Beckford's nannostomus is not among the very common fish - in our country, not every aquarist has encountered such a pet. And in vain - they are very beautiful, not too whimsical and, most interestingly, can change color. Like the nannethiops nannostomus, the Beckford nannostomus belongs to the hara-species family, of which most lovers know only piranha. Let's find out more about her.
Appearance
Fish are not too large - most often grow up to no more than 6 centimeters. The body shape is spindle-shaped, slightly flattened laterally. They live on average 4 years - not too long. But all this time they will delight the owner with elegance and beauty.
The back is brown with a reddish tinge. The stomach is white, sometimes silver. A black stripe stretches along the entire body - starting from the mouth and ending with the tail fin. Males are usually a little smaller and slimmer than females, but they can boast of rich red fins and a tail. In addition, red is often observed along the black stripe, while females lack it or have a light yellow stripe.
However, these can be seen in the afternoon. At night they are greatly transformed. Bright colors are almost completely lost. Even the black stripe partially disappears - only three spots of irregular shape remain: in the middle of the body, near the caudal fin and between them. The fish becomes less noticeable, which can scare an inexperienced aquarist.
But the fact that the Beckford red nanostomus every day changes color twice twice is already worthy of attention and is of considerable interest to many aquarists.
Where does he live?
This fish, like many other aquarium inhabitants, came to our country from South America. There it is found in such rivers as the Amazon, Parana, Rio Negro, flowing through Colombia, Guiana, Guyana. Usually they keep in large flocks - this is more likely to survive a predator attack. After all, many neighbors are happy to enjoy a fish with a length of 6 centimeters.
Most often they are kept near the coast, and they choose places overgrown with algae or rich in snags. The reason is the same - it’s easier to hide here when you see a predator.
However, in the aquarium, the fish has perfectly taken root - it actively reproduces and does not cause unnecessary trouble to the owner.
Which aquarium is suitable?
The content of the Beckford nanostomus is not difficult. Although the fish are very active, due to their small size, a small volume is enough for them. 5-6 liters of water is enough for one individual. True, experienced aquarists recommend considering their habits that have survived from the time when their ancestors lived in the wild. Therefore, it is immediately desirable to start not one pair, but a whole flock, consisting of 10-15 individuals. Yes, and they look in this case will be much more elegant.
It is advisable to plant one corner tightly with algae - when the fish have the opportunity to hide, they feel more relaxed and confident. Algae is better to choose branched or very dense, like hornwort or Elodea.
At the bottom, you can put one large or several large snags - then the nannostomus will be just happy, because the aquarium will maximally resemble the environment in which the ancestors lived.
The choice of soil does not play a special role - in any case, the fish prefer to stay in the upper part of the water, almost never sink to the bottom. But nevertheless, it is better to choose a dark soil - against such a background, a nanostomus with its red fins and stripes looks especially elegant.
It is better to choose diffuse lighting - the easiest way to achieve this is by covering the surface with floating plants, such as pistii, salvinia or azolla.
Suitable temperature is + 24-26 degrees Celsius. The water is soft, you can add a small amount of peat to it so that the fish feel more comfortable.
Suitable feed
But Beckford's aquarium fish is quite picky about the feed. The fact is that the mouths of these individuals are very small. Therefore, the usual bloodworm and pipe maker are not suitable here. In the wild, they feed on zooplankton, but at home it is very difficult to get it, so you need to look for a suitable alternative. Suitable small nauplii of brine shrimp, chopped tubule and bloodworm. In extreme cases, you can feed carefully chopped dried daphnia and gammarus. Well, if you can get somewhere frozen cyclops and daphnia, then this will be a great choice.
When feeding, do not forget - down to the ground, the fish almost do not descend. Therefore, you need to feed in small portions so that most of the feed is eaten before it sinks to the bottom. Because of this, feeding sessions should not be 2-3, as with most fish, but at least 4-5.
We select neighbors
It is worth noting that the Beckford nanostomus, whose photo is attached to the article, is characterized by a timid, quiet character, despite the fact that it moves a lot. Therefore, the neighbors should be selected appropriate. Barbs, swordsmen and other aggressive predatory fish are not suitable. It is also worth abandoning large neighbors - goldfish, scalars, discus.
Conventional guppies, neons, zebrafish, as well as many representatives of tetra and cyprinids can become a good choice. The main thing is that they be calm and not too pushy.
There are practically no conflicts between nanostomuses. They do not have a clear hierarchy that some males would try to keep and destroy others. Battles over territories also do not happen. Sometimes one male simply begins to push another from the territory that he considers his own, but there are no injuries bit by the fins.
But catfishes, who would calmly swim along the bottom, collecting the rest of the feed, should definitely be hooked to nanostomuses. Then you will have to clean less often, and the bottom will not seem desolate. True, cockroaches and others breathing atmospheric air should not be wound up. They rise sharply from the bottom, after which they again dive down, frightening the neighbors and introducing unnecessary confusion.
Breeding
To distinguish between male and female is quite simple - this has already been mentioned above. And if so, then you should learn more about breeding Beckford nanostomus, and then check the knowledge gained in practice.
In a spawning ground (an aquarium of 40-50 liters densely planted with algae), a flock of 4-5 individuals immediately sits. Females should be 1-2 more than males. Water is poured into the spawning softer than in the main aquarium - this serves as a signal to the beginning of spawning.
Females can start throwing eggs in a couple of hours, or in a few days. You need to carefully monitor the fish. They lay an average of 40-50 small eggs. When the female finishes her work, the male pours the eggs with milk. Immediately after this, the fish need to be deposited - otherwise they will quickly eat caviar.
Youth Care
A day after spawning, larvae hatch from eggs. For a couple of days they simply lie on the ground, after which they move to the glass, to which they are literally glued to sag for a few more days.
They begin to swim only on the 5-6th day of life. Yes, and swim is not too active - they hang more in the water.
By this time, you need to start feeding the fish - the smallest nauplii of brine shrimp come up, as they cannot eat large ones. Moreover, you need to make a little, right in the center of the flocks, so that the fish do not have to swim for food. Particularly persistent aquarists even try to drop a pipette near the muzzle of each of the fish so that they definitely eat.
Mortality among fry is quite high - this is a natural selection. By about a month the fish are already actively swimming, eating. Their color changes from gray to what their parents possess. They will become sexually mature by about 6-8 months. But it’s better to wait up to a year before jailing them. Adult, mature individuals tolerate spawning more easily and usually lay more eggs than juveniles.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know more about the amazingly beautiful Beckford Nannostomus fish. It is possible that some readers will even have a desire to start them. Well, you know enough to successfully cope with this task.