The lion-headed cichlid (lat. Steatocranus casuarius) got its name from the large fat bump located on the head of the male.

Now such decorations can be found in many fish (for example, y), but earlier it was a curiosity.

Poll first described the lion-headed cichlid in 1939. It lives in Africa, from Lake Malebo to the Congo Basin. Also found in tributaries of the Zaire River.

Since the lion-headed cichlid lives in rivers with fast and strong currents, its swim bladder has significantly decreased, which allows it to swim against a strong current.

Difficulty in content

Lionheads are rather small cichlids growing up to 11 cm in length and are well suited for aquarists with limited space.

They are unpretentious in terms of hardness and pH, but very demanding on the purity of water and the oxygen content in it (remember the fast and clean streams in which they live).

Quite accommodating, they can be kept in a common aquarium with other small and fast fish living in the middle layers of the water.

They form a strong pair, often an individual whose partner has died refuses to spawn with other fish. In relation to other cichlids - territorial, especially during spawning.

Description

This cichlid has an elongated body, with a large head and blue eyes. Males develop a fat bump on their head, which only grows over time.

The body color is olive green with inclusions of brown, blue or gray. Now there are dark blue individuals.

Usually the average size- 11 cm for a male and 8 for a female, but there are also larger specimens, up to 15 cm.

It also differs in the style of swimming. They lean on the bottom, as gobies do, and move in jerks, rather than just swimming. This is due to the fact that in nature lion-headed cichlids live in water bodies with a fast and strong current.

Their lower fins act as fins and their swim bladder has been greatly reduced, allowing them to be heavier and thus resist the current.

Feeding

In nature, the lion-headed cichlid feeds on various insects and benthos. In the aquarium, he eats both live and frozen food, as well as branded food for cichlids.

In general, there are no problems with feeding, they are quite picky.

They are not very demanding on the composition of the water, but they need a strong current, a high oxygen content in the water, so a powerful and high-quality external filter is needed.

It is desirable that the filter create a powerful current, this will remind them natural environment a habitat. Good aeration of the water is also very important.

Lionhead cichlids are indifferent to plants, but they can dig in the ground, so it is better to plant plants in pots. In general, they like to dig the ground and remake the aquarium in their own way.

• Hardness: 3 - 17° dH
• 6.0 — 8.0
• temperature 23 - 28 ° C

Compatibility

They get along well in common aquariums with various fish. The main requirement is that they have no competitors in the bottom layers that can enter their territory. Fish living in the upper and middle layers of the water will be ideal.

But, at the same time, they are not too small, the size of which allows them to be swallowed. It can also be kept with other medium-sized cichlids, such as c or. But in this case, the aquarium should be spacious enough.

Sex differences

Distinguishing a male from a female in lionhead cichlids is easy, provided they are sexually mature.

The female is smaller in size, and the male develops a fat bump on his head.

Breeding

They form a very stable couple with faithful partners. Often a pair is formed for life, and when the partner dies, the fish refuses to spawn with other fish.

They become sexually mature at a body length of 6-7 cm. In order for a pair to form independently, 6-8 fry are bought and grown together.

They spawn in cover, and it is difficult to observe the process. For breeding, the pair digs a hole, often under a rock or driftwood. The female lays from 20 to 60 eggs, rarely about 100.

The larva appears in a week, and after another 7 days the fry will swim. Parents take care of the fry for quite some time until they begin to prepare for the next spawning.

They walk them around the aquarium, protect them, and if the food for them is very large, then rub them in their mouths and spit them out into the flock.

LION HEADED CICHLIDA - content, photo, reproduction

Date: 2010-09-02

Lionhead cichlids in the aquarium

The lion-headed cichlid has received the name "hump-on-head cichlid" from European aquarists. We call it lionhead cichlid.

Steatocranus is native to Africa. But this is not an endemic of African lakes, where the water is hard, alkaline, it lives in soft water rivers of the Congo. Nevertheless, steatocranus can be kept in an aquarium along with other Africans: it is indifferent to water hardness.

When I purchased fry of this species, their size did not exceed 3 centimeters. They were thick, gray, with marble stains. The pattern is especially evident when frightened, which obviously helps the fish to hide among the stones on the ground.

Lionhead cichlids I have grown with other cichlids in hard water. The fry grew quickly and already at 4 months it was possible to determine their sex: the males had a small bump on their foreheads, besides, they overtook the females in growth.

Photo lionhead cichlid

By the year, males reached 12, females - 8 centimeters. The body was massive, and by the age of one and a half, the bump was already sticking out above the snout, the lips became thick.

All six fish grew normally. But one day I had a shortage of live food (bloodworm, coretra, crustaceans), and I had to use a fresh tubifex.

I wish I didn't! Two males had a swollen stomach, they began to fall on their side and died after a few hours. It seems to me that it is not suitable for African cichlids at all (other aquarists also note that it causes disease and death of fish).

Ripened lion-headed cichlids began to prepare for spawning. This happened in a common aquarium, which also contained two species of rainbow fish and ancistrus. I did not plant the formed pairs and put the shards in the aquarium flower pots. The couples kept together, but sometimes there were skirmishes between them on the borders of the chosen sites.

The male periodically chased the female. Gradually, her ovipositor began to protrude, about 3 millimeters in diameter and also 3 millimeters long.

The fish entered the pot together. The open entrance to the spawning ground made it possible to observe the behavior of the pair. Both partners first raised a stormy fuss, then the female turned her belly up, laid her eggs and departed. After that, the male turned over and fertilized the eggs. And again it was the turn of the female. Spawning lasted about an hour.

The eggs are round, yellow-gray, sticky, large, like millet (about 2-2.5 mm in diameter). They are laid in one layer (5x5 centimeters).

Photo lionhead cichlid

The male guards the territory around the masonry, the female takes care of the eggs. But I caught her in careless work: sometimes she removed quite viable-looking eggs. However, she knows better.

In the general aquarium, the output of fry is very small - only 5-6 percent. Since the laying of these fish is generally small - no more than 100 eggs, I take the eggs from their parents and place them in water from a common aquarium. With this technique, I have had a yield of 100 percent, and even 50-60 is in the order of things.

Large gray larvae lie at the bottom. On the ground, they would be completely invisible. starter feed maybe a small cyclops. It makes no sense to waste brine shrimp nauplii on such large fry.

It is very interesting to watch how the juveniles hunt: they stay at the bottom and jump for food. Jumping is generally characteristic of these cichlids. They prefer to be at the bottom, but can freely rise up. Adult fish calmly take flakes of food like "Tetra" from the surface (by the way, we note that steatocranus are very voracious).

In some books, it is recommended that a couple of producers be deposited for spawning in a separate reservoir. I tried to do this, but every time it was unsuccessful: once in a new room, they hide all the time, they are almost invisible. But in the general aquarium, where other fish swim at the top, they feel calm at the bottom. The presence of neighbors has a beneficial effect on their spawning behavior.

V. POPOV St. Petersburg

Magazine Aquarium 1997 №1

Despite the fact that beauty is a very subjective factor, there is some tendency towards the species preferences of aquarium inhabitants. In other words, some fish appear in houses more often, others are suitable only for some. These observations allow us to form a list of the most beautiful fish.

One of the most popular cichlids living in the Malawian lakes is the African cornflower haplochromis. Despite the relatively large size (about 17 cm), this fish is calmer than its African relatives. There is a variety - Frontosa, whose individuals in captivity can reach a size of 35 centimeters. Therefore, it is necessary to select an aquarium taking into account the number of large individuals. Such fish live in alkaline water and love a variety of shelters (grottoes, algae, houses). However, it is worth considering the fact that, despite their peaceful nature, they are still predators, so you should choose your neighbors with extreme caution.

This carp lives in fresh water. Aquarium enthusiasts like this species due to its exclusive, variegated coloration. The most popular are individuals whose body is painted in red, black, orange colors and their shades. Thanks to the efforts of breeders and selection, new shades were obtained: violet, bright yellow, dark green. The more unusual the color, the more expensive the pet will cost. The advantage of this carp is the longevity and ease of care.

The most beautiful fish is considered the king of freshwater aquariums. The shades of her body can be very different from each other. Most often found in nature brown colors. Modern aquarists have already learned how to change the color of the fish, so you can find the original specimen, although the price for it will not be small. Discus is considered one of the most expensive representatives ornamental fish. One fish can cost the owner several hundred dollars. In favor of the acquisition of this fish is its intelligence. She is able to recognize the owner and eat from the hands. Discus prefer fresh warm water in a spacious aquarium. For a good maintenance, it is necessary to place hard-leaved plants in the aquarium.

This fish differs in appearance from most fish, thanks to a huge fatty bump on the forehead, which resembles a lion's head to some. In addition to this difference, it has a complex behavior. Often novice aquarists take it for a slow and harmless fish for the rest. In fact, she can be brisk and very sharp. To catch it from the fish house, you have to try hard. It is best to remove all the houses from the aquarium and only then start hunting with a net. This cichlid has a small size, about 15 centimeters.

Having a stingray in your aquarium is the dream of most aquarium owners. True, such an exotic will cost the owner an amount equal to about 2,000 euros. Motoro Leopoldi will be the decoration of a freshwater house. You can find it only from true collectors and at exhibitions. The slope gained popularity due to its compact size (diameter 20-25 cm). Having a stingray in your aquarium, you need to be prepared for some of its features, namely:

• Provide space for bottom movement;
• Pour soft and loose soil;
• Follow the rules for feeding bottom fish.

The stingray gets along well with the fish that occupy the upper layers. For feeding it is necessary to use fish fillet, insects. This fish can also eat dry food intended for catfish and bottom fish.

Arowana

Arowana is very interesting to watch. The fact is that to catch insects, the fish jumps out of the water. Behavioral feature explains the position of the fish eyes, which are located on the top of the head. The price of a graceful fish starts from 10 thousand dollars. Therefore, for most, it remains a dream. There are cases when wealthy owners performed operations on fish to correct eye defects. Such deviations in vision are explained by the fact that the fish catches food in the water column. Many who have seen her live note her hypnotic influence on a person.

Who didn't dream of having a goldfish in their aquarium as a child? Not surprisingly, goldfish are the most frequent inhabitants of freshwater homes. Breeders have proven that with the help of modern science you can change the golden carp beyond recognition, paint it in unusual colors. Real goldfish are large and very mobile. It is worth paying close attention to the nutrition of these inhabitants. Goldfish can eat all the food that they will be given. Overfeeding can lead to obesity, organ dysfunction.

Another large inhabitant of the aquarium. Egor sizes often exceed 60 centimeters. The size of the aquarium should be appropriate for this giant animal. But, unfortunately for breeders, catfish do not breed in captivity, hence the high price for each specimen. The main characteristics for which the catfish is so loved is its ability to contact a person and eat all kinds of food. The Orinoco catfish is very jealous of its territory and perceives swimming fish as food, so it makes no sense to settle others next to it. Danger for an aquarium with a large catfish can be heavy cobblestones. The strength of the tail fin is enough to throw the stone aside and break the glass with it.

This fish arrived in aquariums from the waters South America. It is not easy to see how she actively frolic in the pond, because she is nocturnal. During daylight hours, fish prefer to rest in dark thickets. The fish are carnivores. To catch food at night, her body has electroreceptors, which are able to pick up slight fluctuations in electromagnetic fields. An amazing feature of this fish is the ability to swim both forward and backward. Until recently, it was believed that it was impossible to get offspring in captivity. The idea of ​​reproduction was turned over by our compatriots, aquarists from St. Petersburg.

Panak is distinctive and original. Appearance catfish is similar to its distant ancestors. In the oral cavity, he has a special organ, similar to a scraper. With its help, panak easily cleans plaque from aquarium decor, glass. The suction cups on his body are so strong that he can easily attach himself to a snag with his back down and stay in place. With such catfish, you need to be very careful. Sneaking through the scenery, he can get stuck in narrow traps and die. In general, panak is a good neighbor. He rarely attacks fish of equal size.

hybrid parrots

Amazing fish, whose head is similar to funny bright birds - parrots. The fish obtained through the efforts of Asian breeders is loved all over the world. About how they managed to create such beauty, ichthyologists are silent. The only information that the public has today is that hybrid parrots were bred from the cichlosome species. Like birds, fish have a huge variety of colorings. Asian breeders do not deny that the fish is artificially colored, but they do not intend to reveal the secrets of the technology. Fun fact, those born to colored parents are completely colorless. Those who settled parrots in their aquarium note that a special growing technology does not prevent the fish from reproducing naturally.

The African cichlid fits wonderfully harmoniously into marine aquariums. It has interesting colors and majestic views. Thanks to these characteristics, the fish was awarded the title of royalty. Breeders note that the most interesting period in the life of fish is mating games. Cyclids have always been distinguished by complex behavior, Queen Nyasa was no exception to this rule. Despite the female name of the breed, males are somewhat more beautiful than females. Their body has an olive color and dark stripes.

Cichlomosa severum is often called the Red Pearl and False Discus. There is a deal of truth in it. It is quite difficult to deny the external resemblance to discus. An inexperienced aquarist will not be able to tell the difference between them in the same pond. The body of a red pearl is larger than the average, but this does not prevent him from remaining peaceful towards his neighbors. An exception can only be the spawning period, when both individuals begin to fiercely guard their territory. The breed was bred through the efforts of breeders, which is why its coloring is extremely effective.

It is difficult to call this fish beautiful. Its popularity is associated more with the horror and fear that a predator inspires. These fish have collected a huge number of legends and secrets around their person. Most of them are contrived, but not without logic. The most common rumor is that fish are bloodthirsty and voracious. In fact, one fish eats about 40 grams of meat in a couple of days. It would seem that such fish would never get along with other neighbors, but practice proves that barbs and charats are able to survive. Surprisingly, even viviparous and neons remain untouched.

An interesting fish that mainly lives in the lower layers of the aquarium. The fish is very social, so it is necessary to settle in small flocks in the aquarium. Botsia is a nocturnal inhabitant, so eating is best done in the evening. This inhabitant will not refuse various snags, grottoes and shelters. Botsia the clown finds his "house" and does not let anyone else in there, so the number of shelters should correspond to the number of a special one in the aquarium. It is necessary to feed the fish with bottom food, since their mouth is located on the bottom.

Common angelfish live in fresh water. It is a mistake to compare real angelfish with decorative koi breeds. Ordinary fish grow up to 20 centimeters. If you put them in an aquarium with very peaceful neighbors, then the whiskers located on the lower part can be very long. Breeders here have also made efforts to bring out non-standard colors. The common angelfish is silver in color with dark vertical stripes all over its body, including its head and tail.

This fish came to aquarists from the waters of Thailand. It is not uncommon to hear that it is compared with a catfish. The point is her amazing ability to swim upside down. Most often, such a coup is associated with eating food from the inner surface of snags. Labero Bicolor are incredible owners, so they do not tolerate competition. Most often, one individual lives in an aquarium, which ideally feels like the mistress of all territories. To get a second representative of the breed, you need to purchase a long aquarium. True, if a fight occurs between two representatives of this breed, it is unlikely that anyone will suffer.

Lionhead ( Carassius auratus lionhead) is aquarium fish carp family, which differs from other representatives in the original shape of the head. The lionhead has a short rounded body, near the upper part of the head and gills you can see large growths, giving representatives of this species a resemblance to lions. Such seals appear at the age of 3 months. They are skin growths and many aquarists believe they are shaped like a raspberry.

photo: growth on the head - distinguishing feature Lionheads

Lionheads differ from their closest relatives in the size of growths, often they can even close the eyes of the fish. Lionheads lack a dorsal fin, and the caudal and anal fins are forked. The color is often contrasting with the shade of the growth. Lionheads grow up to 14-15 centimeters in length, but there are also 20-centimeter individuals.

a photo: Lionhead grows up to 14-15 cm.

To keep such pets, you will need an aquarium with a volume of 50 liters or more, these are flocking species, so it is better to keep them with representatives of their own species or calm neighbors. Lionheads are sensitive to lack of oxygen, so the aquarium must be equipped with an aerator and a filter. The soil is coarse sand and rounded pebbles, the plants are large-leaved, shelters should not have sharp corners so that the fish do not damage their eyes and scales about them. Weekly it is desirable to replace up to a quarter of the total volume of water. The temperature in the tank can be 20-23 degrees, hardness - up to 25 units, pH - 6.0-8.0. Dry, animal and vegetable supplements can be offered as food, given twice a day for 10 minutes - during this time the fish have time to eat, and you can remove the remnants of the "feast".

photo: Lionheads can live up to 15 years.

At 2 years, puberty of fish occurs, spawning occurs in spring-summer, the behavior of fish changes. The volume of the spawning tank is from 50 liters, a female and two males are placed in it, the process can last several hours. After a few days, fry appear from the eggs, they swim on the 5th day, they are fed with “live dust”. Producers are planted immediately so that they do not eat the offspring.

• Historically, these fish appeared in China and Japan; Buddhist monks, out of mercy, did not eat them, but kept them in decorative ponds;
• The first mention of lion heads dates back to the 19th century, in Europe they appeared much later;
• The body of the lionhead is red or silvery, with powerful scales, it can have different shades;
• With good care in the aquarium, representatives of this species can live for more than 15 years.

Size: 5 cm

Price: 180 rubles

Size: 7 cm

Price, rub

Size: 9 cm

Price, rub

Name: Goldfish Oranda Little Red Riding Hood, oranda (English), oranda shishigashira - lion-headed oranda - ateji (Japanese)

Classification:
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates

Superclass: Bony fish
Class: Ray-finned fish
Order: Cyprinids
Suborder: Carp
Family: Carp
Genus: Karasi
Species: Goldfish Oranda Little Red Riding Hood
Latin: Carassius auratus red-cap Oranda

Area: Homeland of goldfish Korea, China, Japan.

Habitat: Rivers.

Description: The body of the oranda is ovoid, swollen. The shape and size of the fins is similar to the veiltail, but the head is larger. With age, curly growths appear on the head. In the oranda, in comparison with the lionhead, they are more developed on the forehead. The fins are long, like the finest transparent silk.
Oranda is a helmet-shaped breeding form of goldfish. Japanese beauty standards say that this fish is more beautiful, the more fat growth on its head. In orands, this outgrowth is located mainly on the top of the head and is most often red in color, from which another breed name came from - the little red cap. According to the same Japanese standards, the width of the body of the fish should be approximately equal to 70 percent of its length. It is easy to distinguish the oranda from other helmet-headed forms thanks to the dorsal fin, the only unpaired fish fin. Other helmet-shaped breeds do not have a dorsal fin. All other fins of the orand, including the pelvic ones, are forked. The caudal fin, also paired forked, must be at least 70 percent of the body long. The tail should not form a fork.

Color: Body, white fins, red helmet.

The size: Oranda is a big fish. The body length of an adult individual can reach sixteen to eighteen centimeters.

Lifespan: D about 15 years old.

Content level: The peculiarities of the content include the need to protect the fish from damage to the body, eyes and tail. Stones with sharp edges and snags with needle-like knots should not be in the aquarium. Goldfish in an aquarium require a large volume of water.

Feeding: Prone to obesity, so they should not be overfed. In general, the creation of a goldfish is quite voracious and will try to eat everything that you give it. Feed should be given so much that it is all eaten in no more than a minute or two, a maximum of five if you keep a breed famous for its sluggishness (telescope, heavenly eye) minutes. Remains of uneaten food should be immediately removed from the aquarium, as it quickly deteriorates and can poison the water in the aquarium overnight. It is better to feed the fish several times a day, but in small portions that will be eaten clean. The amount of food given daily should not exceed 3% of the weight of the fish. Adult fish are fed twice a day - early in the morning and in the evening. Goldfish need less protein and more carbohydrates. Therefore, it is better to feed them with specialized food for goldfish. In addition to the necessary nutrients with a higher proportion of carbohydrates, these foods contain natural additives that enhance yellows, oranges and reds.

With pleasure they eat soft "tasty" plants. To reduce their craving for this bad business for the aquarium, food for goldfish should contain a large amount of greenery, you can additionally feed them with plant foods, including Riccia.

It must be remembered that when feeding dry food of any kind, they should be given in small portions several times a day, since when it enters a humid environment, in the esophagus of a fish, it swells up, significantly increases in size and can cause constipation and disruption of the normal functioning of the digestive organs fish, which can lead to the death of the fish. You can first hold dry food for some time (10 seconds - flakes, 20-30 seconds - granules) in water and only then give it to the fish. A sign of regular overeating in goldfish is their turning upside down, usually after eating. Goldfish have a long intestine instead of a stomach. Regular passage of a large amount of food through the intestines can cause it to rot, pressure on the swim bladder, which can have irreversible negative consequences for the health of the fish. In unopened cases, the fish can be saved by arranging a hunger strike and a diet for it.

Behavior and character: Oranda fish is large and clumsy. Goldfish are schooling, it is better to keep in groups of 4 - 6 individuals. In the general aquarium, goldfish can be kept together with calm fish. It is better to keep oranda with other breeds of gold fish. It is undesirable to keep them with fish prone to aggression, which can pluck their fins. It is impossible to keep small fish and fry together with them - goldfish have a big mouth and all the little things will be eaten.

Water Zone: All layers of water.

Compatible: Short-bodied goldfish.

Compatible, subject to certain conditions:

Not compatible: Mollies, neons, barbs, male roosters, long-bodied goldfish. Soft "tasty" plants.

Aquarium: Long aquariums should be preferred over tall ones, as the surface area, and therefore the amount of oxygen absorbed, is much higher in this case. For maintenance, you need a fairly spacious aquarium with a length of 70 cm, for a family of 3 - 4 fish and 25 - 50 liters per fish (depending on size). With an increase in the volume of the aquarium, the planting density can be slightly increased, but you should not get carried away too much. Short-bodied goldfish (veiltails, telescopes) require more water than long-bodied ones (simple goldfish, comet, shubunkin), with the same body length. The aquarium is better with a lid.

Aeration and filtration: It is advisable to purchase a compressor for additional flushing of water with air (sensitive to a lack of oxygen in water) and a filter for filtering turbidity, with a capacity of at least 3 volumes per hour, especially if there are many individuals in the aquarium, as these fish eat a lot and like to stir up the soil in search of extra food.

Aquarium setup: Tender plants are quickly spoiled by goldfish or the surface of their leaves is polluted by particles of garbage suspended in the water. Therefore, in an aquarium with goldfish, it is recommended to plant plants with hard leaves and a good root system. It is best to plant plants with fairly hard leaves that do not require water heating (pod, vallisneria, sagittaria, arrowhead, elodea - floating), and not in the ground, but in pots, reliably protecting the roots with large pebbles - goldfish constantly dig in the ground and can pull out plants. The soil is only rounded and without sharp edges. It is better to use coarse sand or pebbles, which are not easily scattered by fish. The soil should be large - a fraction of 3-5 mm. It is even better to cover the bottom with pebbles, and give relief to the landscape due to large smooth surfaces and other rounded stones.
It is better not to use various grottoes, driftwood structures and other similar items in the aquarium, as this will make it difficult to move the already clumsy orandas. Also excluded are any decorations with sharp edges, on which the fish can injure the fins or eyes.

Water chemistry: Hardness and reaction of water do not matter. Water hardness 8 - 25 °, acidity 6 - 8. If the fish feel unwell, salt 5 - 7 g / l can be added to the water. Fish tolerate salinity of 12 - 15% well. Weekly changes of up to 30% of the water volume are required - goldfish love water refreshment. If necessary - in acidic, poor quality water, the fish may notice fraying and whitening of the ends of the fins - you need to replace it more often. An hour or two after the replacement, these manifestations magically disappear (this does not apply to fungal and bacterial diseases).

Lighting: Bright enough, like natural light.

Gender differences: It is quite difficult to distinguish a female from a male. Only with some experience can one distinguish small notches on the pectoral fins of males. In order to avoid premature spawning, it is desirable to keep females separately from males. The male ready for spawning has characteristic differences: a saw on the first ray of the anterior pair of pectoral fins in the form of a row of notches and usually warts the size of semolina grains on the gill covers. The female, mature and ready for marking, has a thick belly full of caviar. If you look at it from above, then the curvature of the body of the fish, caused by the presence of caviar, is noticeable. The resulting curvature often remains after spawning.

Puberty: Goldfish become sexually mature and capable of reproduction in their second year of life.

breeding season: April May.

Preparing for spawning: In March - April, young males begin to swim after females, holding on to their ovipositor. By this sign, it is possible to unmistakably identify mature and ready for spawning males and females. If this occurs before April, males and females should be separated to avoid early litter, which would be difficult to provide with natural live food. Females in this case must be kept so that they cannot rub against plants, which can cause excitement and spawning. Spawning can also be delayed by lowering the water temperature. It is best if spawning occurs in May - June, when it is easier to feed the fry. When preparing fish for spawning, they should be abundantly fed with live food, bloodworms, earthworms, and daphnia. In the absence of live food, ground meat can be given.

If the growth of short-bodied young goldfish is forced by abundant feeding, this can lead to obesity and, as a result, to infertility.

Spawning aquarium: To breed goldfish, you need an aquarium with a volume of 60 - 100 liters. Fresh water is poured into the spawning ground with a layer of 20 - 25 five centimeters. Clean river sand is poured in such a way that it forms a hill with a descent from the rear window to the front. In a shallower place, the bottom is covered with elodea, pinnate. Bushes of small-leaved plants are planted in the corners near the rear window. Thickets should be as dense as possible. The water temperature should be 20 - 25°C. The aquarium should be lit from the early morning around the clock by the sun or an electric lamp. Water should be purged or refreshed frequently. A few days before spawning, the males begin to chase the female. Spawning starts at dawn with the first rays of the sun and lasts until the middle of the day, only 5 - 6 hours. It can be repeated every 4 - 5 weeks until the beginning of October. The males vigorously pursue the female, which spawns eggs in small portions, and the males immediately fertilize her. 10 - 20 eggs are spawned at a time. Caviar sticks to plants and falls to the bottom. From sudden movements when touching the plants, the long fins of the fish are frayed. To better preserve the fins, you need to choose softer plants. Younger males with shorter fins can swim faster and therefore provide more complete fertilization of eggs, their tails are less affected. Therefore, such males should be preferred by planting several, at least two, in an aquarium for one female, in order to ensure more complete fertilization of eggs.

The ratio of males and females: 2:1.

Number of caviar: Up to 3000 eggs. Eggs with a diameter of about 1.5 mm initially have a weak amber color, which becomes much paler on the second or third day, and it is difficult to see transparent eggs. Unfertilized eggs turn white on the second day and quickly become overgrown with fungus. Freshly hatched eggs are somewhat flattened. Getting from the ovipositor of the female into the water, the eggs straighten out.

Incubation period of eggs: The fry hatch at a temperature of 22 - 24°C on the 4th - 5th day, at a lower temperature - later. For example, at a temperature of 14°C, fry emerge from eggs on the 7th - 8th day. In the first case, the fry are stronger than with slow development of eggs. Eggs develop better in small vessels. If the eggs remained in the aquarium where spawning took place, it is better to lower the water level in it. Vessels with eggs should be in a bright place, but they must be protected from overheating. If you keep the eggs for several hours in a small vessel in direct sunlight, they may die. After the appearance of the fry, you can put snails (coils) into the vessel so that they eat unfertilized eggs, and thus prevent water damage. A goldfish fry that has just emerged from the spawn is very weak and helpless. It looks like a thread, equipped with two eyes at one end and a yolk vesicle in the middle. The yolk sac contains a supply of food for the fry in the first days of its life. At first, the fry can move only in small jerks and has the ability to attach itself to the place it touches. The next day after hatching, the larvae can be seen hanging on plants and on the glass of the aquarium or the walls of the vessel. After two or three days, they begin to swim freely, the supply of yolk ends and they need other food.

Offspring: After two days, fry swim and from that moment they need to be fed. To provide good conditions The development of young animals is very important sufficient saturation of water with oxygen or a sufficiently spacious room. Up to two weeks, fry should be kept in the same aquarium where they hatched. After that, they need to be seated, placing no more than 250 fry in a 3-4-bucket aquarium (if there is no purge, then half as much with a partial water change). In such an aquarium, they can be kept up to two months of age, sorted by size. With the growth of young animals, the number of them in the aquarium should also decrease. In order for the fry to have bright colors, daylight is needed, but they need to be protected from direct light. sun rays by creating shaded places in the aquarium with plants or shields. If the sun illuminates the aquarium for no more than two hours a day, no shading is needed. If there is no daylight, bright electric is needed. The young of the scaly varieties first have the silvery-gray color of their progenitor, the crucian carp. This color changes to gold, white and pure black at 3 to 5 months of age. Some part always remains unpainted until old age. Scaly ones necessarily change their color, the last ones are white. The color change occurs in the period from a month - in young fish, up to six months - in old ones. Staining, with rare exceptions, comes from more dark colors to light: from black to red, from red to white. Picturesque variegated red and black colors are fickle and turn into red. Scaleless fry do not go through a period of silvery coloration and already at the age of one and a half months they begin to turn into their final color. At 2.5 months you can already get an idea of ​​the final color, although the best calico colors are fully developed within 2 to 3 years. The eyes of telescopes in the first weeks of life seem normal, non-bulging. At the age of two to six months (sometimes even up to two years), it is impossible to say whether the fish will be telescopes. Usually the formation of bulging eyes occurs in 3 to 5 months. During the first months, the base of the tail of scaleless fish is dark, then this color gradually disappears.

Feeding juveniles: First, the fry are fed with "live dust", it must be given in small portions. It is useful to give the fry the smallest algae in the form of a small amount of blooming water. After one and a half to two weeks, the fry can be fed with small daphnia and cyclops (instead of ciliates or rotifers), sorted through a gas sieve. Then - adult cyclops and daphnia. At the age of one month, the fish are already able to take small bloodworms. Food should be plentiful; fry eat more than their weight per day. It is better to feed little by little, but several times a day, and do not leave food for the night.

Withdrawal from parents: Immediately after the end of spawning, producers must be removed from the aquarium, otherwise they will eat caviar.

Growth rate: As the fry grow, it is necessary to seat them in additional vessels. It is also desirable to sort them by size. Some litter of short-bodied goldfish is significantly stunted and dwarfed during the winter. This is due to the delay and suspension in development due to improper action of the endocrine glands. Some dwarfs die during the winter, while most of the rest develop rapidly in the spring, catching up with normally developing peers. But such fish are still, as a rule, weaker and less durable.

Features: Goldfish can be kept in ponds in the summer, although for ponds and pools it is still better to purchase cold-resistant lines specially bred for this.

Short-bodied goldfish and telescopes should not be kept with long-bodied species, especially in small aquariums (up to 100 l). If the "ordinary" goldfish, shubunkin, comet, and vakin are considered quite unpretentious and not very sensitive to changes in conditions of detention, then stargazers, orandas, telescopes, ranches and lionheads are much more capricious than their relatives, and their content must be treated with special responsibility. Not only will clumsy short-bodied fish and telescopes starve in the presence of more nimble neighbors, the latter can offend them and even gouge out their eyes.

Major diseases: A healthy goldfish is mobile, has a bright color, shiny scales, verticallykeeps dorsal. She has a good appetite. Any deviation from the norm issigns of the disease.Raids in the form of semolina, formations that look like lumps of cotton wool, gluing of fins, swimming in jerks, fish rubbing against objects, impaired breathing, reddening of the fins - all signs of disease.

Asphyxia or lack of oxygen. Occurs when too high temperature water, overpopulation of the aquarium, insufficient oxygenation of the water and rotting plants and food debris. In this condition, fish often rise to the surface, swallowing air. If the fish is kept in such conditions for a long time, its growth is inhibited, appetite decreases, which can lead to death. At the first sign of asphyxia, it is necessary to increase the aeration of the aquarium, lower the water temperature, clean the bottom of the aquarium and relocate the fish.
- The opposite condition is gas embolism. Supersaturation of water with oxygen or nitrogen. Occurs due to a sharp change in water temperature or oversaturation of the aquarium with vegetation.

Acidosis and alkalosis is a condition that develops in fish when they are kept in an environment that is too acidic (acidosis) or alkaline (alkalosis). The best prevention, according to experts, of such phenomena in fish is frequent water changes in the aquarium.
- Stressful conditions of fish - are caused by a sharp change in some external factor. For example, transportation and transplantation of fish, improperly selected neighbors, poor water conditions, etc. Stress can be temporary or develop into chronic. With the exception of the stress factor, the condition of the fish may improve.
- Diseases caused by improper feeding. For goldfish, this is very important question, considering their gluttony. Consequences of improper feeding can lead to obesity or inflammation gastrointestinal tract.
- Cloudier than the scales of goldfish. The affected areas on the body of the fish appear rough, matte when the fish is illuminated by a beam of light directed from below. The causative agent of cyclochaete is a small ciliary ciliate.The disease is dangerous because it entails other, more complex diseases.
- Scabies. The fish loses its brightness, becoming covered with whitish mucus, constantly scratching on the stones. The disease flares up from bacteria that multiply profusely from uneaten artificial food.The best remedy for the disease is a complete change of water.
- Dermatomycosis. On separate parts of the body, fins and gills of the fish, white thin threads (hyphae) appear, growing perpendicularly from its body. fungal disease freshwater fish. It is secondary and appears on a fish whose body is weakened as a result of some illness, injury or poor conditions. The causative agent is fungi from the genus Saprolegnia.If during this period measures are not taken to eliminate the cause of the disease, the fungus will quickly develop and begin to resemble a cotton-like coating. The hyphae of the fungus twine around the cells of the skin and gills, growing into the muscles and internal organs. The fish becomes inactive and falls to the bottom.

Dropsy goldfish. The disease consists mainly in raising the scales and swelling of the body. The reason for its occurrence is the bacillus of the crayfish plague, which multiplies in the blood, which causes a general infection. Sometimes the fish dies before the scales rise. Infection occurs through the skin of the wound, broken scales. An early detected disease can be stopped by transferring a sick fish to running water and bathing it in a solution of potassium permanganate every other day for 15 minutes. But there is another form of dropsy. First of all, the reason is the poisoning of water by some chemically harmful substance. Dropsy in fish also occurs when the activity of the heart is weakened, as a result of which blood stagnation occurs, and fluid is released into the body through the walls of the vessels. Dropsy occurs in fish with kidney disease. Together with the raising of the scales in diseased fish, the eyeballs protrude, the abdomen increases, and the tail section and spine. The fish cannot keep the body in balance and therefore falls to the bottom. The disease sometimes lasts for months, but always ends lethal outcome. In an aquarium with running water, this disease occurs extremely rarely.
- Colds. It was believed that goldfish are not prone to colds. However, from sharp fluctuations in water temperature during transplantation, a significant temperature difference causes irritation of the nerve endings. As a result, functional disorders of the body occur.
Symptoms of the disease: exfoliation and necrosis of the skin. Treatment is reduced to prevention: temperature fluctuations should not be allowed; raise the water temperature by 2 - 3 C with the addition of methylene blue; enhanced aeration; abundant feeding of plant foods and a variety of live foods. With this disease fresh frozen feed (bloodworm, coretra, daphnia), before giving the fish, should be warmed.
- Inflammation of the stomach (gasteroenteritis). Despite a good appetite, the activity of the fish decreases, the stomach swells slightly, the anus turns red, the excrement is thread-like with bloody mucus. This disease occurs when goldfish are overfed with poor-quality food caught in contaminated various sewage reservoirs, as well as with prolonged feeding with dried daphnia, gammarus and bloodworms, which are poorly absorbed by the body and cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Lack or absence of plant foods also contributes to inflammatory processes. The disease is easily cured by fasting for a week. The fish is transferred to an insulator with fresh water with the addition of a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is necessary to raise the water temperature by 2 - 3 C and increase aeration. Daily water changes should be about 10%.
- Flipping. The fish cannot keep its balance and begins to tumble; charter, hangs at the surface of the water or lies on the bottom. Some associate this phenomenon with the disease of the swim bladder, others with paralysis of the fins. by the most the best remedy from the disease is considered the placement of the fish in a reservoir with a low water level (no more than 5 cm), frequent replacement and strong aeration of the water. Abundant feeding with bloodworms and especially daphnia contributes to the recovery of fish. The water temperature should be maintained at about 26 C. As the fish recover, the water level should be gradually raised.

Mycobacteriosis or tuberculosis of fish is the most common disease of fish. Fish from the carp family are especially susceptible. It proceeds secretly, and often manifests itself when it is no longer possible to save the fish.
Rubella is the most common disease in goldfish. Difficult to treat. An infected individual very quickly spreads the disease throughout the aquarium. Hemorrhages, ulcers, acne, water "bubbles" appear on the body of the fish. Treat fish with antibiotics.
- Carp pox is a little-studied disease. Caused by the herpes virus. It manifests itself when keeping fish in unsuitable conditions, a sharp change in environmental parameters. The disease is slightly contagious, expressed in the appearance of white spots on the body of the fish. There is no cure for this disease.

In an aquarium with sick or weakened fish, the water level should not exceed 15 cm.