What kind of fish and how long can they live without oxygen and a filter?

Many beginner aquarists seek to reduce their financial costs for arranging an aquarium. Indeed, equipping an aquarium with aeration and a filter requires a certain amount of money. In addition, these devices must be looked after, cleaned in time, so that they do not fail. In this regard, many are faced with the question of whether there are fish that can live without oxygen.

I would like to note that there is not a single living creature that can continue its life without air. However, among the aquarium fish there are such representatives who can not breathe oxygen dissolved in aquarium water, but receive it from atmospheric air. Macropods, loaches and labyrinths are able to capture air from the surface of the water and hold it in their body for some time.

Loosers may gain air into the intestines. One of the prominent representatives of such fish are catfish corridors. These are small fish about 3–7 cm in size. On their backs there is a carapace of bone plates. The most common color is gray-olive. These are peaceful fish that get along well with other representatives. They like to hide in shelters, they often dig up the ground in which they are looking for food.

The average life expectancy of this species of catfish is 10-12 years.

Macropod and labyrinth species of fish have a special device of gills, which also allows them to swallow air from the surface. Consider the most unpretentious and common representatives.

Peaceful fish, about 5-12 cm in size. There are a lot of varieties: gourami pearl, moonlight, blue, kissing, grumbling, marble, gold, chocolate. The names of the species speak for themselves - these fish are diverse in color.

From the general recommendations I would like to highlight the following. The aquarium should be at least 50 cm long and at least 50 liters in volume. Fish need space for shelters and games. They are unpretentious in food, eat different types of food, however, it is important not to overfeed them. For spawning, they need floating plants.

Small fish, about 7 cm in size. Shy, it is best to start a flock of at least 3 fish. They can live even in a small aquarium with a volume of about 10 liters. However, for comfort it’s better to still get a larger tank. They get along well where there are a lot of algae, vegetation, because they like to hide.

Very beautiful fish, however aggressive, do not get along well with their neighbors. One fish needs 5-10 liters of water. Males are omnivorous. Special feed mixtures for them are available for sale. In the aquarium, vegetation must be present so that the females have somewhere to take shelter during spawning, as well as from an aggressive male.

These are large quiet fish. They need at least 10 liters of water per inhabitant. Love algae very much. From the feed they prefer small, varied. Particular attention in their breeding should be given to the temperature regime in the aquarium. Comfortable for them is a temperature of + 25–28 degrees.

Hardy fish that can live even in a three-liter jar. They carry cold and spoiled water. Macropods are pugnacious, do not like smaller neighbors. In food unpretentious, omnivorous. For soil, it is better to use expanded clay, coarse sand.

The aquarium should have a lid that does not block access to air. In addition, an ideal option would be if the surface of the water is covered with algae.

This fish is quite difficult to care for. They prefer small aquariums. Shelters are needed - stones, driftwood, castles. Such fish can jump out, so open aquariums are unacceptable. It is difficult to breed them even for professionals. In food, they can be content with microorganisms from the ground and waste from the rest of the population of the aquarium, however, they will be happy with live and frozen treats.

Such a fish is called a home barometer, because its restless behavior predicts the onset of bad weather. They are unpretentious, can live in an aquarium of 10 liters. There are also no special requirements for temperature, it can range from +3 to +30 degrees. Soil can be both large and small. It is not recommended to use sharp aquarium decorations.

In general, there are many fish that do not need to equip the aquarium with a filter and aeration for life. Consider the size and nature of the pets, as well as the temperature of the water, the quality of the soil, and then the fish will comfortably coexist together.

In the previous section, we found out that no living organism can exist without air.

However, there are many fish that need oxygen in the water, otherwise they will not survive. Sometimes it can happen that the lights are turned off, the devices in the aquarium do not work. A logical question arises - how many such fish can withstand without air.

There is no single answer. It all depends on the population of your aquarium, the presence of vegetation in it.

Living algae produce oxygen, which, although to a lesser extent than special devices, saturates water.

This question is difficult to answer unambiguously. An important role is played by both the size of the aquarium itself and the size of the pets. The larger the fish, the greater the volume of water should fall on one individual. For example, for a 5 cm fish, 2 liters of water is enough. If the fish is 8-10 cm, then about 5 liters are already required. For large individuals, the size of which is more than 12 cm, you need about 10 liters of water for each.

However, there are many exceptions to this rule. If you have a low and wide aquarium, then the number of fish can be increased, because the water in it is better saturated with oxygen. If you plan to get any of the labyrinth species of fish, then the population density can also be increased. But if you want to breed goldfish, then they will be more comfortable if each individual will have more water, since they produce a lot of waste.

Filtration and compressor availability also affect the number of fish in the aquarium. If you have all the necessary equipment, then the number of fish can be increased, since the water in such an aquarium is purified, and the air is saturated with oxygen.

The shape of the aquarium is important. Many prefer round aquariums. Indeed, they are beautiful, fit well into the interior. But, it should be borne in mind that not all of them can be equipped with the necessary devices. For example, a small round aquarium, about 5 liters in size, made in the form of a glass, is not very suitable for permanent residence of fish. It is best used for temporary jigging.

In general, for round aquariums, fish species such as catfish, cockerels, laliuses are best suited. The population density should be taken into account based on the characteristics of the fish. In addition, do not forget that in the aquarium there are not only fish, but also soil, algae. Thus, it is necessary to subtract 10-15 percent from the volume of the aquarium, and only then calculate the number of individuals.

When populating an aquarium, try to have inhabitants of all layers.

Given all these recommendations, you can create a real ecosystem in your apartment in which all its inhabitants will be comfortable.

Aquarium care involves regular washing of the filter sponge. Detergents can not be used, wash only with water. In addition, it is necessary to purchase a soil siphon and use it to clean. Aquarium care involves a partial replacement of water.

Change the water in it more often than in a equipped one. On average, this procedure is performed 2-3 times a month. 20-30 percent of the water is removed from the aquarium, and clean, settled water is poured in its place. You can’t pour water directly from the tap, the fish may die. It should stand for 2 days.

In the next video, you can get acquainted with the features of the maintenance and care of the aquarium fish cockerel.