Cockerels are surprisingly beautiful aquarium fish, albeit with a very difficult character. Not surprising, because over the centuries, martial qualities have been cultivated in them, which left a serious imprint on modern representatives of the breed. Any aquarist who has several individuals, over time, has a desire to get offspring. To do this, you need to know how the spawning of rooster fish takes place and how to properly care for them in this crucial period.
Why do we need spawning?
On the one hand, the answer is quite obvious - after all, without spawning, it is impossible to obtain the continuation of the genus and, accordingly, turn a couple of heterosexual males into a luxurious flock. However, not all people are interested in a large number of these fish, which are distinguished by a fighting character.
But there are other reasons for stimulating the spawning of males. The fact is that if a female has not spawned for a long time, this leads to very sad consequences - we will talk about them later. Yes, and for the male, regular fertilization of eggs and care for the offspring are very useful - this brings him closer to the natural living conditions, significantly increasing the life span.
Therefore, at least once every few months, everything should be done so that the fish spawn. Whether to preserve caviar after this or give it to relatives for eating - let the aquarist decide.
Matching couples
Spawning of males at home is a complex and responsible process. It all starts with the selection of the right pair. A lot depends on this.
First you need to take a pair related to one breed. After all, there are a lot of rocks - they differ in body size, fin shape and color. If you want to get a really beautiful young, you should take the choice of future parents very seriously. Otherwise, any fish is suitable - regardless of breed. But be prepared for the fact that juveniles will acquire the features of both parents - this can be both a real find and a failure.
The age of males is also very important. It is undesirable to take too young or old individuals. The optimal figure is from 5 months to 2 years. These are strong, but at the same time mature fish that are likely to be able to lay eggs, fertilize and take care of it, allowing you to get a rich increase in the aquarium economy.
Preparation for spawning
When the pair is matched, they should be seated. This is precisely the signal for them that the spawning of males should begin soon. You need to plant in different aquariums for 1-2 weeks. It is also worth raising the temperature of the water, but not very much, by 1-2 degrees.
In addition, do not forget about the right diet. Refuse dry feeds, even quality ones. Try to give the males only live or frozen food - bloodworms and tubules are perfect.
Another important aspect is the replacement of water. Every day in containers where future parents live, about a third of the water should be changed. It is a high-quality diet, fever and a large amount of fresh water that helps fish to tune in for quick spawning. Only after this, future parents can be transplanted into a common spawning ground. We will tell you more about the choice and device. Do not forget that juveniles need proper nutrition, and it takes time to prepare it. Therefore, take care of this already at this stage.
Choose a spawning ground
To begin with, the aquarium, where the spawning of the cockerel fish will take place , should not be large. Fifteen liters will be more than enough. But even it does not need to be filled completely with water - it is better to limit yourself to 12-15 centimeters. The fact is that the female will throw eggs, which will sink to the bottom. The male neatly collects it and attaches it to floating objects - usually algae. Therefore, a small amount of water makes life easier for the parent.
If the aquarium has not been used before, it should be thoroughly rinsed. You can use a solution of potassium permanganate.
Make sure that there are shelters for the female in the spawning grounds. The male cockerel is extremely emotional during spawning, so it can cause serious damage to it. As shelters, you can use thick algae, driftwood, a fragment of a ceramic jug.
Remember that any objects float on the surface of the water. The best choice would be suitable algae, such as pistachio. But you can also use a piece of foam.
Do not forget that during spawning, fish need a large amount of oxygen. This is especially true in the summer heat, when the oxygen content in the water decreases. Place a small compressor so that it saturates water with air.
Fish are ready for spawning
The time has come for spawning males. Where does it begin? A pair of previously seated individuals sits in one aquarium - a spawning ground. This should be done carefully, making sure that the water in it has the same temperature as in those aquariums where the fish were previously.
It is important to know how a female cockerel behaves, ready for spawning. The male usually does not have problems, but the female may well be afraid of him, hiding. If everything is in order, then she swims with pleasure near the father of her future fry, spreads her fins.
In addition, in most breeds of males, when ready to spawn, the female has characteristic vertical stripes on the body. The exceptions are matte and pastel cockerels.
The female swims rather unusually - leaning strongly forward. Finally, her belly becomes simply huge - it feels like she has greatly overeaten.
The male is torn between the construction of the nest and courtship of the female. The nest is built from algae, so make sure there are a lot of them. However, some breeds prefer not to build a nest, but to attach eggs to floating objects on the surface. Courting is pinching the fins of a friend.
How spawning goes
The male, ready for procreation, stubbornly pursues the female, hugs her with large fins, literally hugs her. Sometimes it even turns upside down. At that time, the female looks sick, limp, and even lifeless.
The spawning process itself usually lasts from 1 to 4 hours. At this time, the male presses on the abdomen of the female, squeezing caviar from it. Then he pours milk.
The male carefully collects the fertilized eggs in his mouth, applying saliva to them so that they become more sticky. Then he either takes them to a house or attaches them to objects floating on the surface. That is why there should not be too much water in the spawning aquarium. At this time, it is not necessary to feed the male, as well as to disturb, showing excessive curiosity.
After spawning, the female cockerel sits - either in the aquarium with the rest of the fish, or in her old one, where she spent the last few days to recover slightly.
And here is the replenishment!
The eggs do not last long in the aquarium. In just a day they will turn into larvae. They swim with great difficulty, and they are not too similar to adult fish. After another day or two, the yolk sac, which provided them with food, will dissolve, and the fry will be able to swim more smoothly and confidently.
By this time, the male can be jailed. He fulfilled his function - he protected the fry from a potential threat, and at the same time removed dead eggs, so that it would not harm the young.
How to feed fry
If the spawning of rooster fish was ideally successful, you should not be sure that you have become the owner of a brood of juveniles. This is just the beginning!
Here you need to provide the fish with special feeding - chopped tubule, frozen bloodworms or dried gammarus will not suit them. At a minimum, you need to use an egg yolk. Boil the hard-boiled egg, take a little (literally on the tip of the knife) and dilute in water, getting a cloudy liquid. Add it to the spawning literally a few drops - a nutritious yolk will provide fry with everything necessary. The main thing - do not forget to feed more often, literally with an interval of 3-4 hours.
But the best choice would be nauplii artemia. Yes, displaying them is rather troublesome, and it will take more than one day. But the young, receiving live food in sufficient quantities, will grow quite quickly, differing in excellent health, bright colors. Therefore, it’s definitely worth spending extra time on removing live food.
How to care for young
An interesting feature: although the spawning of the cockerel fish lasted only a few hours, the fry vary greatly in development. Therefore, you need to constantly monitor them, timely planting small individuals in a separate aquarium. Otherwise, there is a great risk that larger individuals will simply eat or seriously bite less nimble brothers.
If your goal is to obtain the maximum number of fry, then you should not forget about this feature.
As soon as the first sexual characteristics appear in males, they should be planted in separate aquariums. After all, this species is famous for its aggressiveness - even young males may well cause each other very serious injuries. By the age of three months, juveniles acquire bright colors, become sexually mature and can produce offspring. But still, you should not rush - wait at least a couple of months to get healthy fry and not risk the lives of producers.
Possible problems and solutions
Unfortunately, spawning of males is often accompanied by various complications.
For example, after putting a female and a male in a spawning ground, they spend several days there, but the first does not build a house, and the second does not show any signs of interest. In this case, it makes sense to select other individuals or replace at least one fish in a pair. Experienced aquarists know many cases when a male and a female cockerel, who do not want to give offspring together, get along well with other individuals, bringing strong, beautiful and healthy fry.
Another serious problem may arise if the female cockerel spawning has not passed for a long time. After all, caviar accumulates - it is a process developed over millions of years of evolution. If it does not mark eggs, then it will accumulate and accumulate. And one day it just turns into a cyst. Usually, the fish die after this - not immediately, but inevitably.
Sometimes a strict diet helps - the fish are planted in a separate aquarium and simply stop feeding. Cruel, but in some cases it can save a female cockerel from death. True, it helps only in the initial stages of cyst development, which a novice aquarist may miss. Usually such fish are doomed.
There is no way to spawn to help the female get rid of eggs? Experienced experts are able to express it by simply catching a fish and massaging the abdomen very carefully. But these are real virtuosos - do not forget that the bones in the body of a cockerel are the same thickness as a thin fishing line. Therefore, it is very easy to damage them and internal organs. It’s better to try to find a male cockerel and spawn - even if you don’t even need fry.
Conclusion
Now you know how to understand that a cockerel is ready for spawning. You can easily equip the perfect spawning, as well as take care of the young - from feeding and ending with the division into females and males.