Psychology of feelings 

How to find out what fish want to eat. How to understand that there is a fish in the aquarium. Goldfish – golden palace

Guppies are beautiful freshwater fish. It is hardly possible to find another breed of fish that has remained loyal to both beginning and experienced aquarists for several decades. The phenomenon is explained not only by the ease of keeping and unpretentiousness in nutrition, but also by the huge variety of colors, fin shapes, and interesting breeding features.

Guppies have strong sexual dimorphism. The male, unlike the female, has a more graceful physique, elongated fins and is more intensely colored. Guppies reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 months. Housing conditions have a significant impact on the reproductive functions and maturation of fish. An increase in water temperature by 2-3 degrees leads to faster metabolism and earlier puberty in guppies.

Some experts warn that stimulation methods such as water changes and increasing water temperature are only needed if labor is difficult or occurs prematurely. A decrease in temperature can significantly slow down not only the development of the reproductive system, but also lead to lethargy, decreased activity, and illness.

These cute fish are viviparous, or rather oviparous. In them, fertilization occurs internally, and fertilized eggs also develop in the female's abdomen. From a single mating, she can produce several groups of fry, so it is necessary to notice the pregnancy in time and place the female in a spawning tank so that other fish or the parents themselves do not eat the babies.

It is necessary to observe “mating courtship” so that one female is not chosen by several males, which will have a bad effect on the condition of the expectant mother and the quality of the offspring. Therefore, the ideal option is a pair of guppies that need to be isolated.

Readiness of fish for fertilization

When breeding purebred guppies or engaging in selection, it is necessary to strictly monitor the crossing of fish and correctly form pairs. And to do this, you need to determine in time the guppies’ readiness for mating.

A sign of readiness for the mating process in guppies is courtship. The male begins to “chase” the chosen one, pressing against her side with his anal fin. At this point, the aquarist must isolate the couple, since the fertilization process has already begun. In the future, placing a pregnant female in a separate vessel can be dangerous for her and her offspring, since she becomes very sensitive to changes in environmental characteristics.

These unpretentious fish can reproduce in a small container, but what better conditions, the more healthy and large offspring you can get. The “maternity hospital” should have enough space for 2 guppies. Experienced aquarists claim that from the moment the couple is isolated, the female’s pregnancy can be counted. Very rarely, a male may need 2-4 days for fertilization.

Depending on age, number of previous marks, water temperature, type of food and other characteristics, the duration of the gestation period can vary from 30 to 60 days. Normally, the period is 30 ± 5 days. A reduction or increase in gestational age may indicate a violation of the conditions of detention or problems with the health of the fish. The interval between litters can be 1-2 months.

A special feature of the livebearers is that the mark is extended over time. A fertilized fish can “give birth” to fry in groups with a time gap between births. Sometimes another male mates with the female who gave birth, and in the next generation babies will appear from both males.

Fertilization process

Sperm are introduced into the female's genital opening using the gonopodium. The formation of the copulation organ begins during puberty. Before this, there are no differences in the structure of the anal fin of the female and the male. With the onset of puberty, the rays in cross-section resemble a triangle, and later a tube.

The tube, equipped with muscle fibers, rises or falls, which facilitates the introduction of spermatophores - “packets” of sperm into the female’s body. They are partially spent on fertilizing part of the eggs, and a certain amount of seed material is stored inside the reproductive organs of the female for several months. In guppies, as a result of one insemination, from 5-6 to 11 marks often occur.

When the female is completely ready to mate, she releases environment a special secret that attracts males to her. They also have a chemical effect on the mating behavior of females. Copulin secreted by the gonads of males forces the female to take a position that is most convenient for inserting the gonopodium into the genital opening. The female's swimming in an inclined position is another sign of her readiness for copulation.

But such chemical “markers” of readiness for procreation do not replace physical stimulation. The male begins a courtship dance around the female, spreading his fins and sparkling with the bright color of his body, he quickly rushes around the chosen one. Several males can “chase” a female at once.

Interestingly, each male has his own dance, which he repeats in great detail during each mating. This mating ritual is enshrined in the genetic memory of males. If he does not “court,” the female will not allow the male to approach her, despite the chemical marks.

The female also chooses a “gentleman” based on the brightness of the color and the length of the fins. The winners are males with red coloring or red spots and long fins. They grow in males throughout their lives and indicate longevity, good health. These qualities are desirable in offspring. Thus, information about his viability as the father of numerous offspring is “encoded” in the male’s appearance.

Signs of pregnancy

By observing the behavior and appearance of the female, you can determine whether she is pregnant. Experienced aquarists note that before the appearance external signs During pregnancy, changes occur in the behavior and appetite of the female. 1.5 weeks before giving birth, there is a sharp increase in the fish’s appetite, so inexperienced guppy owners attribute the rounded abdomen to overeating.

But if you carefully monitor the female’s condition, you will notice that her tummy is getting bigger. Unlike an overfed fish, the belly is enlarged not only in the lower part, but also on the sides. When viewed from above, the rounded sides of the fish are visible. The closer to birth, the “squarer” the abdomen is, and a “prenatal” or maturity spot appears in the area of ​​the anal fin. It can be dark brown, yellowish ocher or black. Through the stretched skin of the abdomen you can see the “grain” of the spot, the so-called “eyes of the fry.”

A few hours before giving birth, the abdomen is already so large that a noticeable hollow forms between the chest and abdomen. A bulge forms in the area of ​​the anal fin. Its appearance signals that there is about a day left before the fry appear. It is worth noting that the degree of severity of the “square” abdomen and “prenatal spot” stage in some varieties of guppies is less pronounced, but the anal bulge must certainly be present.

Before giving birth, the behavior of the fish also changes. She begins to look for shelter or tries to hide among the plants. This is especially noticeable in community aquarium– the males begin to chase the female, but she hides from them. Features are also observed in the movements - the fish hangs motionless at the surface of the water or in the middle layers, it lowers its tail.

When contractions occur, you may notice trembling of the muscles in the anal area and trembling of the caudal fin. Childbirth lasts from 3 to 5 hours. Sometimes the process stretches to 5-7 days. The number of fry in a tag depends on the size, age of the fish and the number of previous births. A first-born mother can give birth to 15-25 babies, and with repeated births their number increases. There is a recorded case where a guppy gave birth to 180 fry in one mark.

The health of the fry and female depends on:

  • environmental conditions - high temperature causes premature birth and the appearance of non-viable offspring;
  • food – live food contributes to the normal formation of fry and the maintenance of pregnancy. When a pregnant female is fed dry food, the fry may experience scoliosis;
  • the presence of one or more males - they exhaust the female.

Sometimes a young and healthy female cannot give birth. To stimulate labor, replace settled fresh water, increase the temperature to 28-30°C, or add a young male before spawning.

Guppy pregnancy video

Caring for fry and female

After the female has fry, she must be removed or the fry placed in a container for rearing. The fry are active and immediately begin to look for shelter. Their survival depends on this, since guppies have a complete absence of parental instinct. The female perceives large fry as prey. Therefore, pebbles, artificial or live plants are placed at the bottom of the spawning tank - everything that the kids can use as shelter.

An interesting feature of guppies is that they are hermaphrodites - individuals in which the genital organs of both sexes are developed. Self-fertilization is possible in such fish. In addition, spontaneous transformation of a female, even one that has already spawned, into a male occurs. Much less often, a male turns into a female.

Guppies are interesting in terms of breeding. Behind short period they can produce several groups of fry, which is very convenient for selection. To get healthy purebred offspring, you need to know all the intricacies of breeding these amazing fish.

How to determine that something bad is happening to the fish in your aquarium and take measures in time to prevent the most negative outcome? Usually we discover problems when it is already quite late - there are clear signs of the disease that are visible to the naked eye, this is actually the phase at which it is too late to do anything. In fact, it is not people who are so inattentive to their fish, but rather the fish are very “cunning”.

The thing is that predators in nature attack weakened fish first, since in this case the chances of a successful attack are maximum; it’s a different matter with healthy fish. In reality, only a small part of predator attacks are successful, but it is always easier to defend yourself. The protective mechanism of fish provides for this fact and therefore early stages diseases are very difficult to detect, because in the wild this is the key to their survival.

Full text of the news:

Probably all aquarists know how difficult it is to cure sick fish, when we already detect signs of the disease; in most cases, treatment is already useless - the disease and its cause are firmly entrenched. At such a moment we're talking about about whether you will be able and have time to save the rest of the inhabitants of the aquarium. The problem of caring for the health of sick fish in a timely manner has several reasons that make it difficult to save the fish. The main reason is, of course, the lack of a normal system of knowledge about fish diseases, their symptoms and treatment; not much attention is actually paid to this issue; the second reason lies in the fish themselves.

In the wild, regardless of the environment itself: forest, mountains, air or water, predators always strive to attack those victims who show signs of illness; they are much easier targets than healthy rivals. Therefore, fish have learned to mask the first signs of illness and minor injuries, thanks to which fish can reduce the risk of attack by predators. But this makes life very difficult for aquarists who would like to keep their fish healthy, but still these signs can be detected if you are a little more attentive to your fish.

Mainly, you need to know what behavior is normal for your fish, so for example, when preparing for the trip to work, you can spend 5 minutes over a cup of coffee observing their behavior, during which you can detect some unusual phenomena for fish:

  1. Appetite - perhaps the fish are not behaving as usual when feeding
  2. Breathing - what is the respiratory rate - fast (tachypnea) or slow (bradypnea)
  3. Swimming - how actively do fish swim?
  4. Color - are there any changes in the color of the fish?
  5. Social activity - perhaps the actions of the fish are fraught with something unusual?

Appetite

It is very important to control the behavior of fish during feeding, fish do not have many functions in life while they are in the aquarium, the main ones are: eat, grow, eat a little more and grow a little more. This is of course somewhat exaggerated, but this is to show how important the energy that fish get from food is for survival. If fish do not receive enough energy, they become weaker and lose their chances of recovery.

So why is a decrease in appetite a sign of significant problems? Lack of food intake causes the body to need to use up energy reserves (eg, liver, muscle and fat mass), which can lead to severe general weakness and decreased overall activity. Lack of new digestible food also results in less energy available to others important functions such as the immune system. Ultimately, this will make the fish much more susceptible to infection.

Sick fish, like other living beings, will instinctively expend more energy to cope with the threat to their life and the struggle for recovery, spending additional energy on this. That's why proper nutrition plays a particularly important role in the life of fish, often fish, without any special health problems, refuse food, most often this manifests itself when the diet for fish is incorrectly selected.

Breath

Breathing for fish, as for other living beings, such as humans, plays an important role. The amount of oxygen absorbed is directly related to various stressful situations and in fact, it is quite easy to notice changes in the breathing rhythm of fish.

It is easy to count the number of times a fish exhales by the number of movements of its gills. The breath of fish is actually one of their most weak points, this is the price to pay for the opportunity to obtain oxygen from water; water and blood in fish move in different directions; this process determines how much oxygen will be received and how many toxins will be eliminated. Any deviation from the norm leads to an imbalance in this balance, and will invariably mean significant problems for the health of the fish.

Among the reasons leading to changes in the frequency of the breathing rhythm include:

These problems stimulate the fish's immune system to produce additional mucus, which is an important natural tool for fighting fish diseases. Problem in in this case The fact is that mucus only worsens the situation; it further clogs the gills, reducing the volume of oxygen entering the blood, since the volume of water entering through the gills decreases. A decrease in the amount of water passing through the gills leads to a decrease in the level of gas exchange, as a result, toxins are not removed from the fish’s body, such as ammonia, for example.

Signs of changes in the breathing rate of fish are an excellent reason to take the condition of your aquarium more seriously and understand what is happening in it.

Decreased swimming activity

The activity of fish is a very important parameter of their health; even how exactly the fish move matters, if, for example, their speed is maintained. At first glance, it may seem that most fish swim the same way, but in fact this is not the case. All fish different shapes fins, their size and location differ - each species has its own unique evolutionary path and each species along the path of its development changed the structure of its fins for maximum survival, which means their swimming style is different.

In fact, when we talk about the swimming of fish, it is also important that, for example, they prefer to be motionless for a long time, and not rush after each other in the upper part of the aquarium. Any changes in the behavior of fish indicate that there are certain negative factors affecting them; this does not necessarily mean that there will be illnesses or injuries. The behavior of fish is also directly influenced by their neighbors; by the way, injuries to the fins during conflicts between them are quite common and are an excellent springboard for the occurrence of diseases.

If the fish began to behave more passively in response to existing external “stimulants” than usual, this may mean that there is a certain chronic problem, i.e. a problem that has been affecting fish for quite a long time. For example, high level chlorine content in water, or something else. Deviations in the normal behavior of fish are most often an accompanying symptom, which is often accompanied by a decrease in appetite. The common reason for such changes is the general weakness of the fish.

Changes in color

Although lack of appetite or decreased swimming activity is the most obvious sign, changes in the color of fish usually occur in the early stages and if you regularly examine your fish, you will easily detect changes in their color.

The thing is that when fish are subject to severe stress under constant pressure negative factors, the endocrine system of fish, which is responsible for the production of various hormones, is subject to special pressure. For example, such as corticosterone. Corticosterone leads to a weakening of the coloration of fish; maintaining bright, saturated colors requires a lot of energy, and in fish that have to be stressed as a result of the presence of negative factors, a significant part of the energy is spent not on “coloring”, but on survival. Therefore, changes in the color of fish are often the first signals existing problem in aquarium.

Social behavior of fish

The social behavior of fish indicates a certain level development of intelligence. Each fish in the aquarium builds its own relationships with other animals that live in it with it. Depending on a number of factors, such as size, character or lifestyle, fish can occupy their own territories, react accordingly to other fish or people, and also have other behavioral characteristics. For example, in an aquarium there are always fish that feel like they are the “top of the chain”; such fish will always strive to prove their superiority over others. But this is only an example; for a better understanding, we can give another example, when fish somehow react particularly to a person and his approach to the aquarium, and on some day their reaction suddenly turned out to be passive, i.e. missing in fact.

This is easy to track; often you don’t even have to do anything special, it’s enough to just be attentive at such a moment. If fish show complete passivity in such situations, this in an overwhelming number of cases means that the fish are under severe stress and something is clearly not going according to plan.

Minimizing stress in the aquarium

The first thing that is important to understand is that you cannot completely eliminate stress from the life of fish; it is as normal for them as it is for people. Stress allows fish to survive, it forces them to fight for their lives and forces them to adapt and be prepared for even greater challenges. However, you can and should manage the stress that your fish experience, at least if you want to have an aquarium with healthy fish.

Unlike most other species of animals kept in captivity, fish cannot simply leave the aquarium; it is their permanent habitat; they cannot jump over the aquarium and go for a walk. For them, the aquarium is everything - this is the environment in which everything is decided for them, and you play a decisive role in its well-being. And the most main question For fish in an aquarium, this is a question of water and its quality. The issue of water quality for an aquarium plays a role vital role, almost all problems that begin in an aquarium in fish always have one common root - improper care of the aquarium water.

Unfortunately, many aquarists have a very simple approach to caring for water in an aquarium - just change the water regularly, monitor the temperature and, of course, pour various chemicals into it that make it “suitable”. In fact, the water in an aquarium has several more parameters that need to be monitored, among the main ones: the level of acidity and hardness. Each species of fish has its own preferences in these parameters; keeping fish in water with incorrect constant parameters will easily lead to their severe exhaustion as a result of prolonged stress. It is also important to measure water parameters at different levels, for example, at the bottom, surface and in the middle, since the composition of water at different levels can vary greatly due to natural reasons.

Among the other most likely sources of stress are the so-called fish compatibility tables, which do not take into account a huge number of factors. For example, in addition to the parameters of temperature, acidity and water hardness, there are social aspect- behavior of fish when kept with others. Many compilers of such tables forget that they should not keep schooling fish together and single fish or those forming permanent pairs. The reason is simple, the latter strive to capture a certain territory in the aquarium and, as a rule, it is larger than the aquarium, but schooling species, although they do not conquer their territory, they also need it for free movement. As a result, this leads to strong conflicts between fish.

It is not enough to take fish that prefer the bottom, while others top part. Territorial fish capture it not only in the horizontal plane, they will attack all fish that are above them and the aggression in this case will not be much weaker.

Of course, these are not all the factors that lead to severe stress and subsequent problems; it would take a whole book to describe them, and in future articles we will try to cover them as well.

How to determine when buying a fish whether it is healthy or sick.

Sick fish can be distinguished from healthy fish by many signs. The disease is primarily indicated by appearance: dull color, pressed, as if glued fins, fringe on them, sometimes barely noticeable, retracted or, conversely, swollen belly, excessive thinness. Ruffling of the scales and damage may be observed. In some cases, the gill covers are raised or damaged. Obvious signs of the disease are ulcers, various kinds of rashes on the body, cotton wool-like plaque in certain areas, the presence of a cataract, bulging eyes, hemorrhages, etc. Excrement often looks like long mucous threads. Sick fish also differ in behavior: they often stand in one place, sway, hide in corners, itch against the bottom, plants, sometimes move jerkily, and rotate in one place.

Why do fish get sick?

Diseases of aquarium fish usually occur due to keeping them in unfavorable conditions. Pisces weaken and are easily susceptible to disease. Unfavorable conditions include: low water temperature or sudden fluctuations, excess or lack of lighting, unsuitable for this species chemical composition water, the presence of toxic substances in water, etc. Sudden changes in environmental parameters have a bad effect on fish: replace immediately large quantity water, transplanting fish into an aquarium with other conditions, etc. The cause of the disease is often improper feeding: lack or excess of food, monotonous or poor-quality food, inadequate diet, inconsistency of its composition with the needs of fish of a given species (for example, lack of plant food in the diet of herbivorous fish) . And of course, diseases can be caused by the introduction of infectious agents from natural bodies of water along with live food and plants, as well as due to the placement of fish in an aquarium without prior quarantine. If fish are kept in an aquarium with an established biological regime, on nutritious food, they, as a rule, do not get sick, although pathogens may be present in the aquarium (the so-called “dormant” infection).

How to understand that the fish is sick.

Nonspecific signs of disease in fish.

These signs may appear separately or in combination. They only matter if they are a deviation from the norm.
- Loss or decreased appetite.
- Abnormal behavior of one type or another.
- Change in color.
- Compressed fins.
- The fish is hiding.
- Lethargy.
- Breathing disorder.
- Abnormal swimming.
- Fish excrement takes on the appearance of long threads hanging at the anus.
Fish exhibiting any of these signs should be closely monitored for additional signs of any specific disease. It is necessary to check the concentration of nitrogen-containing substances, as well as other water parameters such as temperature and pH.
It is not always possible to accurately diagnose and identify a specific fish disease. In such situations, the measures taken will depend on the circumstances. There is no point in treating an unknown disease by arbitrarily using chemicals. medicines in the hope of accidentally getting on the right medicine. Many medications are toxic to fish to one degree or another and can cause aggravation. The combination of different chemical drugs (when different drugs are used sequentially without destroying traces of previous treatment by partial replacement of water or neutralization) is a very effective method poison the fish.
If a diagnosis cannot be made based on external signs of the disease, samples will have to be taken for laboratory analysis. To clarify the situation, either samples may be required aquarium water(these are useful if you suspect poisoning, but the cause is not clear), or biological material obtained from opening fish. In both cases, the tests must be performed with the help of a veterinarian or fish health consultant.

Nonspecific signs of irritation in fish.

Fish diseases caused by unfavorable conditions.

Unfavorable conditions, in addition to their direct effect, weaken the fish’s body and open the gates infectious diseases. Fish most often get sick due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures. This usually happens in spring and autumn - during periods when the heating season. An increase in water temperature to 32-35° usually does not have a harmful effect on many species of fish. At very high temperature the fish, as a rule, begin to rush about in a vertical plane, sometimes even trying to jump out of the water. Sudden temperature fluctuations can also cause illness.
Lack of oxygen can lead to death from suffocation. It is usually determined by the behavior of fish, which rise to the surface of the water and swallow air bubbles. The situation is worse if there are no noticeable signs of oxygen deficiency, then proper measures are not taken and the fish gradually weaken. In this case, young fish become “tight”. Various types of diseases and death due to insufficient oxygen occur more likely at high water temperatures. Diseases can occur when kept in water that is too acidic or too alkaline for a given type of fish, as well as in water that is too soft or hard.
For a number of fish species, excessive loading of water with various organic residues is contraindicated. On the one hand, during the decomposition of residues, oxygen is consumed and its deficiency is detected, on the other hand, decomposition products are formed, for example, nitrogen and sulfur compounds, which are themselves poisonous,
Humic acids reduce the pH and hardness of water, making living conditions unsuitable for many species. At the same time, other fish can be kept for a long time in the same conditions without visible harm.

Fish diseases caused by improper feeding.

Fasting adult fish, sometimes even for a long period, usually does not lead to visible negative results. In contrast, for fry in the first periods of feeding it is very great importance both quantity and quality of feed. As a result of insufficient feeding of the fry, as well as in the case of a deficiency of calcium or other components, fish often grow with pathological changes in the structure of various organs, primarily this is reflected in the curvature of the caudal peduncle. In some species, insufficient feeding of grown fry is compensated by further accelerated growth. However, there are cases when fry, after a long period of fasting, completely refuse food and die from exhaustion. For the most part, grown fish that did not receive food in sufficient quantities at one or another (especially early) stage of development find themselves “delayed.” Many of them are subsequently unsuitable for breeding.
Viscera obesity is a common cause of death for adult fish in aquariums. This fish disease can almost entirely be attributed to their captivity. Limited movement and abundant regular feeding are the main reasons for the deposition of unspent substances in the body of adult fish. When keeping many animals in captivity, one day a week is usually “hungry”; Maybe we should do the same with fish. The deposition of fat in the liver leads to its degeneration and causes severe metabolic disturbances. Due to obesity in the testes and ovaries, fish can become completely infertile. Obesity of the viscera greatly weakens the body of fish, making them susceptible to infectious diseases, primarily infectious abdominal dropsy. It is usually impossible to cure fish with fatty viscera.
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines often occurs in adult fish in an aquarium as a result of prolonged feeding of monotonous food, especially in cases where it is very concentrated. Inflammatory process begins, in particular, when feeding enchytraeus, often with dry food (as a result of a lack of vitamins, proteins or fats), as well as bloodworms or tubifex taken from reservoirs contaminated with various types of waste. Sometimes there are difficult to explain cases of poisoning by completely benign bloodworms. When the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed, fish, as a rule, do not lose their appetite, their movements become lazier, and their color darkens somewhat. If at the same time the abdomen swells slightly, then inflammation of the stomach can be suspected. When the intestines become inflamed, the anus becomes reddish, and the excrement becomes mucous, bloody, and thread-like. Inflammation of the stomach and intestines weakens fish and opens the way to many infectious diseases.

Poisoning. Poisoning by insecticides, etc.

Chlorine in tap water for fish and plants.

To combat microorganisms, chlorine gas is added to tap water. As a result, hydrochloric acid and perchloric acid are formed, the latter decomposes in the light into hydrochloric acid and oxygen. This oxygen is very active at the moment of its occurrence and, with its strong oxidizing effect, kills bacteria and other microorganisms. Tap water usually contains some chlorine (0.1-0.4 mg/l), but special cases, in particular in spring, the chlorine content in water rises to 0.4-0.5 mg/l (at this time it smells of chlorine) and has a harmful effect on fish, and sometimes kills them. First of all, the toxic effect affects the gills, they become sick, their tissue is destroyed, then the fins and the whole body are damaged. Chlorine is harmless to aquatic plants.
Chlorine can be removed from water by standing for 1-2 days or by vigorously blowing for several hours. When pasteurizing water for 30-40 minutes, chlorine is also completely removed.

Wounds inflicted by fish on each other.

In aquarium practice, one very often encounters such cases when fish injure each other. Many large cichlids, labyrinths and some spawn-marking carp-toothed and other fish damage, to a greater or lesser extent, representatives of both their own and other fish species. Damaged areas of the body and fins are regenerated with high speed without harm to the victims (of course, if the damage did not affect vital organs). In these cases, usually no infection of any kind affects the wounded fish.

A quick search on the Internet can usually tell you whether your fish breed is viviparous or lays eggs. This will let you know if you should be paying attention to pregnancy bloating or tiny jelly-like balls of eggs in your aquarium. If you are expecting new baby fish, try to learn as much as you can about your specific breed, as raising them yourself can be challenging.

Steps

Determining pregnancy in viviparous fish

    Use this method for viviparous breeds. Guppies, mollies, swordtails and platies are probably the most common types of viviparous aquarium fish. Males and females of these breeds mate, after which the eggs develop in the body of the female. After a period of one or two months (for most aquarium breeds), the eggs hatch into fish and the mother gives birth to them.

  1. Learn to identify males and females. Typically, males of viviparous breeds are lighter and more elaborately colored, and they have a thin, long anal fin on the lower part of the body near the tail. Females are duller in color with a triangular or fan-like anal fin. If you can determine their sex, it will be easier for you to determine whether two fish are fighting (usually two males or two females), or whether they are mating, or preparing to mate (one male and one female).

    • In some breeds this is more difficult to determine and you may need the help of an expert at your aquarium store.

  2. Pay attention to mating games. Different types fish behave differently during fusion, engulfment, and other mating behaviors. In many breeds, including most gouramiids, the male actively chases the female, sometimes causing her scratches, bites and other damage. In other breeds, such as discus fish, the male and female work in pairs to protect the area of ​​the aquarium from other fish. In any case, during mating, the male and female will grab each other, turn upside down, spin around each other and make other subtle movements that are difficult to see.

    Check for pregnancy bulges. The female fish develops a bulge in the back of its abdomen. The abdomen usually grows over a period of 20-40 days, taking either a round or “box” shape.

    • Some fish, such as the balloon mollies, have a naturally convex abdomen just behind the pectoral fins.
    • Overweight male fish may develop a large belly near the front of their chest. If you stop feeding them for a couple of days, it may disappear, while the abdomen of pregnant females will remain in place.

  3. Look for a red or black spot. A pregnant female often develops a “pregnancy spot” on her abdomen near her anus. It is usually black or bright red and becomes more distinct as pregnancy progresses.

    • Some fish always have this spot, but it usually becomes lighter or darker when the fish is pregnant.

  4. Decide how to prepare for the arrival of young fish. Raising the young (fry) can be extremely difficult and you may need a separate aquarium for the fry to prevent the adults and aquarium filters from harming them. If you are not ready for such a task, contact an aquarium store or an experienced aquarist who may be willing to help you or take the fish from you. If you decide to take care of young fish, you can skip to the section below to understand how to raise young fish, but we also advise you to understand the characteristics of your particular breed.

    Determining nesting and egg laying

    1. Use this method for species that lay eggs. Most aquarium fish lay eggs, including discus fish, betta fish, and most gourami species. Females of these breeds lay hundreds of eggs, usually in a prepared nest on the floor, walls or surface of the water. If the male is spawned in the same tank, he may fertilize the eggs after they are laid, or by mating with the female before, depending on the breed. The eggs will then hatch into live fish.

      • Search the name of your breed online to determine whether it is an oviparous or viviparous breed.
      • The females of some fish species are able to store sperm for several months in order to later use it to fertilize eggs, so in a new aquarium with only females, the fish will sometimes be able to breed.

    2. Watch for signs of nesting. Some egg-laying fish make nesting boxes to keep their eggs safe. The nests may look like mounds of gravel, but they are not always visible. Some gouramis can make complex bubble nests, which are usually made by the male on the surface of the water.

      Keep an eye on the eggs. Some females of these breeds swell as the eggs inside them grow, but this is not usually the case. main feature and doesn't stay long. The laid eggs look like tiny jelly-like balls. Usually it is released into the water, but in some breeds it may end up in a nest or attached to the floor or walls of the aquarium.

      • Many spawning breeds, including most gouramis, also have mating displays. These games are usually very energetic and can last for several hours until the eggs are laid.

    3. Prepare to lay eggs. Caring for the young can be challenging, but even if you are caught off guard, you still have some time before the eggs are laid. If you are interested in raising your own fry, check with your aquarium store for advice as the process may vary between breeds. If you are caught off guard, refer to the chapter on raising young fish for basic tips, but remember that this method is not ideal for different breeds of fish.

    Raising young fish

      Get to know your breeds of fish as best you can. The instructions below will walk you through the basics and are suitable for dealing with emergency situations when your aquarium suddenly fills up with young fish. However, caring for young animals is a real challenge, and the more you know about the features specific to your breed, the better.

      • To learn more about a specific breed, find articles on breeding and raising gourami, discus, fighting fish and guppies.
      • Ask for advice from the staff at an aquarium store or on an aquarium forum on the Internet. Usually their advice is more useful than advice from the employees of a regular pet store.

    1. Replace the filter with a sponge filter. If you have a filter that sucks water or creates a current, turn it off and replace it with a sponge filter from the aquarium store. Otherwise, the current can weaken the young animals or even suck them inside the filter and kill them.

    2. Separate the fish. Many aquarium fish breeders take a new aquarium and transfer eggs or young fish into it. But unless you are an experienced aquarist, you will find it difficult to create a safe and stable aquarium environment in short term. Instead, you can get a plastic separating net from an aquarium store to separate the fish. Depending on the species, parents can be either caring or predatory, so try searching online for advice about your fish breed. If you can't find advice, make a decision on how to separate the fish based on the parents' behavior:

      • If the parents laid eggs in the nest and are protecting them from other fish, divide the aquarium with a net so that the parents and the nest are on one side, and the rest of the fish are on the other.
      • If the mother has given birth to live fry or laid eggs in the water, keep the adult fish on one side of the net. The young must swim through the net to hide from them.
    • If you don't want your fish to reproduce, separate the males and females. If you are late, the aquarium store can take the fish from you.

    Warnings

    • If your fish is getting fat, slow, and has puffy scales, contact a professional or pet store for advice. It may not be pregnancy, but an illness.
    • Never release fish into natural waters unless you have caught them from the same source before. Otherwise, you may accidentally cause an infestation that will lead to environmental destruction.
    • If you do not prepare properly, most, if not all, of the fry will die.

Live and frozen food is suitable as food. In this matter, bettas are not picky fish. Some aquarists, when there is a shortage of food, feed washed earthworms.


Just keep in mind that no pieces of food should accumulate at the bottom of the aquarium, however, this rule applies to all types of fish.

Video on the topic

Aquarium fish The cockerel has a fighting character. It is important to know what conditions of maintenance and what care these charming creatures of nature need. You also need to know about the compatibility of these fish with representatives of their own and other breeds.

The aquarium betta fish has several names. It is called a lively cockerel, a Siamese cockerel. And that's why. After all, this is a predatory fighting fish that can stand up for itself. The beauty and variety of colors of the various subspecies are amazing, and keeping such specimens is quite simple. Therefore, more and more aquarists want to have this aquatic resident.

Home of the aquarium betta

This representative of the fauna lives in fresh water bodies of Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. He loves standing warm water.

Local residents fell in love with these cute fish not only because of their beauty. People have noticed that the males of this breed are very lively. Therefore, the Thais began to organize fights with the participation of Siamese cockerels. For some, this business became a source of income, since the bets were monetary.

Little by little about the wonderful inhabitants depths of the sea learned in other countries. They began to be exported to France and Germany, and then they appeared in other countries.

Description of the breed

Cockerels can be one, two or even three colors. Some specimens are mother-of-pearl, and their scales shimmer beautifully.

Aquarium bettas are classified by the type of their fins. Therefore, there are the following names for these inhabitants of the deep sea:

  • semilunar;
  • crown tail;
  • veiltail;
  • short-tailed;
  • double tail.
  1. Lunar - tricolor. Its body is blue, and its fins and tail are blue, red and white.
  2. The crown tail has fins and a tail that are similar to the emperor's headdress. The color of the fish is appropriate - red, because royalty should be bright and memorable.
  3. The veiltail looks like a goldfish and has this color. And her delicate fins and tail are like a veil - they are just as beautiful, light and transparent.
  4. It’s not for nothing that the short-tailed one is named that way. If we compare it with other representatives of aquarium bettas, then this subspecies has the shortest tail. This part of the fish, like the others, is very attractive. The tail looks like an open fan of a crimson hue with a white edge.
  5. The double tail has a very rich body part, as well as lush long fins. The fish has a bright blue-red color.

Interestingly, some of these fish have chameleon abilities. Depending on the mood and conditions, these swimming animals can change color. So, when the female is “dating”, her coloring becomes brighter. The same applies to fish that are aggressive or scared.

When the bettas find themselves in a familiar environment in a normal state, their color becomes the same. Therefore, if at home care your aquarium bettas have changed the brightness of their color, which means that something does not suit them. And if it is a female, perhaps she will soon begin to spawn.

The male is larger than the female and has a brighter color. To distinguish representatives of different sexes, you need to look at their fins. In the male they are longer.

The average lifespan of this fighting fish is 3 years. But when good care they can live longer.

  1. One of the important factors in their maintenance is water temperature. It should be at 26-29 degrees with a plus sign. If the water is cooler, pets may get sick. To prevent this, be sure to install a special thermometer in the aquarium and periodically monitor the water temperature.
  2. As for water, these unpretentious inhabitants of the deep sea will feel fine in ordinary water poured from a tap. But first you need to defend it. You cannot use distilled water. This contains bacteria that can harm the bettas.
  3. These fish love soft water with a neutral acidity level. If your water is hard, then first change it using a special conditioner that is designed to soften water.
  4. They need to change it periodically. In an aquarium with a capacity of more than 100 liters, once a week a fifth of the water is poured out and new water is added. If the fish house is smaller, then a third of the liquid contents of the aquarium are replaced every 3 days. If your bettas suddenly change color and begin to show aggression, then this may be a reaction to changing the water. Don't worry, it will go away with time.
  5. Keep the fish house clean, periodically remove food debris and other contaminants.

After you bring the fish home, you need to relieve them of the effects of the stress they suffered and soften their adaptation. To do this, use medicinal granules designed specifically for such situations.

Install the fish house where it is warm and there is not very bright natural light. Moreover, direct rays of the sun should not enter the aquarium. Cockerels like short daylight hours - no more than 8 hours, and artificial lighting will be most optimal for them.

Although some sellers in pet stores claim that these unpretentious fish can live even in a glass of water, this is not true. The minimum volume of the aquarium should be 3 liters. But if you want your new pets to feel great, then use an aquarium with a capacity of 5 to 10 liters for one individual.

Here the cockerel will be able to swim comfortably, since in such open spaces you can turn around. A filter and various aquarium plants will fit here. You can decorate the space with driftwood, stones, and arrange beautiful grottoes here.

Do not fill the fish house to the brim with water. Leave a space of at least 8-10 cm at the top.

This individual not only breathes in water, it also swallows air from the surface of the water surface. The fish will simply suffocate if it does not have access to this oxygen. But since the cockerel is very thermophilic, the air should be warm. Therefore, the aquarium is usually covered with a lid, and a surface space of 10 cm allows these beautiful representatives of wildlife to receive enough oxygen.

It will also be released by plants. You can breed unpretentious specimens in an aquarium, such as:

  • hornwort;
  • cryptocorynes;
  • Vallisneria.

Cockerels are unpretentious in food. They can eat dry and live food. The latter includes: dry bloodworms, brine shrimp.

The aquarist must develop a diet for pets. After all, every representative aquatic nature We have our own gastronomic preferences. Some cockerels will eat food with great appetite high content plant ingredients, another prefers food with good protein content.

But the diet of these sea ​​creatures should not be monotonous. This should include both live and dry food. When purchasing dry ones, you need to pay attention to the date of manufacture and shelf life. It is better to buy food for bettas in closed containers, since loose food may contain pathogenic flora.

Compatibility of aquarium bettas

These fish have intraspecific aggression. Each representative of this breed vigilantly guards its territory. Therefore, keeping two males in one aquarium is impossible. The dominant male will try to kill the weaker one. Sometimes these fish can show aggression even towards spawning females if they do not like them. Therefore, it is better to keep one betta in one aquarium. If you have a spacious house for fish, then it is possible to place 2 fish here, but to delimit their territories.

In addition to such intraspecific aggression, Siamese bettas can spread it to other smaller, clumsy fish. You can add nimble representatives to their aquarium underwater world, such as:

  • Corydoras (speckled catfish);
  • Molinesium;
  • swordtails;
  • platy.

But who is this with? betta fish won't get along with:

  • goldfish;
  • cichlids;
  • others to labyrinth fish.

Also, snails should not be introduced into the aquarium with your new charges. They will tear off the whiskers of large ones, and simply eat small ones.

Also, when thinking about who to put in an aquarium with cockerels, consider whether the conditions of detention and other parameters of various representatives of the water depths are similar.

This is how they are aquarium fish cockerels. As you understand, the maintenance of these individuals is quite simple. The main thing is to provide them with good water at a comfortable temperature, take into account what neighborhood they don’t like or dislike, and feed them correctly.

In response to minimal care, you will make wonderful friends who will delight you with their appearance and perky character.