Angelfish is a fish of incredible beauty and interesting behavior that you can watch all day. But behind beauty lies predation and gluttony. The color of the fish is simply amazing, and thanks to its rather large size, it can be considered in detail. You can find it in almost any pet store at an affordable price, so it is very popular among aquarists. Keeping angelfish is uncomplicated.
Features of scalar
Due to its appearance and habits, the scalar is excellent as a living decoration of the aquarium. In wildlife, its color is not very prominent - a silvery body with black stripes looks more like a disguise. Although, depending on the habitat, the color may change - at times the body is purely silver or completely black. But precisely because of the “external adjustment” for the environment, fish is valued among aquarists. Its variability allows you to display brighter colors. So, for example, thanks to breeders, species such as the green angel, marble, red devil and many others have appeared.
Despite the fact that the body shape of these fish stands out, they belong to cichlids. Angelfish are relatively large - they can grow up to 15 cm in length. This is not to say that it is difficult to maintain, but there are some conditions that must be met.
Short description
As mentioned above, the colors depend on the particular species. But most often it is a standard silver body in black stripes. It is flat on the sides, the head is sharp in shape, and the fins are quite large. If the fish is adult, then peculiar rays can depart from the fins. This appearance helps to mask and merge with various plants. In the natural environment, scalars (care, maintenance and compatibility are discussed below) belong to the category of omnivores, but mostly they prefer fry, hunting them from ambush. They live about 15 years.
What difficulties may arise in the content?
This is not to say that the content of scalars is a problematic species. But beginner aquarists are not recommended to start them. Firstly, the fish, despite their beauty, are quite aggressive, so small inhabitants can suffer. Also, due to too large fins, they can cripple themselves. Secondly, due to its rather large size, a large volume of water and a lot of space will be required. Water and its composition should be constantly at the same level.
How to feed a scalar?
Since scalars (we will consider the contents of the aquarium fish later) are omnivorous, they are not picky in food. Everything will suit them, from live feed to dry. Flakes are ideal as the main diet, and live nutrition, such as bloodworms, is used as a supplement.
Basic rules for feeding
There are a few key rules to remember:
- Angelfish eat a lot, so you need to know their daily dose exactly.
- If after feeding the fish begin to beg for more, it is impossible to succumb to their provocation. They can eat as much as they like. But this will deplorably affect the state of the whole organism.
- In no case is it possible to give bloodworms in large quantities. And it’s better to replace it with something more harmless. It is difficult not to notice the symptoms of overeating: the intestine swells, and the anal bladder grows in size and acquires a pink hue.
- Feed is suitable only proven, preferably branded.
If there are soft plants in the aquarium, then you can say goodbye to them. Angelfish simply adore pulling them out. To avoid this, feed that contains spirulina should be added to the diet.
Care and maintenance of angelfish
If you do not take into account the nutritional characteristics and size, then this fish can be considered relatively unpretentious. Under suitable conditions, the scalar will delight with its beauty for more than 10 years.
Aquarium
Today, the content of Koi scalars, black, gold, white, blue, veil, marble, red, is popular among aquarists. Due to the fact that the size of these fish is quite large, the aquarium should have a volume of 120 liters at least. But if you plan to start several individuals of this species at once, then you may need a very large aquarium of about 250 liters. In such conditions, “beauties” will not only be comfortable, it is an ideal breeding ground. In order to create a place for laying eggs, it is recommended to add more algae with large leaves to the aquarium, for example, Amazons are good.
Water
The water in the tank should always be warm and keep a stable temperature of about 26-27 0 C. But not higher. In the natural environment, fish usually live in soft water, but the hybrids that are now sold in pet stores can adapt to different conditions. Almost all decorations can be placed as a decor in an aquarium. The only condition is the absence of sharp corners, otherwise, when kept, the angelfish can injure the fins or the body.
If you regularly feed your pets plant foods, then they will almost not tear out plants. But if they get bored or are in a bad mood, then the designer moss in the aquarium will eventually be cut off.
Since the body of the fish has a narrow shape, a strong current is dangerous for them. Even in their natural environment, they prefer calm bodies of water. Therefore, the filtering will have to be moderate. Otherwise, due to the large flow of water, scalars can stop growing and experience stress, which will lead to illness. An external filter is great for using. Changing water is recommended weekly, approximately 20% of the entire tank.
Also, this type of fish can be distinguished for their slight timidity, despite the fact that to some extent these are predators. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary shocks, it is recommended not to make loud unpleasant sounds, not to make light switchings and sudden movements.
Content Compatibility
Consider the compatibility of the content of scalar with other inhabitants.
As has already been said more than once, this species of fish is characterized by highly aggressive behavior. Therefore, when keeping the scalar in one common aquarium with other small inhabitants, it can harm them. And even more so, if it is fry or shrimp - their main food in the natural environment. Then you don’t have to feed the fish, it will feed itself. When the hunter is still small, she is nailed to the pack. In the aquarium, young individuals will be kept in a small flock. As soon as she grows up, the stage of finding a partner begins. If a pair is found, the fish is separated from the pack and already alone with the companion is looking for a more comfortable place for further breeding of offspring.
With whom is the content of scalaria possible?
Little inhabitants are swept away immediately. Large and medium sized fish remain. It can be a neon or a cardinal. The content of angelfish in an aquarium with barbs is undesirable: very often there are cases when a barbus flock literally in a day destroys all the fins of a beauty. Viviparous fit well in the role of neighbors. For example, swordsmen. A good neighborhood can come with guppies, but in this case all the fry will go to feed.
How to determine the gender?
To create a pair of fish, and then rely on offspring, first you need to learn how to distinguish them by gender. Until the scalar grows up, it is impossible to determine belonging. When a fish reaches puberty, only an experienced aquarist can distinguish between a female and a male. With the naked eye, to say exactly what sex the fish is only possible when the time for spawning comes. Then the female begins to stand out with a thick conical ovipositor. There are indirect signs to determine. For example, the male should be larger and have a wider forehead. But most often they are not effective. In addition, if there are no males in the aquarium, the female can mate with the female and mimic the behavior characteristic of the breeding season. From all this we can conclude that for an accurate determination of sex, you should contact an expert.
Aquarium breeding
The pairs that form these amazing fish are also monogamous. Even if the aquarium is common, spawning is very active, as a result of which a sufficiently large amount of spark is released. But to save it is problematic, since in stressful situations, scalars begin to devour it. For laying eggs any vertical surface is used. Most often these are large sheets of plants, but there may even be an aquarium wall. Special equipment for good reproduction in the form of cone-shaped tubes is sold in pet stores. Despite the fact that fish have a tendency to eat laid eggs, caring for offspring is not alien to them. In normal calm conditions, the female does everything so that healthy fry appear.
It is impossible to slip a pair to a female or male. They always determine their companion themselves. Therefore, the most effective option is to buy immediately a small flock of six to seven young individuals. As soon as the fish begin to grow up, they will be determined and split into pairs. Inattentive aquarist will notice that a pair of spawning has arrived, only on already laid eggs. But the one who will observe the scalar can notice how two determined individuals fight off the main pack and look for a secluded place.
Mature age is reached by the fish approximately after 8-12 months, and spawning is such a quick process that it can occur almost every week, but only if the eggs are pulled out of the aquarium. Before laying eggs, the steam cleans the selected place from debris. Caviar itself has a very light shade.
If you watch how newly-made parents look after caviar, you can see all the care and attention. The fins of the fish wave it away from any foreign objects, and if it happens that an unfertilized egg appears (it is white), then the female pulls it out of the general heap and eats it. The appeared fry can be fed with standard food for “babies” about four times a day. But try not to overfeed, as their body is still very weak.
Where fry already live, the filter must be used only internal together with a washcloth. This will help achieve moderate filtration, but prevent fry from being drawn into the system. The filter cover must be removed completely. But the purity of water should be in the background. The most important thing on the list is proper feeding. A common cause of the death of small fish is poor digestion. In no case should harmful substances get into a fragile organism. Therefore, the choice of diet should be taken very seriously, and even better - ask the advice of more experienced aquarists.
It remains to consider the answer to the most frequently asked question. If scalars (the conditions of detention are described in the article) are so caring, then why do they eat caviar? Everything is simple. This may be due to the inexperience of the parents. The first, second, and even third spawning females may still not understand how to behave and destroy eggs. The main thing is not to create stressful situations, to keep the water temperature stable and not to switch the lighting.