Petushki - fish with fighting qualities

For many aquarium lovers, unpretentiousness and beauty of fish are important. Bullfish (betta splendens), or cockerels, are fish from the labyrinth family. They are able, if necessary, to breathe atmospheric air, and to look after them simply.

Aquarium fish cockerel grows to 6.5 cm. The individuals have a large head, the body is flattened laterally. Magnificent fins of males (with separate contents with other males) can reach quite a large size and attract rapturous glances. Female have more pale color and smaller size, their fins are not developed. Behave females, as a rule, calmly.

Creating a habitat for betta fish

All beginning aquarists are interested in the question: "How to care for fish?" The cockerel is really extremely unpretentious. For its maintenance, an aquarium with a volume of 60 liters is required. As a primer suitable for large and small pebbles, coarse sand.

The soil must be disinfected. One of the ways of sand processing for the bottom is heating on a heated frying pan (10-15 minutes). The processed sand is cooled and washed. Pebbles enough to pour boiling water in a bowl or a pan, then cool and rinse under running water for five minutes.

The central part of the aquarium should be free of plants. Algae and other aquarium flora is placed on the sides of the aquarium. You can add some beautiful snags and stones to the bottom, after having processed them.

The water for the aquarium is settled. It should be medium hard, with a neutral pH and a temperature of at least + 25 ° C. Compressor is included twice a day for 15-20 minutes.

Feed for males

The brightness of the color of males is affected by the quality of the feed. Dry food, suitable for example for guppies, for fighting fish is poison! In the menu of males there should be only live food, egg yolk, small pieces of meat (boiled pork or beef).

The food is prepared as follows: 100 g of fresh meat is ground, rolled into balls and boiled for 1-2 minutes. Ready meat is extracted from the water and allowed to cool. When feeding fish 1-2 balls are crumbed into the aquarium.

Neighborhood

In the case of martial fish it is important to remember that only one male should live in the aquarium, otherwise death of one of the rivals can not be avoided. The women can be four or five. If the male begins to attack the female, which is extremely rare, it is immediately "resettled" in a separate aquarium.

Roosters are very beautiful fish, but their behavior is aggressive. Therefore, the content of fighting fish in the aquarium, along with herbivorous fish is impossible. Aggressive males will constantly destroy peace-loving fish.

Good for aquariums, where live males, fish catfish and snails. They will prevent excessive reproduction of bacteria.

Reproduction

Pregnant female is separated 7 days before spawning. During this period, she is intensively fed. Soil in the new aquarium is not needed, plants will need a bit of ricci to arrange the nest. The water temperature in the aquarium should be + 28-30 ° C. After the male is attached to the female.

Male betta fish builds a nest on the surface of the water from air bubbles and begins to take care of the female. A female specimen is spawning, and the male picks up and puts eggs in the nest. At the end of the spawning process, the female must be set aside to exclude the attack of the male.

Male cockerel, caring for eggs, sorts them and adds bubbles to the nest. It lasts 1-2 days until larvae with a yolk sac appear . Larvae hang from the bottom of the nest for about 3 days under the supervision of a male, and after dispersing on the walls. When small males, fish up to 3 mm in size, begin to swim, the males are planted.

The fry are fed with live dust (you can get by with an egg yolk). For foster individuals, fodder for fish "Artemia Solina" is suitable.