Here you can find out some my experiences about freshwater aquarium and fishes. There is a description of fish kinds, which I've ever had. These kinds of fishes can be considered as very easy to breed. But I can not say that they do not need care.
At the beginning was a couple of poor looking fishes. But the most important thing
was that the couple immediately started to spawn. I've bought
artemias and I've tried to breed my first berry fish
kind. And I was successful. I've breed oodles of them and I've overran all pet shops
by them. My new fishes were quiet nicer and better colored when I've compared them
with their parents. I've kept about 25 of them in 110 litre aquarium. It was
great spectacle. The shoal was compact and fish didn't fight against each other
not even against other fish kinds. Small guppy was quickly eaten off but a guppy
of size 1.5cm was just a faint decoy and after a while has swum in the center of
shoal without any worse. That fact meant a great disappointment for me because
I've bought this kind for liquidation of guppy increase in my aquariums.
| 27.5.1995 | All went as described below - fishes spawned in 14 litre aquarium and I had a lot of time, because that time I was writing my thesis. |
| 1. day | at 12:00 spawn was finished and at 15:00 a female was removed from aquarium. Male is taking care about a bubble nest. Strayed berries are taken by his mouth and spited back to the nest. |
| 2. day | fish babies are out from berries and hangs under the nest. Strayed fishes are taken by male mouth and spited back to the nest. Babies are about 3mm long and have transparent relatively big bellies and some times very nervous swim. |
| 3. day | fishes are in the morning still under the nest but at 16:30 starts swim over the aquarium and the male is going to give up his repatriation activity. |
| 4. day | in the morning all fishes are swimming, male was removed from aquarium |
| 6. day | fishes are eating artemias already and after feeding have nice orange bellies. |
| 7. day and more | fishes are growing very quickly but differently so it is necessary to separate bigger ones because they eat smaller ones. In two months their air breathing labyrinth is evolved and due to that fact it is necessary to give them only very small grub. When the labyrinth is in progress they can die by suffocate by big piece of food. |
| 21.4.1999 | The last fish died (female) aged almost four years. |
This fish is considered as a "beginner kind". But in fact it's not so simple. Cultivating of a fish kind makes this it more delicate than an original form. Average age of males is only about one year thanks to their high and long tale fin which is very hard to carry.
I've bought nine these fishes but during two days three the smallest died and I've got six of them and they grow very differently.
I've bought them in May 1999 as 4-5cm long fishes and after two months their size is 6-8cm. I regretted that they are extremely shy. So I've decided to buy ten additional fishes as their aquarium mates. That was good decision because now in July 1999 I can say they don't shy anymore.
I've got five of them since June 1999. Their size was abut 5cm.
I've got five of them since June 1999. Their size was abut 5cm. Together with Helostoma temmincki and Trichogaster leeri are living in 110 litre aquarium. It's very impressive
show to look at such multifarious shoal.
I've got these two fatboys from one of my friends as small fishes only 8cm long. Now (in July 1999) are about 20 and 23,5 cm long and when they want they completely scatter all inside the aquarium.
I don't know if it is a couple, maybe, but I've never seen any preparing to spawn.
I've got four fishes and it seems to be two couples. They live in 60 litre aquarium with an about twenty-member shoal of Blackmolls.
