The mysterious world of the aquarium attracts many people. How wonderful it is to sit after work and watch the unhurried flow of life of its inhabitants. So that dramas do not play in the blue waters, you should carefully consider the choice of fish, today we will talk about who the scalar coexists with.
Content Features
Angelfish is not too picky and quite accommodating with many underwater inhabitants.
It does not dig and does not spoil plants, like other cichlids, in particular, handsome chromis. Soil is not its element, a scalar will not dig it up and raise turbidity. But these fish are demanding on the chemical composition, degree of pollution and the level of oxygen in the water.
This is a school of fish, so if you decide to start them, take several individuals at once. Alone she often dies in the first days after the purchase, as if not experiencing her loneliness.
Aquarium equipment
If you want to keep a scalar and still diversify the underwater world with other inhabitants, then take care of a large aquarium. A volume of 100 liters (or even better 200) is the minimum that is required. A sufficient amount of free space will ensure peaceful coexistence with neighbors, while a shortage of space will provoke conflicts.
The second thing to take care of is equipment. Good filtration and aeration are necessary to make the scalar feel normal. A heater with a temperature control system will not allow sudden fluctuations, which is undesirable for these heat-loving fish. In addition, you will need tests to determine the various parameters of water. So, too hard water can lead to their death. Optimum acidity Ph 6.0. Favorable temperature regime of 25-27 degrees.
Plots with abundant vegetation in the aquarium are desirable, they contribute to the normal functioning of the ecosystem and serve as a refuge for fry or smaller inhabitants. So, with the basic requirements of these cichlids to the environment figured out, now you need to choose the neighbors to whom they also fit, and find out with which fish the scalars get along.
Good neighborly relations
When choosing a composition for your aquarium, first of all, pay attention to the size of the fish. Scalaria grows large enough and, like any of the cichlids, can try on the tooth what is smaller. Therefore, it is better to take all the inhabitants at once with fry than to launch young animals to adults already. Another point: these fish are very slow, and therefore nimble neons are well adjacent to them.
The first of those who get along with a scalar can be called catfish, on the other hand, no one quarrels with them at all. Each of them has its own range. Whatever fish you bring, they will completely ignore the presence of bottom catfish.
Angelfish and barbs are often recommended as ideal neighbors. They have almost the same requirements for temperature, hardness and acidity. But the temperament is different, and nimble barbs are quite capable of leaving leisurely fish without lunch. Again, it depends on the nature of the specific fish that came to you. Some live very friendly, and somewhere barbs are taken to drive cichlids.
Another win-win option is angelfish and gourami. This composition looks very bright, all the fish are quite large (which makes corresponding requirements for the size of the water area). If you take the fish fry, then the problems, most likely, will not arise. Adults with gourami can sometimes only drag open angelfish by their tails and fins.
Often there are disputes among amateurs whether scalars and guppies get along.
In fact, this is really lucky. Peaceful individuals came across to some, and small fish continue to swim peacefully, while for others, cichlids quickly figured out how to corner them and have a bite. If all the fish were bought at an early age, the aquarium is large and there are shelters, then, most likely, life will pass peacefully and calmly.
Experienced aquarists emphasize the calm neighborhood of angelfish and zebrafish, in addition, one of the most accommodating people is considered to be Pecilia. Labeo, tetra, discus, swordsmen, cockerels and iris are also well suited.
With whom to settle a scalar is not worth it
Despite the fact that they themselves belong to this family, they get along badly with other cichlids. Often, scalars are slower and calmer, and therefore can themselves suffer from distant relatives. They are incompatible with goldfish. Large predators, such as piranhas, are intended only for a separate content.
Telescopes cannot be settled together with flat beauties, quickly losing their sight, they will die. By the way, not only cichlids like to knock out their eyes. Having planted any new species in the aquarium, even if you are sure that it is precisely those who get along with the scalar, be sure to closely monitor the behavior of the fish. If you notice aggressive behavior, dangling fins and tails, it is better to evacuate the affected fish and give it in good hands.
Fish selection
About the fact that it is undesirable to keep a scalar with goldfish, we have already said. Let us explain: cichlids are thermophilic, the same, on the contrary, love cool water. In addition, goldfish are big gluttons, they heavily clog the aquarium and like to dig soil, and scalars do not tolerate dirty water.
You should not keep together herbivorous fish (tilyaria, hemigrammus, viviparous cyprinids) and predators, which include scalars. Mixing different feeds can adversely affect the state of water and the health of its inhabitants.
Reproduction period: how the behavior of scalars changes
These are territorial fish and during the spawning period, as well as concern for the offspring, they can drive all the other inhabitants of the aquarium.
Even to relatives during the separation into pairs may have a hard time. There are several ways out: either plant a couple to spawn in a separate aquarium, or plan to plant large bushes and build caves and backwaters at the bottom of which fish can hide from each other.
It should be noted that the male is usually aggressive at this time, especially if there is another competitor in the aquarium. Several females with one male will be much more accommodating. Spawning in these fish occurs quite often, several times a month, which is an occasion to think whether it is necessary to add neighbors to them at all or to keep a monobreed aquarium more calmly.
Brief conclusions
Answering the question about who gets along with a scalar, we note the following points. These should be heat-loving fish, since cichlids do not tolerate temperatures below 23 degrees. It is advisable that the neighbors are not too small, that is, do not fit predators in their mouths. Buying too large and aggressive individuals is fraught with unpleasant consequences for the scalars themselves (an example is the astronotus). Fish should tolerate soft water. This condition is not suitable for everyone, as Malawian cichlids automatically drop out of the selection list .