Labeo bicolor (two-tone) is a popular aquarium fish. It belongs to a large family of cyprinids. An unusual body shape that resembles a shark a little, a color that you can not confuse with any other, interesting behavior - all this has turned a labeau into a desired inhabitant of aquariums.
Habitat
Labeo Bicolor, a photo of which you can see in the review, originally from Thailand. It was discovered in 1936 in the Chauphrai river basin. The fish attracted local residents and aquarium dwellers so much that after thirty years of its uncontrolled catch, as well as the ecological pollution of the area, it was considered extinct. Fortunately, another small population was discovered in Thailand, and this species was transferred to the category of endangered.
Labeo bicolor is an aquarium fish, which in natural conditions prefers to settle in streams and rivers, and during the rainy season it migrates to flooded forests and fields. Scientists believe that it is precisely the restriction of migration in connection with environmental problems that has brought this species to the brink of extinction. Despite these sad facts, Labeo bicolor is widely distributed in captivity, it is actively bred by aquarists around the world.
External features
If beginners who wish to observe the underwater world are interested in the secret of the popularity of this fish, then for those who at least once contained a labe, the answer is obvious. We will try and we will tell you more about it.
Labeo bicolor has a very bright memorable appearance. He has a smooth, or rather, velvety black body with a luxurious bright red tail. In form, this fish resembles a shark; it is not for nothing that the British called it the red tail shark. Such a spectacular combination of colors, great activity cannot go unnoticed even in a densely populated aquarium.
In nature, there is a labe albino, which is devoid of pigment and has a white body, red eyes and fins. Such a fish differs from its two-color brother only in color.
Labeo is a rather large fish, which on average reaches a length of 15 cm, but individuals are also found at 18 cm each. A two-color labe lives for about 6 years, although there have been cases of longevity - up to 10 years.
Gender differences
Labeo bicolor is an aquarium fish (we posted a photo in this article), the sexual differences of which are almost invisible to beginners. Mature females have a more rounded and full abdomen. Perhaps all the differences end there.
Aquarium Maintenance
We have already said that labeo bicolor is a rather large fish, and also a territorial one, therefore its content requires a voluminous and spacious aquarium with a volume of at least 200 liters. You should know that the less free space and the more neighbors a labeau has, the more aggressive they become.
The aquarium must be covered, because these fish are excellent jumpers, and therefore can die, once having made an unsuccessful jump. The content of labeos is simple, for him the most important is the expanse and as many plants as possible, which serve as an additional feed. With proper nutrition, it does not damage plants, only in case of hunger.
Water requirements
Most comfortable these fish feel in peat water. To get it, just put a bag of peat next to the filter or directly into it. It must be changed every three weeks. The aquarium should have powerful filtration and aeration, partial water change (up to 20%) weekly.
Labeo, like other river inhabitants, loves clean and fresh water. Optimal parameters for her:
- temperature +26 ° C;
- water hardness is average;
- PH - 6.8-7.5.
Lighting
Labeo needs moderate lighting, so plants for the aquarium, which sometimes serve as food for them, are best grown in another, brightly lit aquarium. There is another option - to illuminate the aquarium powerfully, which will allow algae to actively develop, and to shade the bottom with large-leaved plants and grottoes.
Feeding
Under natural conditions, the two-color labeo eats mainly plant food, but does not refuse larvae, worms, and various insects. In the aquarium, these fish prefer foods with plant fiber content - granules, tablets, cereals. Now these types of feed are presented in pet shops in a wide range, so aquarists do not experience any problems in this regard.
To diversify the diet of your pets, you can use slices of cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce. Labeo gladly eats animal feed, and any. Nevertheless, the basis of his diet should be plant foods.
Labeo bicolor: reproduction
Immediately we want to warn inexperienced aquarists: it is quite difficult to breed these fish. Most often, this species is bred on farms in Southeast Asia, or domestic professionals do it. The thing is that for spawning in captivity, gonadotropic hormones are used. The slightest mistake in the dosage of these drugs leads to the death of the fish.
There are several schemes for stimulating spawning. We will introduce you to two of them. Chorionic gonadotropin is used for the first injection. Sometimes it is replaced with the “Rotted” drug. Females are administered at a rate of 5-10 IU per 1 g of fish weight, a day later a suspension of dehydrated pituitary gland of cyprinid fish is administered - they are made to both males and females at 0.2 and 0.1 mg per 10 g of weight.
An injection should be done in the muscles of the back, between the scales, slightly above the lateral line. Immediately after spawning, an antibiotic is added to the manufacturers' water, which will protect against the development of infections, since the pituitary suspension is a non-sterile drug. It is difficult to buy, this product does not exist in the free sale. It can only be purchased at specialized farms.
Non-hormonal drugs, such as Nerestin, can be used. It is used as an injection or feeding fish with live food. This must be done twice every day. In this case, as a rule, the spawning state occurs much later.
Deficiency of males
Reproduction of the bicolor labeos may be difficult due to too few males in litters. To get the right amount, fish must be grown in large volumes. In addition, since females are heavier and fuller than males, in the battle for territory the latter usually suffer a crushing defeat, and not all of them survive.
If you set a goal to grow young animals - plant adolescents from the total capacity in a separate and more relaxed aquarium. When they grow up, they may turn out to be such scarce males.
Water for spawning must be fresh, settled, weakly peaty. The temperature is not lower than +27 ° C (after injections a lower temperature is contraindicated for fish!), It is desirable to reduce the stiffness. The aquarium should be equipped with good aeration and a pump, which creates a strong current of water.
Labeo are pelagophiles. In other words, caviar of this species must certainly rise from the bottom with a stream of water. It matures in suspension.
Spawning
Before spawning, females and males are settled for one to two weeks in different aquariums. During this period, they need enhanced nutrition and frequent water changes. After injections, they are transferred to a spawning tank - two to three males per female. The spawning aquarium should be oval or round in shape, with a volume of at least one hundred and fifty liters and a height of fifty centimeters.
Labeo bicolor: compatibility with other fish
Often, a two-color labeo is positioned by sellers as a fish that is suitable for a general aquarium. In fact, such a statement is erroneous. This does not mean that he should be kept alone, but that all the owners should know that he needs special neighbors.
While the fish is small, it avoids conflict, but sexually mature individuals become aggressive. This is especially felt on individuals similar in color and size. What kind of fish should be avoided as neighbors of a Labeau? First of all, do not try to put together a pair of this species, even if they have enough space. When they meet, they will definitely arrange fights.
You can’t hook fish similar in body shape or color to them. They manage to attack even the swordsmen. Fishes who prefer the bottom lifestyle will also suffer, as the laboe feeds in the bottom layers. More or less with these badasses ancistruses “get along” thanks to hard armor.
So who gets along with labeo bicolor? Compatibility is almost perfect with characins and cyprinids, fast and medium-sized fish. For example, mossy and Sumatran thorns, barbs, zebrafish, fire barbus, zebrafish. These fish are very fast, and the Labeau simply can not catch them, and they live mainly in the middle and upper layers. The nature of a labeau only deteriorates with age, so it is necessary to approach the selection of neighbors very carefully.