Lionhead fish: description, keeping rules and breeding

Lionhead is a creature quite popular in the world of aquariums, which does not require complicated care and special conditions of detention. Even a novice breeder can provide a comfortable life for this fish, and the breeding process will not cause difficulties. However, some rules should still be followed so that the fish will live a long and healthy life.

This fish has a stocky body. The caudal fin in the upper part forms an acute angle, connecting with a part of the back. Gill covers and the top of the crown are covered with large seals that form in three months and resemble the appearance of a lion’s mane - For this feature the lion head got its name. Sometimes the formed growths are so massive that they even hide the visual organs. The fish does not have a dorsal fin, and the caudal and anal fins have a bifurcated shape.

There are lionheads of different colors, but one thing remains almost unchanged - the contrast of the growth color in relation to the main shade. Red species are popular: it can be a red fish with white spots or, on the contrary, a white pet with red gill covers. Some species of red lionheads are called Chinese, they are characterized by the saturated red color of the upper part and the forked shape of the caudal fin with four processes. The ranch also belongs to the Japanese species, it is also called the Korean lion head. Its peculiarity is that formations on the head are formed only at the age of 2-3 years.

As well as aquarists appreciate the golden and pale red species. Unusually in the aquarium looks a white fish with a black top. All species can reach a length of 20 cm. An interesting variety is the lion-headed cichlid. This is an olive-green fish with a brown, blue or blue tint, which is characterized by an unusual swimming style. But cichlid is a completely different species of fish, and its rules for keeping may differ from those presented here.

This is a rather big fish, and therefore it will require a large aquarium to keep it - 50 l of water are needed per individual. This creature prefers a lot of mess in the ground, which often creates dregs and dirt, so experts advise using coarse sand or pebbles as soil - then it will be easier to keep the aquarium clean.

Be sure to plant aquarium plants in the tank. But if the vegetation is fragile, then the lion head will quickly damage the stems. In addition, dirt often accumulates on leaf blades. To avoid these problems, it is recommended to use aquarium crops with hard leaves and strong roots for planting. For reliability, the rhizome can be further strengthened with stones. Usually aquarists are advised to plant a little egg, elodea, sagittaria, and wallisneria for goldfish.

The temperature limits allowed for the lion head are + 18 ... 30 degrees. In the winter months, it is recommended to lower the temperature to + 15 ... 18 degrees, the rest of the time, the optimal values ​​are + 18 ... 23 degrees Celsius. Get a powerful high-quality filter, as these fish like to spread dirt. If this is internal equipment, then clean it 1-2 times a week. In the case of using an external unit, sometimes it is enough to clean it a couple of times a year. Also equip the aeration system tank.

Recommended water hardness for keeping the lion head is 8-25, acidity is 6-8 units. If the owner has noticed that the aquarium pets are passive and judging by their appearance they are uncomfortable, salt should be put in water in proportions of 5-7 grams per 1 liter of water. Salt water is not terrible for the lion head, which withstands salinity up to 15%.

Feeding is done 2 times a day. It is required to feed the fish dosed, so that they have time to swallow the proposed food for 5 minutes. Menus for lionheads should be prepared with special ready-made feed, plant and animal food. Experienced owners recommend feeding gold fish with plants in the amount of 60%, and the share of dry and animal products should occupy 40%.

Among the desired greens, you can use spinach, lettuce leaves, boiled buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, vegetables and fruits. Some breeders grow duckweed specifically for their pets. A good treat will be fresh and frozen bloodworms, artemia, daphnia. Do not disdain the lion head with liver and meat.

If dry food is used for food, then it must be left to soak in aquarium water for half a minute, and only then offer the fish. If the food is frozen, then it is first thawed.

Lionheads are peace-loving and friendly creatures that get along well with most species of fish. Bad and active fish can become bad neighbors. So, comets, ordinary goldfish, and shubunkin belong to brisk undesirable allies. The fact is that lion-headed fish have unusual proportions, and therefore their movements are rather inhibited. Inhabited next to more energetic comrades, the lion head will always remain hungry, not having time to grab its portion. And also avoid living together lionheads with aggressive fish, so that the latter do not harm the quiet slow creatures.These include, for example, barbs, cichlids, gourami.

Sometimes the lion head remains unfeeding due to its poor vision, because its growths on the head often lead to this problem. Therefore, it is recommended to settle this species next to the same semi-sighted neighbors - telescopes, bubble eyes and sky-eyed goldfish. It is also possible peaceful coexistence with zebrafish, thorns, speckled catfish and other peaceful fish.

This species of fish reproduces well at home, but during the spawning period it is important to bring them as close as possible to the natural environment. As producers, the owner chooses the healthiest individuals. For spawning, a capacity of at least 70 liters is required. For a successful result, it is possible to separate the females and males a week before spawning, thereby “warming up” their attraction to each other. And also during this period it is customary to fatten fish well with live food.

Plant live plants in the spawning grounds, for example, an elodea is good. But you can also use artificial vegetation. After a week of separation, the male and female are placed in a prepared aquarium and gradually lower the water temperature to +11 degrees, after which they are slowly heated at a rate of 2 degrees per day. So the temperature is regulated until the fish start spawning. Most often, the process occurs at a temperature of + 20 ... 23 degrees Celsius. All this time, fish are fed protein food, for example, artemia. Three meals a day, but dosed. All half-eaten food fragments must be immediately eliminated by a siphon, and also every day, change 20% of the aquarium water to fresh.

Before spawning, the male begins to pursue his beloved for several days, on these days you can observe how the color of the fish becomes more saturated. The male pushes the female towards the plants in order to stimulate her to throw eggs. Spawning occurs within 2-3 hours, during which time the fish have time to lay up to 10,000 eggs.

Fry will appear in 4-7 days. Cubs are recommended to feed with special liquid feeds, over time they can be transferred to cereal and artemia. First, the baby is painted brown or black, over time, the color changes to the hue characteristic of the lion head.

In the next video you will find additional information about the lionhead fish.