Most people believe that only ornamental fish with small sizes are intended for aquarium breeding. But this is completely untrue. The ability to grow quite large fish in the living conditions of a small apartment really exists. Aquariums with such marine inhabitants can add a bit of exotic to the interior, as well as become a real hobby that brings money. Aquarium sturgeons are great for such purposes. Due to its beautiful body shape, this fish looks very attractive in clear water. In this article we will consider the general principles of sturgeon maintenance in aquariums, how to care for them and what are the most optimal conditions for them.
Description of the sturgeon family
The main sign of this family, whose roots go back to the prehistoric era, is the chord. It is the backbone of the skeleton, in addition, even in adults, there is no vertebral body. Sturgeons possess the cartilage base of the cranium and skeleton, the body is needle-shaped and has 5 lines of prickly spines. On the head there are bone growths, the cone-shaped muzzle. The dorsal fin is located close to the caudal. The pectoral fin has a spike, according to which specialists determine the age of the sturgeon. The lower part of the muzzle has 4 whiskers. In addition, this type of fish has a splatter, the same as that of representatives of shark-shaped.
Habitat sturgeon habitat
Before you start growing sturgeon at home, you should get acquainted with this family a little. In the natural environment, this fish is found in such reservoirs as the Volga, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob. In addition, representatives of sturgeons inhabit the Azov and Black Seas. Some species, such as sterlet, prefer to enter salt water very rarely. Experts recommend growing this variety of sturgeon in an aquarium. If we consider the inhabitants of the Volga, then in its open spaces semi-passage sturgeons live. These fish go to the top of the river delta for spawning. In the natural environment, sturgeons never migrate in large clusters.
When the warm season ends and the autumn season comes, sturgeons stray into small flocks for wintering. Often at this time they do not eat at all. When the ice finally melts, freshwater sturgeons rise from the bottom and go downstream to spawn along river beds.
Sturgeons at home - myth or reality?
Today, there are a huge number of different opinions about the content of representatives of this species in domestic conditions. However, most argue that the decorative sturgeon is an aquarium fish that has good endurance, vitality and will not cause trouble to the owner. In reality, sturgeons, although they are unique prehistoric animals that have incredibly survived to our days, but this does not add to their increased survivability, and not every water can breed them. On the contrary, they have higher requirements for purity and quality of water than other fish that can be kept in an aquarium.
Features of the sturgeon family
As practice shows, aquarium sturgeons, the content of which is carried out in small tanks up to 500 liters, do not grow over fifteen centimeters. But this is not necessary. Small representatives of this family have no less beauty than their large relatives. In this case, the color of individuals of the sturgeon can vary from bright white to saturated black. In addition, aquarium sturgeons are able to attract the eye not only with the wide color gamut of their color, but also with the increased activity that is inherent in all representatives of this family. These fish spend most of their life in motion.
An important point is the choice of species of fish that can be in the same tank with aquarium sturgeons. Since the latter are predatory representatives of the aquatic environment, smaller fish species cannot be attached to them. They will simply be eaten. Larger species of aquarium fish will also not work, as sturgeons can leave them without food.
Experts have identified species that can get along well with aquarium sturgeons, and recommend that they be planted. These include Arovan, chain catfish and armored pike. In addition, sturgeons get along well with their relatives.
Care and basic maintenance requirements
The maintenance and care of an aquarium sturgeon is a fairly simple process, but nevertheless requires certain knowledge. First of all, it should be remembered that this species of fish loves clean water with its constant quality parameters. In order to ensure all this, you need to equip the aquarium with an aeration and filtration system that will meet all the requirements for sturgeon content. The best solution is to equip an aquarium with running water, without any algae. The surface of the body of sturgeons has a large number of spikes with which they can hook algae and get entangled in them. Often this ends with the death of the fish. The pointed plates cling to the plant and trap sturgeons in it, which is why they cannot continue swimming. As a result of this, the fish begins to twitch and fight intensively, which leads to damage to the spinal vertebrae. Therefore, according to numerous reviews, aquarium sturgeons should be kept in tanks with a pebble bottom.
Features of the structure of the mouth
The sturgeon family is a predatory type of fish, so it needs to eat live food. They love various mollusks and small insects. The sturgeon's oral cavity has no teeth and is extremely small, so it’s perfect to use as food: earthworms, bloodworms, tubule and finely chopped beef. It is noteworthy that this fish eats only from the bottom.
Impurities - sturgeon killer
The water in the aquarium must be replaced weekly. The important thing is that not all water needs to be changed, but only 20% of the total volume. Representatives of the sturgeon family can not stand the admixture of ammonia, nitrates and heavy organic substances. Aquarium sturgeon, the price of which is at least 200 p. per individual, it is very capricious to the composition of water, and impurities in it can lead to the complete extinction of the livestock. To avoid this, before settling the aquarium, you should find out if there are substances in the water that can harm sturgeon.
Water temperature
According to experts, a comfortable temperature for the life of the sturgeon should be no more than 24 degrees Celsius. It is important that the temperature regime should be approached with all seriousness, as this can negatively affect the health of the fish and lead to its death. It is believed that the water in the aquarium should not fall below 16 degrees, this will certainly destroy the sturgeon, although in the natural environment it can feel great even at lower temperatures. However, very hot water can have a detrimental effect on fish. At temperatures above 27 degrees, it stops eating.
Sturgeon Aquarium Requirements
When choosing a container in which sturgeon will be bred, it should be borne in mind that at least ten liters of water should fall on 1 cm of the body. Therefore, it is worth using aquariums with a volume of 250 liters or more. It should be understood that the size and development of fish directly depends on the size of the container in which they will live. The large size of the aquarium is also due to the fact that, due to the biological characteristics of the body, the sturgeon body regularly secretes mucus. He must constantly get rid of it, and for this he needs to move regularly, and for movement he needs a large bottom area.
For optimal conditions for the existence of sturgeon in the aquarium, water needs regular cleaning, so the tank is equipped with filtration systems with a capacity of at least 6 volumes per hour. Also, an excellent solution would be the organization of biofiltration. This will significantly increase the chances of success in breeding sturgeon. It is noteworthy that sterlet is the most adapted to life in the aquarium. Therefore, experts recommend starting it.
Sturgeon content in aquariums: what to feed
Growing sturgeon in an aquarium is a fairly simple task, if you follow a number of rules. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. Food is primarily a factor that directly affects the health and development of fish. When selecting food for the sturgeon, it should be taken into account that it feeds from the bottom, which means that only one that can sink in the water, and does not swim on the surface of the water, should be used. In addition, you need to understand that representatives of the sturgeon family have a sensitive sense of smell. When choosing a food, you should pay attention to the fact that its smell was pleasant to the fish.
Another important factor is its structure. The feed must be well compressed and not deteriorate from water. Granular feed is best suited. This type of species must be chosen due to the peculiarities of sturgeon nutrition. Fish does not swallow whole food, but does it gradually, so the feed should maintain its original state for at least half an hour. It is noteworthy that although food for sturgeon should not be destroyed for a long time from the effects of water, but it should not be solid. This fish is suitable only for soft food, which it is able to eat faster. If the goal is to grow a large individual from a small sturgeon, then you need to understand that in this case, the feed should also have a large number of calories.
The size of the feed is also important. If it is purchased for fry, then its pieces should be small. Today there are many types of food for sturgeon bred in aquariums and pools, but experts recommend using those species that contain phosphorus, lysine, protein and fiber. Such a set of trace elements will have a beneficial effect on the fish organism.