impulsive, so the aquarium should be closed.
With proper care and proper feeding of fish, aquarium lineatus pike can please the owners for about 5 years.
Feeding
The jaws are well developed in the fish, they are happy to eat insects and their larvae, frayed dry plants.
Pike love dry food, including cereal. As a vitamin complex, you can give her crushed bloodworm. Do not overdo it with food, fish need to be fed moderately.
Lineus spawning occurs in plants. The female can lay eggs on any surface. It is advisable to transfer them to an incubator. Mating lasts for a month. With successful development, the female can give about 90 eggs per week.
It is desirable to keep the fry in a different container, otherwise the mother can feast on them. Cubs can be fed with a nutritious bloodworm and other insects.
It is worth noting that cyprinids can become infected with infectious oodiniosis, therefore, even with strong immunity, proper and timely care for aquarium pike is necessary.