Experienced aquarists are difficult to surprise. Often, amateurs themselves, having reached certain heights in their field, begin to feel sad because they cannot diversify the small ocean independently created at home, inhabited by various inhabitants. Watching the fish and admiring their unhurried existence is an occupation that causes not only aesthetic pleasure, but, according to psychologists, is able to calm the nervous system, which is very important in the conditions of the busy life of the modern world.
Those who already have a good collection of fish sometimes want something exotic, but it’s not always possible to buy something like that in pet stores. It is worth noting that many fish are quite expensive in terms of cost and troublesome in maintenance. But there is one "living option" that wins hearts, differing not only at an affordable price, but also incredible beauty. Such a choice is a parrot fish that brings a lot of pleasure to its breeders. We will devote this article to her, after reading which, every amateur will be able to understand the rules for keeping this individual in an aquarium and find out its main characteristics.
Appearance
Fiery or deep orange color is the standard for amazing parrot fish. They descended from a family called Cichlovs. By the way, experts claim that as a result of the selection of three species of cichlids, such peculiar individuals were obtained that were loved by aquarists all over the world. Among artificially bred parrots, there are representatives whose coloring is dominated by other variegated colors: lemon, milk, blue, purple or double combinations of these shades. The fish was named so for an unusual head, huge and resembling a beak of a parrot, as well as a motley color. Usually these aquarium fish grow to impressive sizes - from 15 to 30 cm.
You can preserve the color of the main color, but not reproduce individuals at home
It is noteworthy that pet stores offer customers the most diverse colors of this representative of the world of the aquarium, but today there is practically no amateur who would be able to see their eggs at home. In other words, we can safely say that so far few have been able to observe the reproduction of this individual under domestic conditions. Rumor has it that breeders in the strictest confidence keep information about the species, preventing from 1991 (the time of breeding parrot fish) anyone to independently engage in their full-fledged breeding.
By the way, experienced aquarists, which for a long time contain such fish, noted that their color can change from certain characteristics of the feed. For example, if there is a high carotene content in an industrial dry concentrate, the color of the individual, its red and orange pigments will acquire a more saturated, special color. But the fish will fade from excessive lighting and old age.
Content
In general, for the maintenance of parrot fish at home, special sophistication is not required. It is only important to keep the aquarium clean and to feed the waterfowl on time. But the main thing nevertheless lies in the volume of housing provided for the selected individual: two adult fish require at least 200 liters of water. We list the main requirements put forward for the comfortable existence of motley fish in a human house:
- The water temperature is in the range of 21-27 degrees Celsius.
- The water hardness level is 5-7 mEq / liter.
- PH 6.5-7.5.
- For aquarium fish, constant aeration is required (water saturation with oxygen bubbles).
By the way, in order to facilitate cleaning of the aquarium with a sufficiently large amount of water, it is recommended that its parrot fish be updated daily at a rate of 50% for the entire volume.
Gender characteristics
Male parrot fish have few differences from females. Sometimes it is possible to determine the sex of a particular individual only in spawning conditions. During this period, a sharp and narrow canal is clearly visible in males, through which seminal fluid is transmitted, but in a female parrot fish, a wide ovipositor. Motley fish cannot be distinguished by color, size or any other features characteristic of other natural representatives of a diverse water world.
By the way, many novice exotic lovers in their own home, looking forward to a long admiring beauty and unique look, are interested in the question: how many parrot fish live? So, in comfortable conditions, such beauties are able to please their owners for about 10 years, and in nature their life can be several times greater than the specified figure.
Aquarium arrangement
In order for a motley and unusual fish to live as long as possible at home, it is important to create a comfortable and properly equipped place for its habitat. Sometimes such nuances as the presence or absence of pebbles, for example, can lead to a reduction in the life of the inhabitants of the miniature water world.
A special moment of keeping parrot fish in the aquarium is their natural desire to equip family houses. This is especially evident during the spawning period. Fish, whose head resembles the beak of a parrot, is considered to be an adherent of disorder and chaos among lovers of exotics, because in the search for the best materials for building a family nest, it can dig soil and even pull out vegetation planted for beauty. In order to avoid constantly muddy water and glass contamination, preference should be given to medium-sized pebbles and weighty decor: snags or locks and dark shelters made of safe material. Vegetation can be excluded altogether, for colored parrots it is a provocateur for the immediate formation of nests.
Parrot fish compatibility with other aquarium individuals
Bright, but rather large fish, called parrots, like their other brethren, require a competent approach to keeping. It is important to understand that such a fish gets along with its species quite comfortably. This is especially true when all the pets were purchased on the same day. This representative of the world of aquatic creatures can coexist equally well with both predators and “peaceful” aquarium fish. Also, cohabitants of parrot fish should be individuals of the same size as her, otherwise the colorful congeners will simply be swallowed by small congeners. We list those who are most suitable for living together in the same territory with parrots:
- Labeo.
- Aravans.
- Black knives.
- Average catfish.
- Barbs.
It is strongly not recommended to place snails and other mollusks in the parrot fish, because the motley fish, which is a predator by nature, will gnaw at the snail shell and be injured by fragments from it. By the way, during spawning, males are extremely aggressive. They prefer to swim almost to the bottom, so you should always give preference to those of their neighbors that scour the surface or in the middle layers.
Main diet
Fishes with a head resembling a beak of a parrot are inherently omnivorous. They can even be called gluttons. But overfeeding for representatives of the motley inhabitants of aquariums can be fatal. In specialized stores, it is necessary to buy food for cichlids for such pets , as well as add "live" representatives to their diet: bloodworms, for example. Shrimps, boiled fish and lean meat - all this must also be offered to the pet, not forgetting that from a lack of food the parrot is able to eat algae and other vegetation in the aquarium.
Experience Secrets
For those who decided to get a parrot fish at home, but still do not have enough experience in keeping it, we have collected some necessary tips:
- If the fish begins to lose activity, then it is worth considering the question of the conditions created for it. An analysis of the situation gives a good picture: temperature, filtration, aeration are important points in the content.
- Parrot fish is a jumping creature, so you should think about the cover of the aquarium in advance, on which, by the way, you can perfectly place the backlight.
- Due to the fact that the motley fish are quite sneaky and very smart, they should be planted only with individuals similar in temperament. Otherwise, the parrot fish will constantly hunt amorphous creatures and ultimately kill them. By the way, since 1991 there have been disputes about the comfortable existence of parrots with angelfish. Someone argues that such a union is ideal, while others notice that angelfish, hiding in algae, becomes the catch of motley large fish.
Conclusion
Parrot fish in aquariums, properly equipped by amateurs or professionals, will become a real masterpiece and decoration of any home. Their content, however, as well as the content of other fish, should be taken seriously. Indeed, only in this case, a person can count on long admiring the life of an exotic pet, which is still able to bring peace and relaxation to its owner, giving a quiet cozy evening alone with your thoughts and dreams.